Ashley (New Zealand electorate)

Population centres

In the 1865 electoral redistribution, the House of Representatives focussed its review of electorates to South Island electorates only, as the Otago gold rush had caused significant population growth, and a redistribution of the existing population. Fifteen additional South Island electorates were created, including Ashley, and the number of Members of Parliament was increased by 13 to 70.

The Ashley electorate was formed from a corner of Cheviot electorate, and included the towns of Ashley, Amberley, and Oxford. The electorate's boundaries remained roughly the same until the 1881 election, when it expanded slightly into Kaiapoi electorate and Amberley was returned to Cheviot. In the 1887 election, the electorate expanded westwards into Cheviot's southern tip. In the 1890 election, Cheviot itself was abolished, and the majority of its territory was absorbed into Ashley — to compensate, territory was taken from Ashley in the south and given to Kaiapoi. In the 1893 election, Ashley expanded further north, taking the town of Kaikōura from Wairau electorate, but ceded Oxford to Kaiapoi in the south. In the 1902 election, Ashley was dissolved, being replaced with an electorate called Hurunui, covering much the same area.

History

The first representative was Lancelot Walker, who won the unopposed. Walker resigned in the following year and was succeeded by Henry Tancred in the ; Tancred was also unopposed. Tancred retired at the end of the parliamentary term in 1870 and was succeeded by John Evans Brown, who won the election against two others. At the 1876 election, Brown was challenged by William Miles Maskell, who had been one of his opponents in 1871, but Brown retained his seat.

For the 1879 election, three candidates contested the election, with William Sefton Moorhouse gaining an absolute majority. The 1881 election was contested by five candidates, with William Fisher Pearson the winner. In the 1884 election, Pearson had a dominant win over one challenger.

In the , the electorate was contested by Richard Meredith, James Dupré Lance and John George Knight, who received 648, 611 and 137 votes, respectively. Meredith was thus declared elected.

Members of Parliament

Key

Election results

1899 election

|reg. electors = 4,469

1896 election

|reg. electors = 4,061

1893 election

1890 election

|reg. electors = 2,488

1888 by-election

1887 election

|reg. electors = 1,474

1884 election

|access-date = 21 December 2020 |reg. electors = 1,468

1881 election

|access-date = 21 December 2020 |reg. electors = 1,450

1879 election

|reg. electors =

1875–1876 election

|reg. electors =

1871 election

|reg. electors =

Notes

References

References

1. (3 March 1866). "Ashley election". [[The Press]].
2. {{DNZB. Parton. H. N.. 1T9. Tancred, Henry John. 9 March 2010
3. (9 August 1867). "Ashley Election". [[Lyttelton Times]].
4. (28 November 1890). "Ashley Electoral District". [[The Press]].
5. (1891). "The General Election, 1890". National Library.
6. (20 February 1871). "The General Elections". [[The Star (Christchurch).
7. (12 January 1876). "Ashley Polling". [[The Star (Christchurch).
8. (13 September 1879). "The General Assembly Elections". Grey River Argus.
9. (19 June 1900). "The General Election, 1899". Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives.
10. (5 December 1896). "Ashley". [[The Press]].
11. (1894). "The General Election, 1893". [[National Library of New Zealand.
12. (4 December 1893). "Election Notices". [[The Press]].
13. (29 November 1893). "Ashley". [[The Star (Christchurch).
14. (1887). "The General Election, 1887". National Library.
15. (20 September 1887). "Ashley". [[The Press]].
16. (3 December 1881). "Ashley". Globe.
17. (16 September 1879). "The elections". Globe.
18. (13 January 1876). "The elections". [[The Press]].
19. (20 February 1871). "The general elections". [[The Star (Christchurch).