Timaru (New Zealand electorate)

Timaru was a parliamentary electorate, in New Zealand's South Island. It existed continuously from 1861 to 1996 and was represented by eleven Members of Parliament.

Population centres

In the 1860 electoral redistribution, the House of Representatives increased the number of representatives by 12, reflecting the immense population growth since the original electorates were established in 1853. The redistribution created 15 additional electorates with between one and three members, and Timaru was one of the single-member electorates.[1] The electorates were distributed to provinces so that every province had at least two members. Within each province, the number of registered electors by electorate varied greatly.[1] The Timaru electorate had 121 registered electors for the 1861 election.[2]

The electorate is partly urban, and is based on the South Canterbury city of Timaru.

History

The electorate was formed in 1861 for the 3rd Parliament and existed continuously until the 1996 election.[3]

Francis Jollie was the first representative. In the 1866 election, he successfully stood for Gladstone. Alfred Cox was the next representative, and he resigned in 1868 partway through the term. Edward Stafford won the resulting 1868 by-election. He represented the electorate for a decade and resigned in 1878.

Richard Turnbull won the 1878 by-election and represented Timaru until 1890, when he died on 17 July.[4] He had contested the 1887 election against Edward George Kerr,[5] the proprietor of The Timaru Herald,[6] and had won with a comfortable majority.[7]

William Hall-Jones won the 1890 by-election. He became Prime Minister during his term, and retired in 1908.

James Craigie was the next representative, from the 1908 election. He retired in 1922. Craigie was succeeded by Frank Rolleston, who was defeated at the 1928 election.[8]

From 1928 to 1985, the seat was held by two Labour MPs: Rev Clyde Carr a Christian minister who was a supporter of John A. Lee and remained a backbencher; and then Sir Basil Arthur a hereditary baronet and later Speaker of the House.

David Lange recalled in My Life (2005) the death of Sir Basil, and also that Labour lost the subsequent 1985 by-election when "the Labour Party organisation insisted on the selection of a candidate who could hardly be less suited to the place" and "was a good lawyer but she did not live in Timaru, and her opinions, and even her appearance, were at odds with the conservative character of the electorate." Jim Sutton won the seat back for Labour in 1993.

Members of Parliament

Key

  Independent     Independent Liberal     Liberal     Reform     Labour     National  

Election Winner
1861 election Francis Jollie
1866 election Alfred Cox
1868 by-election Edward Stafford
1871 election
1875 election
1878 by-election Richard Turnbull
1879 election
1881 election
1884 election
1887 election
1890 by-election William Hall-Jones
1890 election
1893 election
1896 election
1899 election
1902 election
1905 election
1908 election James Craigie
1911 election
1914 election
1919 election
1922 election Frank Rolleston
1925 election
1928 election Clyde Carr
1931 election
1935 election
1938 election
1943 election
1946 election
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1957 election
1960 election
1962 by-election Basil Arthur
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election
1972 election
1975 election
1978 election
1981 election
1984 election
1985 by-election Maurice McTigue
1987 election
1990 election
1993 election Jim Sutton
(Electorate abolished in 1996; see Aoraki)

Election results

1993 election
1993 general election: Timaru[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Jim Sutton 10,153 46.96
National Maurice McTigue 7,213 33.36 -18.02
Alliance Peter Binns 2,533 11.71 +3.18
NZ First Jenny Bloxham 1,459 6.74
Christian Heritage S Brodie 200 0.92
Natural Law S Sole 59 0.27
Majority 2,940 13.60
Turnout 21,617 86.80 +0.19
Registered electors 24,902

1990 election
1990 general election: Timaru[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
National Maurice McTigue 10,471 51.38 +0.77
Labour Gary Clarke 7,279 35.72 -10.90
Green Peter Binns 1,739 8.53
NewLabour E M Glanville 674 3.30
Democrats D Wood 213 1.04
Majority 3,192 15.66 +11.67
Turnout 20,376 86.61 -4.47
Registered electors 23,526

1987 election
1987 general election: Timaru[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
National Maurice McTigue 10,870 50.61 +7.94
Labour Gary Clarke 10,013 46.62
Democrats Lynley Simmons 488 2.27 -5.14
Independent S R Lusby 53 0.24
NZ Party J M Simpson 53 0.24
Majority 857 3.99 -2.80
Turnout 21,477 91.08 +1.09
Registered electors 23,580

