Wellington East (New Zealand electorate)

Wellington East was a parliamentary electorate in the eastern suburbs of Wellington, New Zealand from 1887 to 1890 and from 1905 to 1946. It was succeeded by the Miramar electorate. The electorate was represented by seven Members of Parliament.

Population centres

In the 1887 electoral redistribution, although the Representation Commission was required through the Representation Act 1887 to maintain existing electorates "as far as possible", rapid population growth in the North Island required the transfer of three seats from the South Island to the north. Ten new electorates were created, including Wellington East, and one former electorate was recreated.[1]

The initial electorate was located east of the suburb of Te Aro and included the suburb of Mount Victoria.[2] The polling booth for the 1887 election was located at the Lyceum Hall in Tory Street.[3]

In December 1887, the House of Representatives voted to reduce its membership from general electorates from 91 to 70. The 1890 electoral redistribution used the same 1886 census data used for the 1887 electoral redistribution. In addition, three-member electorates were introduced in the four main centres. This resulted in a major restructuring of electorates, and Wellington East became part of the City of Wellington electorate.[4]

Through the City Single Electorates Act, 1903, the three-member electorates of the four main centres were split again, and this became effective at the end of the 15th Parliament and was thus used for the 1905 election. The City of Wellington electorate was split into the Wellington East, Wellington Central, and Wellington North electorates.[5]

History

Members of Parliament

The electorate was represented by seven Members of Parliament:[6]

Key

 Independent    Conservative    Ind. Labour League    Reform    Labour  
Election Winner
1887 election George Fisher
(Electorate abolished 1890-1905, see City of Wellington)
1905 election John Aitken
1908 election David McLaren
1911 election Alfred Newman
1914 election
1919 election
1922 election Alec Monteith
1925 election Thomas Forsyth
1928 election Bob Semple
1931 election
1935 election
1938 election
1943 election
(Electorate abolished in 1946, see Miramar)

Election results

1931 election

General election, 1931: Wellington East[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Bob Semple 7,207 52.15 +8.75
Reform Thomas Forsyth 6,614 47.85 +12.04
Majority 593 4.29 -3.29
Informal votes 65 0.47 -0.53
Turnout 13,886 83.20 -5.27
Registered electors 16,690

1928 election

General election, 1928: Wellington East[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Bob Semple 5,527 43.40
Reform Thomas Forsyth 4,561 35.81 -19.53
Independent James John Clark 2,648 20.79
Majority 966 7.58 -3.10
Informal votes 128 1.00 -0.70
Turnout 12,864 88.47 -0.98
Registered electors 14,541

1925 election

General election, 1925: Wellington East[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Reform Thomas Forsyth 6,191 55.34 +18.61
Labour Alec Monteith 4,996 44.66 +3.36
Majority 1,195 10.68 +6.11
Informal votes 193 1.70 +0.72
Turnout 11,380 89.44 -1.43
Registered electors 12,723

1922 election

General election, 1922: Wellington East[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Alec Monteith 4,274 41.30
Reform Thomas Forsyth 3,801 36.73
Liberal Thomas William McDonald 1,860 17.97
Independent Annie McVicar 414 4.00
Majority 473 4.57
Informal votes 102 0.98
Turnout 10,451 90.88
Registered electors 11,500

1908 election

General election, 1908: Wellington East, first ballot[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Arthur Richmond Atkinson 2,400 36.86
Ind. Labour League David McLaren 1,741 26.74 +13.88
Liberal William McLean[14] 1,300 19.96 -23.45
Liberal George Winder[15][16][17] 1,071 16.45
Majority 659 10.12 +9.80
Turnout 6,512 67.78 -13.91
Registered electors 9,608
General election, 1908: Wellington East, second ballot[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Ind. Labour League David McLaren 3,446 52.92
Conservative Arthur Richmond Atkinson 3,019 46.36
Majority 427 6.56
Registered electors 9,608
Turnout 6,465 67.29

1905 election

General election, 1905: Wellington East[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Aitken 2,595 43.73
Liberal William McLean 2,576 43.41
Ind. Labour League David McLaren 763 12.86
Majority 19 0.32
Informal votes 77 1.28
Turnout 6,011 81.68
Registered electors 7,359

Notes

  1. McRobie 1989, pp. 50–53.
  2. McRobie 1989, p. 50.
  3. "The Elections". The Evening Post. XXXIV (49). 26 August 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  4. McRobie 1989, pp. 54f.
  5. McRobie 1989, pp. 66f.
  6. Wilson 1985, p. 276.
  7. "Declaration of Result of Poll for the Electoral District of Wellington East". The Evening Post. CXII (140). 10 December 1931. p. 2. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  8. The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. 1929. p. 6. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  9. "Declaration of Result of Poll for the Electoral District of Wellington East". New Zealand Truth (1200). 29 November 1928. p. 14. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  10. The General Election, 1925. Government Printer. 1926. p. 4. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  11. Hislop, J. (1923). The General Election, 1922. Government Printer. p. 4. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  12. "The General Election". The Press. LVIII (17612). 15 November 1922. p. 13. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  13. AtoJs 1908 election 1909, p. 31.
  14. "The General Election". Hawera & Normanby Star. LVI. 10 November 1908. p. 10. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  15. "Mr George Winder". Auckland Star. LXI (182). 4 August 1930. p. 10. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  16. "Personal Items". The Evening Post. CX (29). 2 August 1930. p. 11. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  17. "Mr George Winder's new Premises, Corner Cuba and Manners Streets". The Evening Post. LXXVII (100). 29 April 1909. p. 3. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  18. AtoJs 1908 election 1909, p. 13.
  19. "The General Election, 1905". National Library. 1906. p. 3. Retrieved 8 March 2014.

References

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