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 Bert Kyle coming second and Jack McCullough coming third.[8]

In the 1938 election, Labour's Thomas Herbert Langford came very close to defeating the National incumbent, Bert 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   Conservative   Independent Liberal
  Reform   Independent   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 Bert 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

1975 election

1975 general election: Riccarton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Eric Holland 10,937 57.24 +3.87
Labour Don Johnson 6,171 32.29
Values Beverley Hughes 1,440 7.53
Social Credit Jim Biggs 503 2.63 +0.32
Imperial British Conservative Brian Downham 55 0.28
Majority 4,766 24.94 +12.72
Turnout 19,106 83.49 -8.17
Registered electors 22,882

1972 election

1972 general election: Riccarton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Eric Holland 9,451 53.37 -2.35
Labour David Jackson 7,287 41.15
Values Peter Lusk 441 2.49
Social Credit Jim Biggs 410 2.31
New Democratic Charles Cullen 91 0.51 -4.51
Independent Earl Sydney William Constable 26 0.14
Majority 2,164 12.22 -4.25
Turnout 17,706 91.66 +0.41
Registered electors 19,317

1969 election

1969 general election: Riccarton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Eric Holland 9,942 55.72
Labour Alan C. McEwen 7,003 39.25
Social Credit Charles Cullen 897 5.02 -6.72
Majority 2,939 16.47
Turnout 17,842 91.25 +4.27
Registered electors 19,551

1966 election

1966 general election: Riccarton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mick Connelly 8,834 52.17 -2.38
National Ian Wilson 6,109 36.07 -2.44
Social Credit Charles Cullen 1,989 11.74 +4.82
Majority 2,725 16.09 +0.05
Turnout 16,932 86.98 -2.82
Registered electors 19,466

1963 election

1963 general election: Riccarton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mick Connelly 8,670 54.55 -6.42
National Ian Wilson 6,120 38.51
Social Credit Charles Cullen 1,101 6.92 -0.52
Majority 2,550 16.04 +1.27
Turnout 15,891 89.80 -11.04
Registered electors 17,695

1960 election

1960 general election: Riccarton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mick Connelly 8,342 60.97 +3.45
National Deena V. Sergel 4,320 31.57 -5.66
Social Credit Charles Cullen 1,019 7.44
Majority 2,022 14.77 -5.52
Turnout 13,681 78.76 -13.29
Registered electors 17,370

1957 election

1957 general election: Riccarton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mick Connelly 8,128 57.52 -3.93
National Deena V. Sergel 5,261 37.23
Social Credit Jesse Colechin 740 5.23
Majority 2,867 20.29 +15.51
Turnout 14,129 92.05 +25.77
Registered electors 15,348

1956 by-election

1956 Riccarton by-election[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mick Connelly 6,549 61.45
National Balfour Grieve Dingwall 2,691 25.25 -0.96
Social Credit Wilfrid Owen 1,379 12.94
Ind. Social Credit Ernest Yealands 28 0.26
Independent Richard Israel Charles Grenfell 11 0.10
Informal votes 40 0.37
Majority 3,858 36.20
Turnout 10,698 66.28 -24.33
Registered electors 16,140
Labour hold Swing

1954 election

1954 general election: Riccarton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Angus McLagan 8,195 56.03 -1.64
National Balfour Grieve Dingwall 3,832 26.19
Social Credit Jesse Colechin 2,599 17.76
Majority 4,343 29.69 +14.34
Turnout 14,626 90.61 +3.30
Registered electors 16,140

1951 election

1951 general election: Riccarton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Angus McLagan 8,506 57.67 -0.83
National Eric Philip Wills 6,241 42.32
Majority 2,265 15.35 -3.03
Turnout 14,747 87.31 -4.34
Registered electors 16,889

1949 election

1949 general election: Riccarton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Angus McLagan 8,613 58.50 -5.22
National Harry Lake 5,906 40.11
Communist Ronald Taylor 204 1.38
Majority 2,707 18.38 -9.13
Turnout 14,723 91.65 -0.24
Registered electors 16,063

1946 election

1946 general election: Riccarton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Angus McLagan 8,974 63.72
National Vic Wilson 5,109 36.27
Majority 3,875 27.51
Turnout 14,083 91.89
Registered electors 15,325

1943 election

There were four candidates in 1943, with the election won by Jack Watts over Harold Ernest Denton.[13]

1931 election

1931 general election: Riccarton[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Bert 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[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Bert Kyle 4,515 42.37
United Archibald Albany McLachlan[nb 1] 4,470 41.95
Labour George Hartley Thompson[16] 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

1919 general election: Riccarton[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Witty 2,948 40.74
Reform William Russell Devereux 2,322 32.09
Labour John Robertson[19] 1,966 27.17
Majority 626 8.65
Informal votes 89 1.22
Turnout 7,325 84.97
Registered electors 8,621

1905 election

1905 general election: Riccarton[20][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Witty 2,294 55.54
Conservative Thomas Caverhill 1,054 25.52
Independent Liberal George Warren Russell 679 16.44
Liberal–Labour John Ash Efford 103 2.49
Majority 1,240 30.02
Informal votes 66 1.57
Turnout 4,196 84.12
Registered electors 4,988

1899 election

1899 general election: Riccarton[22]
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

1896 general election: Riccarton[23]
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. Vol. XVIII, no. 909. 12 December 1922. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  9. ↑ "Double Voting?". Auckland Star. Vol. LXIX, no. 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. 1 2 Norton 1988, p. 334.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Norton 1988, p. 333.
  13. ↑ "Public Notices". The Press. Vol. LXXIX, no. 24076. 12 October 1943. p. 1. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  14. ↑ The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 4. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  15. ↑ The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. 1929. p. 4. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  16. ↑ "Christchurch Nominations". The Press. Vol. LXIV, no. 19451. 26 October 1928. p. 14. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  17. ↑ Hislop, J. (1921). The General Election, 1919. National Library. p. 4. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  18. ↑ "Notice of Nominations Received". The Press. Vol. LV, no. 16702. 10 December 1919. p. 12. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  19. ↑ "The General Election". The Press. Vol. LV, no. 16666. 29 October 1919. p. 10. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  20. ↑ The General Election, 1905. National Library. 1906. p. 4. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  21. ↑ "To-days election". The Star. No. 8490. 6 December 1905. p. 1. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  22. ↑ "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  23. ↑ "Riccarton Electorate". The Press. Vol. LIII, no. 9593. 7 December 1896. p. 1. Retrieved 15 January 2014.

References

  • McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
  • Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand parliamentary election results, 1946–1987. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington Department of Political Science. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.
  • Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
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