1985 by-election
1985 Timaru by-election[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
National Maurice McTigue 9,371 42.67 +4.22
Labour Jan Walker 7,879 35.88
NZ Party Bill Greenslade 2,998 13.65
Social Credit Lynley Simmons 1,628 7.41 +2.10
Values J S B Luck 54 0.25
Independent Labour Alan Falloon 31 0.14
Majority 1,492 6.79
Informal votes 66 0.29
Turnout 22,027 89.99 -3.19
Registered electors 24,476
National gain from Labour Swing

1984 election
1984 general election: Timaru[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Basil Arthur 11,033 48.13 +3.96
National Maurice McTigue 8,814 38.45
NZ Party Christine Musgrave 1,855 8.09
Social Credit Lynley Simmons 1,217 5.31 -14.06
Majority 2,224 9.70 +0.78
Turnout 22,919 93.18 +3.16
Registered electors 24,594

1981 election
1981 general election: Timaru[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Basil Arthur 9,281 44.77 -3.98
National Jane Coughlan 7,431 35.85
Social Credit Lynley Simmons 4,015 19.37
Majority 1,850 8.92 -1.74
Turnout 20,727 90.02 +11.73
Registered electors 23,024

1978 election
1978 general election: Timaru[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Basil Arthur 9,977 48.75 +1.27
National Bill Penno 7,794 38.08
Social Credit E H Rapsey 2,180 10.65
Values L A Durland 512 2.50
Majority 2,183 10.66 +5.22
Turnout 20,463 78.29 -5.80
Registered electors 26,135

1975 election
1975 general election: Timaru[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Basil Arthur 8,815 47.48 -10.77
National Dave Walker 7,804 42.04 +7.39
Social Credit E H Rapsey 1,140 6.14
Values Mary Mold 803 4.32
Majority 1,011 5.44 -18.16
Turnout 18,562 84.09 -6.10
Registered electors 22,072

1972 election
1972 general election: Timaru[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Basil Arthur 9,760 58.25 +2.24
National Dave Walker 5,806 34.65 +2.90
Social Credit J H L Body 599 3.57
Values P D Lister 403 2.40
New Democratic D W Armstrong 186 1.11
Majority 3,954 23.60 +5.15
Turnout 16,754 90.19 +0.01
Registered electors 18,575

1969 election
1969 general election: Timaru[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Basil Arthur 9,412 56.01 +0.95
National Dave Walker 6,311 37.55
Social Credit Maurice Hayes 1,084 6.44 -2.58
Majority 3,101 18.45 -0.71
Turnout 16,807 90.18 +1.46
Registered electors 18,636

1966 election
1966 general election: Timaru[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Basil Arthur 8,929 55.06 -1.28
National N S Brown 5,821 35.90
Social Credit Maurice Hayes 1,464 9.02 +4.62
Majority 3,108 19.16 +2.08
Turnout 16,214 88.72 -2.83
Registered electors 18,274

1963 election
1963 general election: Timaru[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Basil Arthur 9,334 56.34 +3.79
National M J O'Rielly 6,503 39.25
Social Credit Maurice Hayes 729 4.40 +0.43
Majority 2,831 17.08 +8.02
Turnout 16,566 91.55 +7.76
Registered electors 18,094

1962 by-election
1962 Timaru by-election[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Basil Arthur 7,578 52.55
National Derek Quigley 6,271 43.49
Social Credit Maurice Hayes 572 3.97
Majority 1,307 9.06
Informal votes 34 0.24
Turnout 14,455 83.79 -7.62
Registered electors 17,252
Labour hold Swing

1960 election
1960 general election: Timaru[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Clyde Carr 7,617 49.11 -4.60
National R E White 7,260 46.81
Social Credit Fairlie C. Isitt 542 3.49 -0.11
Independent J R Rae 90 0.58
Majority 357 2.30 -16.63
Turnout 15,509 91.41 -2.94
Registered electors 16,966

1957 election
1957 general election: Timaru[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Clyde Carr 8,379 53.71 +8.85
National Alfred James Davey 6,657 42.67
Social Credit Fairlie C. Isitt 562 3.60
Majority 2,954 18.93 +8.71
Turnout 15,598 94.35 +0.89
Registered electors 16,532

1954 election
1954 general election: Timaru[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Clyde Carr 6,241 44.86 -7.16
National Vic Wilson 4,818 34.63
Social Credit George Edmonds 2,853 20.50
Majority 1,423 10.22 +6.19
Turnout 13,912 93.46 +1.78
Registered electors 14,884

