Auckland West

Population centres

From 1861 to 1884 the electorate comprised the suburbs of Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Herne Bay. With the creation of the electorate for the , Auckland West was moved south to include Grey Lynn, Newton and Kingsland.

From 1890 to 1905, Auckland West – along with and – were merged into the multi-member electorate. In 1903 the Parliament passed the City Single Electorates Act, abolishing multi-member electorates from the end of the 15th Parliament in 1905.

The three inner-city Auckland electorates were recreated in 1905, with Auckland West first comprising the suburbs of Ponsonby, Herne Bay, Newton and parts of Grey Lynn; and from 1908 to 1946 covering Ponsonby and Herne Bay.

History

The City of Auckland West electorate was created for the election held on 11 January 1861 and it lasted to 1890. During this period, City of Auckland West was a two-member electorate.

At the first election in 1861, Josiah Firth and John Williamson were elected. Firth resigned on 30 April 1862, and was succeeded by James Williamson (no relation to John Williamson) in the .

In the December 1875 election, Sir George Grey and Patrick Dignan were the only candidates in the two-member electorate and were thus declared elected. In January 1876, Grey also contested and won a seat in the Thames electorate. A protest against Grey's election was lodged with the returning officer the following day, stating that Grey had not been eligible to stand for election in Thames, as he had already been elected in Auckland West. This petition was filed to the House of Representatives at the end of January. On 8 July, the report of the committee inquiring into Sir George Grey's election for the Thames was read to the House. It was found that his election to the Thames electorate was in accordance with the law, but that he had to make a decision for which electorate he would sit. On 15 July 1876, Grey announced that he would represent Thames, and he moved that a by-election be held in Auckland West for the seat that he would vacate there.

The 25 July 1876 by-election caused by Grey's retirement was won by Benjamin Tonks, who resigned in 1877.

The electorate was then represented by James Wallis 1877–81, William John Hurst 1879–81 and David Goldie 1887–90.

The "Auckland West" electorate was created in 1905, and lasted to 1946. It was held for 1905–11 & 1914–19 by Charles Poole, 1911–14 by James Bradney, and from 1919 until he died in 1940 by revered Labour prime minister Michael Joseph Savage. The next holder Peter Carr 1940–46 also died while holding the seat.

Members of Parliament

Key

multi-member electorate

From 1861 to 1881, City of Auckland West was a two-member electorate.

single member electorate

Election results

1943 election

|reg. electors =

1940 by-election

1938 election

|reg. electors = 17,017

1935 election

|reg. electors = 13,263

1931 election

|reg. electors = 12,911

1928 election

|reg. electors = 13,331

1925 election

|reg. electors = 12,283

1922 election

|reg. electors = 11,068

1919 election

|reg. electors = 10,599

1914 election

|reg. electors = 9,895

1911 election

|reg. electors = 8,787

1908 election

|reg. electors = 8,711

1905 election

|reg. electors = 7,407

1879 by-election

1877 by-election

1876 by-election

April 1875 by-election

Notes

References

References

1. Waterson, D. B.. "Firth, Josiah Clifton 1826 – 1897".
2. Waterson, D. B.. "Williamson, John 1815 – 1875".
3. (23 December 1875). "(By Telegraph). Auckland. Dec. 22.". North Otago Times.
4. (8 January 1876). "THE ELECTIONS". Daily Southern Cross.
5. (1 February 1876). "The Thames election : petition against sir George Grey's election.". Daily Southern Cross.
6. (12 July 1876). "New Zealand Parliament". [[Taranaki Herald]].
7. (26 July 1876). "CITY WEST ELECTION.". Daily Southern Cross.
8. Laracy, Hugh. "Dignan, Patrick 1813/1814? – 1894".
9. Cyclopedia Company Limited. (1902). "The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Auckland Provincial District".
10. (1944). "The General Election, 1943". [[National Library of New Zealand.
11. (1939). "The General Election, 1938". National Library.
12. (1936). "The New Zealand Official Year-Book". Government Printer.
13. (1932). "The General Election, 1931". Government Printer.
14. Skinner, W. A. G.. (1929). "The General Election, 1928". Government Printer.
15. (1926). "The General Election, 1925". Government Printer.
16. (4 August 1925). "General Election". [[The Evening Post (New Zealand).
17. (1924). "The New Zealand Official Year-Book". Government Printer.
18. (1921). "The General Election, 1919". [[National Library of New Zealand.
19. (1915). "The General Election, 1914". [[National Library of New Zealand.
20. (1912). "The General Election, 1911". National Library.
21. (1909). "The General Election, 1908". [[National Library of New Zealand.
22. "The General Election, 1905".