Riccarton (New Zealand electorate)

Riccarton is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It existed from 1893 to 1978, and was represented by eight Members of Parliament.

Population centres

In the 1892 electoral redistribution, population shift to the North Island required the transfer of one seat from the South Island to the north. The resulting ripple effect saw every electorate established in 1890 have its boundaries altered, and eight electorates were established for the first time, including Riccarton.[1]

The electorate was in the western suburbs of Christchurch, New Zealand, and was based on the suburb of Riccarton.

History

The electorate was created in 1893,[2] and existed to 1978 when it was abolished.

The first representative of the electorate was George Warren Russell, who started his parliamentary career with his 1893 election.[3] Russell was beaten in the 1896 election by William Rolleston,[4] who had distinguished himself through his contribution to education and his support for Canterbury Museum. Rolleston was the last Superintendent of Canterbury Province.[5] Russell regained the electorate in the 1899 election with a majority of one vote over Rolleston, which brought an end to that political career.[6] Russell lost the Riccarton electorate again in the 1902 election, this time to George Witty, who held the electorate for 23 years until 1925.[7]

The electorate was contested by three candidates in the 1922 election. George Witty was successful, with Herbert Kyle coming second and John Alexander McCullough coming third.[8]

In the 1938 election, Labour's Thomas Herbert Langford came very close to defeating the National incumbent, Herbert Kyle. Before the counting of the absentee and postal votes, Langford was leading by 38 votes.[9] The final count saw Kyle with a majority of 87 votes.[10]

Members of Parliament

The Riccarton electorate was represented by eight Members of Parliament.

Key  Liberal    Independent    Reform    National    Labour  

Election Winner
1893 election George Russell
1896 election William Rolleston
1899 election George Russell
1902 election George Witty
1905 election
1908 election
1911 election
1914 election
1919 election
1922 election
1925 election Herbert Kyle
1928 election
1931 election
1935 election
1938 election
1943 election Jack Watts
1946 election Angus McLagan
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1956 by-election Mick Connelly
1957 election
1960 election
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election Eric Holland
1972 election
1975 election
(Electorate abolished 1978)

Election results

1956 by-election

Riccarton by-election, 1956[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Mick Connelly 6,549 61.45
National B G Dingwall 2,691 25.25
Social Credit Wilfrid Owen 1,379 12.94
Independent Social Credit E Yealands 28 0.26
Independent I C Grenfell 11 0.10
Majority 3,858 36.20
Informal votes 40 0.37
Turnout 10,698 66.28
Registered electors 16,140
Labour hold Swing

1931 election

General election, 1931: Riccarton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Reform Herbert Kyle 4,355 40.09 -2.28
Independent Archibald Albany McLachlan[mb 1] 3,766 34.67 -7.28
Labour G. T. Thurston 2,741 25.23
Majority 589 5.42 +5.00
Informal votes 67 0.61 -0.21
Turnout 10,929 87.24 -2.84
Registered electors 12,528

Table footnotes:

  1. For some biographical details of McLachlan refer to his grandfather's article

1928 election

1928 general election: Riccarton[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Reform Herbert Kyle 4,515 42.37
United Archibald Albany McLachlan[nb 1] 4,470 41.95
Labour George Hartley Thompson[14] 1,671 15.68
Majority 45 0.42
Informal votes 88 0.82
Turnout 10,744 90.07
Registered electors 11,928

Table footnotes:

  1. For some biographical details of McLachlan refer to his grandfather's article

1919 election

General election, 1919: Riccarton[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal George Witty 2,948 40.74
Reform William Russell Devereux 2,322 32.09
Labour John Robertson[17] 1,966 27.17
Majority 626 8.65
Informal votes 89 1.22
Turnout 7,325 84.97
Registered electors 8,621

1899 election

General election, 1899: Riccarton[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal George Warren Russell 1,867 50.01 +5.98
Conservative William Rolleston 1,866 49.99 -5.98
Majority 1 0.03 -11.90
Turnout 3,733 81.42 +1.88
Registered electors 4,585

1896 election

General election, 1896: Riccarton[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative William Rolleston 1,834 55.97
Liberal George Warren Russell 1,443 44.03
Majority 391 11.93
Turnout 3,277 79.54
Registered electors 4,120

Notes

  1. McRobie 1989, pp. 59f.
  2. Scholefield 1950, p. 163.
  3. Scholefield 1950, p. 137.
  4. Scholefield 1950, p. 136.
  5. Gardner, W. J. "Rolleston, William - Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  6. Greenaway, Richard L. N. (June 2007). "Avonside Anglican Parish Cemetery Tour" (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. p. 19. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  7. Scholefield 1950, p. 149.
  8. "South Island Seats". Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle. XVIII (909). 12 December 1922. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  9. "Double Voting?". Auckland Star. LXIX (249). 21 October 1938. p. 10. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  10. "The General Election, 1938". National Library. 1939. p. 4. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
  11. Norton 1988, p. 333.
  12. The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 4. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  13. The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. 1929. p. 4. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  14. "Christchurch Nominations". The Press. LXIV (19451). 26 October 1928. p. 14. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  15. Hislop, J. (1921). The General Election, 1919. National Library. p. 4. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  16. "Notice of Nominations Received". The Press. LV (16702). 10 December 1919. p. 12. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  17. "The General Election". The Press. LV (16666). 29 October 1919. p. 10. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  18. "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  19. "Riccarton Electorate". The Press. LIII (9593). 7 December 1896. p. 1. Retrieved 15 January 2014.

References

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