Christchurch South was a parliamentary electorate in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand from 1881 to 1890 and then from 1905 to 1946.

Population centres

The previous electoral redistribution was undertaken in 1875 for the 1875–1876 election. In the six years since, New Zealand's European population had increased by 65%. In the 1881 electoral redistribution, the House of Representatives increased the number of European representatives to 91 (up from 84 since the 1875–76 election). The number of Māori electorates was held at four. The House further decided that electorates should not have more than one representative, which led to 35 new electorates being formed, including Christchurch South, and two electorates that had previously been abolished to be recreated. This necessitated a major disruption to existing boundaries.[1]

The boundaries of the Christchurch South electorate were Worcester Street in the north (through Latimer and Cathedral Squares), Fitzgerald Avenue in the east (then called East Town Belt), Moorhouse Avenue in the south (then called South Town Belt), and Hagley Avenue (then called Lincoln Road) and Rolleston Avenue (then called Antigua Street) in the west. The electorate thus comprised the southern half of what is now considered the central city.[2]

History

Thomas Joynt contested the Christchurch South electorate in the 1884 election, but was beaten by the incumbent, John Holmes, with 638 votes to 600.[3]

Westby Perceval, Aaron Ayers, Henry Thomson and Eden George contested the Christchurch South electorate in the 1887 election. Perceval won the election.[4][5]

The 1939 Christchurch South by-election held on 3 June was caused by the death of Ted Howard during the term of the 26th New Zealand Parliament. On nomination day, two candidates were put forward: Robert Macfarlane for the Labour Party and Melville Lyons for the National Party.[6] Mabel Howard, Ted Howard's daughter, had hoped to be put forward by the Labour Party, and she was endorsed by the local branch of the party.[7] The national executive of the Labour Party chose Macfarlane, and Howard believed that she was opposed by the party's hierarchy due to her connections to John A. Lee, who was seen as a radical within the party.[8] The chosen candidate, Macfarlane, had been Mayor of Christchurch since the previous year.[9] Macfarlane was the successful candidate.

Election results

The electorate was represented by five members of parliament.

Key

  Independent   Liberal   Labour   Independent Liberal   United

Election Winner
1881 election John Holmes
1884 election
1887 election Westby Perceval
(Electorate abolished 1890–1905, see City of Christchurch)
1905 election Harry Ell
1908 election
1911 election
1914 election
1919 election Ted Howard
1922 election
1925 election
1928 election
1931 election
1935 election
1938 election
1939 by-election Robert Macfarlane
1943 election
(Electorate abolished 1946)

Election results

1943 election

There were six candidates in 1943, with the election won by Robert Macfarlane over Ron Guthrey.[10]

1939 by-election

1939 Christchurch South by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Macfarlane 7,900 66.36
National Melville Lyons 4,005 33.64
Majority 3,895 32.72 -10.80
Turnout 11,905 76.36[11]

1931 election

1931 general election: Christchurch South[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ted Howard 7,344 61.77
United C S McCully 4,546 38.23
Majority 2,798 23.53
Registered electors 13,959
Turnout 11,890 85.18

1928 election

1928 general election: Christchurch South[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ted Howard 5,171 45.83
United Charlie McCully 4,738 41.99
Reform William Henry Manhire 1,374 12.18
Majority 433 3.84
Informal votes 73 0.64
Turnout 11,356 87.17
Registered electors 13,028

1914 election

1914 general election: Christchurch South[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Harry Ell 4,507 56.61
United Labour Gains Whiting 2,174 27.30
Reform Frederick Boulton Hughes 1,281 16.09
Majority 2,333 29.30
Informal votes 131 1.62
Turnout 8,093 88.46
Registered electors 9,149

1908 election

1908 general election: Christchurch South, first ballot[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Liberal Harry Ell 3,500 53.36
Ind. Labour League Jim Thorn 2,227 33.95
Independent Liberal Charles Allison 832 12.68
Majority 1,273 19.41
Registered electors 8,260
Turnout 6,559 79.41

1905 election

1905 general election: Christchurch South[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Harry Ell 3,689 57.16
Independent Charles Henry Winny 1,178 18.25
Ind. Labour League Jim Thorn 1,107 17.15
New Liberal John Hadfield 364 5.64
Majority
Informal votes 115 1.59
Turnout 6,453 89.45
Registered electors 7,214

References

  1. ↑ McRobie 1989, pp. 43–48.
  2. ↑ "Canterbury Electorates". The Star (Christchurch). No. 4158. 18 August 1881. p. 3. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  3. ↑ "The General Election, 1884". National Library. 1884. p. 2. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  4. ↑ "Christchurch South". The Star. No. 6034. 16 September 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  5. ↑ "The General Election, 1887". National Library. 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "City By-Election". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXVII, no. 118. 22 May 1939. p. 11. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  7. ↑ "Labour Party Nomination". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXVII, no. 102. 3 May 1939. p. 7. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  8. ↑ McAloon, Jim. "Howard, Mabel Bowden 1894–1972". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  9. ↑ "Chairmen and mayors". Christchurch: Christchurch City Council. Archived from the original on 22 May 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  10. ↑ "Public Notices". The Press. Vol. LXXIX, no. 24077. 13 October 1943. p. 1. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  11. ↑ "By-Election Result". Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette. 7 June 1939. p. 5. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  12. ↑ "Election Results". Auckland Star. Vol. LXII, no. 290. 8 December 1931. p. 3. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  13. ↑ Skinner, W. A. G. (1929). The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. p. 2. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  14. ↑ Hislop, J. (1915). The General Election, 1914. National Library. p. 20. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  15. ↑ AtoJs 1908 election 1909, p. 18.
  16. ↑ The general election, 1905. p. 4. Retrieved 26 November 2015 – via AtoJs.

Bibliography

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