1951 election
1951 general election: Timaru[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Clyde Carr 7,265 52.02 -0.97
National William Leslie Richards 6,701 47.98
Majority 564 4.03 -1.95
Turnout 13,966 91.68 -3.31
Registered electors 15,233

1949 election
1949 general election: Timaru[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Clyde Carr 7,364 52.99 +1.07
National Jack Lockington 6,532 47.01
Majority 832 5.98 +2.13
Turnout 13,896 94.99 -0.01
Registered electors 14,628

1946 election
1946 general election: Timaru[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Clyde Carr 7,005 51.92
National Jack Acland 6,485 48.07
Majority 520 3.85
Turnout 13,490 95.00
Registered electors 14,200

1931 election
1931 general election: Timaru[15][mb 1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Clyde Carr 5,407 48.45 -3.74
Reform Herbert N. Armstrong[16] 4,587 41.11
United Herbert Hall[16] 1,165 10.44
Majority 820 7.35 +2.95
Informal votes 35 0.31 -1.68
Turnout 11,194 90.31 -1.45
Registered electors 12,395

Table footnotes:

  1. The Reform and United parties could not agree on an official coalition candidate for the Timaru electorate, so neither Armstrong nor Hall were official candidates, and many sources show them as Independents

1928 election
1928 general election: Timaru[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Clyde Carr 5,547 52.20
Reform Frank Rolleston 5,080 47.80
Majority 467 4.39
Informal votes 216 1.99
Turnout 10,843 91.76
Registered electors 11,817

1899 election
1899 general election: Timaru[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal William Hall-Jones 3,091 77.68
Independent Liberal James Stephen Keith[nb 1] 816 20.51
Independent Labour Joseph Mahoney[nb 2] 72 1.81
Majority 2,275 57.18
Turnout 3,979 79.29
Registered electors 5,018

Table footnotes:

  1. Note that in many newspapers, Keith is labelled as standing for the opposition
  2. Labour candidates at the time were counted as part of the Liberal Party

1890 election
1890 general election: Timaru[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Liberal William Hall-Jones 472 31.78 -22.31
Independent Edward George Kerr[6] 420 28.28 -16.62
Liberal Jeremiah Twomey 366 24.65
Conservative Samuel Frederick Smithson 218 14.68
Liberal Philip E Thoreau 9 0.61
Majority 52 3.50 -6.68
Turnout 1,485 60.44
Registered electors 2,457

1890 by-election
1890 Timaru by-election[21][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Liberal William Hall-Jones 422 49.41
Independent Edward George Kerr 344 40.28
Independent Labour W F Alpin 88 10.30
Majority 78 9.13
Turnout 854

Notes
  1. McRobie 1989, p. 35.
  2. McRobie 1989, p. 33.
  3. Wilson 1985, p. 273.
  4. Wilson 1985, p. 241.
  5. "The Nominations". Ashburton Guardian. VII (1667). 20 September 1887. p. 3. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  6. "History of The Timaru Herald". The Timaru Herald. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  7. "General Election". Poverty Bay Herald. XIV (4977). 27 September 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  8. Rolleston 1971, p. 131.
  9. Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1993. p. 115.
  10. Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1990. pp. 119–20.
  11. Norton 1988, p. 363.
  12. Norton 1988, p. 362.
  13. "The General Election, 1949". National Library. 1950. pp. 1–5, 8. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  14. "The General Election, 1946". National Library. 1947. pp. 1–11, 14. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  15. The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  16. Kerr, Stephen (2003). "Good Old Clyde": Clyde Carr M.P., Timaru and the Art of Incumbency, 1928–1962 (PDF) (Thesis). University of Canterbury. p. 66. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  17. Skinner, W. A. G. (1929). The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. p. 5. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  18. "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 1. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  19. "The General Election". The Daily Telegraph (9729). 30 November 1899. p. 4. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  20. "The General Election, 1890". National Library. 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  21. "Timaru election". Waikato Times. XXXV (2825). 21 August 1890. p. 2. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  22. "The Timaru Seat". The Star (6929). 12 August 1890. p. 3. Retrieved 14 April 2017.

References
  • Hall-Jones, Frederick G. (1969), Sir William Hall-Jones, the Last of the Old Liberals, Invercargill: Hall-Jones and SonsCS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand parliamentary election results, 1946–1987. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington Department of Political Science. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Rolleston, Rosamund (1971). William & Mary Rolleston : An informal biography. Reed Publishing. ISBN 0-589-00621-5.
  • Scholefield, Guy (1950) [1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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