Pahiatua (New Zealand electorate)

Pahiatua is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate in the Wairarapa region. It existed from 1896 to 1996, and was represented by nine Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Keith Holyoake for 34 years.

Population centres

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In the 1896 electoral redistribution, rapid population growth in the North Island required the transfer of three seats from the South Island to the north. Four electorates that previously existed were re-established, and three electorates were established for the first time, including Pahiatua.[1] The original area of the Pahiatua electorate included the towns of Pahiatua and Woodville.[2] Over time, the electorate shifted slightly north, until the town of Dannevirke was covered following the 1918 electoral redistribution.[3]

The 1946 electoral redistribution took the abolition of the country quota into account, and as a rural electorate, the area covered by the Pahiatua electorate increased significantly.[4] The Masterton electorate to the south was abolished, and its area distributed to the Wairarapa and Pahiatua electorate. Eketāhuna and Castlepoint were gained by the electorate in that process.[5]

History

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The Pahiatua electorate existed from 1896 to 1996. Early holders of the seat were John O'Meara from 1896 to 1904, Bill Hawkins from 1904 to 1905, Robert Beatson Ross from 1905 to 1911, James Escott from 1911 to 1916, Harold Smith from 1916 to 1919, Archibald McNicol from 1919 to 1922, and Alfred Ransom from 1922 to 1943.[6]

The seat was held by Prime Minister Keith Holyoake for 34 years, until he resigned to become Governor-General.[7] In 1996 John Falloon, who had been the MP for Pahiatua for 19 years, chose to retire.

Members of Parliament

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Key

  Liberal   Liberal–Labour   Reform   United   National

Election Winner
1896 election John O'Meara
1899 election
1902 election
1904 by-election Bill Hawkins
1905 election Robert Beatson Ross
1908 election
1911 election James Escott
1914 election
1916 by-election Harold Smith
1919 election Archibald McNicol
1922 election Alfred Ransom
1925 election
1928 election
1931 election
1935 election
1938 election
1943 election Keith Holyoake
1946 election
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1957 election
1960 election
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election
1972 election
1975 election
1977 by-election John Falloon
1978 election
1981 election
1984 election
1987 election
1990 election
1993 election
(Electorate abolished in 1996; see Wairarapa)

Election results

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1977 by-election

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1977 Pahiatua by-election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National John Falloon 9,059 63.01
Labour Allan Levett 4,280 29.77
Social Credit Graeme Hislop 844 5.87 −3.89
Values Peter McHugh 194 1.35 −2.18
Majority 4,779 33.24
Turnout 14,377 68.49 −16.12
Registered electors 20,993
National hold Swing

1975 election

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1975 general election: Pahiatua[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Keith Holyoake 10,423 64.19 +4.08
Labour Paul Thornicroft 3,654 22.50
Social Credit Graeme Hislop 1,585 9.76
Values Peter McHugh 574 3.53
Majority 6,769 41.69 +12.00
Turnout 16,236 84.61 −1.39
Registered electors 19,188

1972 election

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1972 general election: Pahiatua[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Keith Holyoake 8,825 60.11 −2.15
Labour L J Cairns 4,466 30.42
Social Credit J H Morrow 1,022 6.96
Liberal Reform R E Cheer 253 1.72
New Democratic J W Duffy 115 0.78
Majority 4,359 29.69 −4.30
Turnout 14,681 86.00 +0.75
Registered electors 17,069

1969 election

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1969 general election: Pahiatua[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Keith Holyoake 9,010 62.26 +0.51
Labour Trevor de Cleene 4,090 28.26
Social Credit Douglas Conway 1,131 7.81
Country Party C K R Farnsworth 240 1.65
Majority 4,920 33.99 −7.29
Turnout 14,471 86.75 +0.86
Registered electors 16,681

1966 election

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1966 general election: Pahiatua[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Keith Holyoake 7,914 61.75 −3.95
Labour F M O'Brien 2,623 20.46
Social Credit J H Morrow 2,207 17.22
Independent R E Cheer 71 0.55
Majority 5,291 41.28 −0.39
Turnout 12,815 85.89 −3.03
Registered electors 14,919

1963 election

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1963 general election: Pahiatua[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Keith Holyoake 9,039 65.70 +1.26
Labour Ernie Hemmingsen 3,306 24.03
Social Credit Oliver Marks 1,411 10.25
Majority 5,733 41.67 +2.47
Turnout 13,756 88.92 −1.26
Registered electors 15,469

1960 election

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1960 general election: Pahiatua[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Keith Holyoake 8,111 64.44 +2.41
Labour Kingsley McKane 3,177 25.24
Social Credit Percival John Dempsey 1,298 10.31
Majority 4,934 39.20 +8.32
Turnout 12,586 90.18 −2.39
Registered electors 13,955

1957 election

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1957 general election: Pahiatua[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Keith Holyoake 8,075 62.03 +0.22
Labour William Erle Rose 4,055 31.15
Social Credit R M Gunn 887 6.81
Majority 4,020 30.88 +1.06
Turnout 13,017 92.57 1.84
Registered electors 14,061

1954 election

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1954 general election: Pahiatua[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Keith Holyoake 7,293 61.81 +0.92
Labour Ronald Bell 3,774 31.98
Social Credit M M Whimp 731 6.19
Majority 3,519 29.82 −3.15
Turnout 11,798 90.73 +1.92
Registered electors 13,003

1951 election

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1951 general election: Pahiatua[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Keith Holyoake 8,490 60.89 −6.68
Labour Owen Jones 3,892 27.91
Majority 4,598 32.97 −2.18
Turnout 12,382 88.81 −3.45
Registered electors 13,942

1949 election

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1949 general election: Pahiatua[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Keith Holyoake 8,663 67.57 +3.51
Labour G P O'Leary 4,156 32.43
Majority 4,507 35.15 −7.03
Turnout 12,819 92.26 −1.82
Registered electors 13,894

1946 election

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1946 general election: Pahiatua[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Keith Holyoake 8,422 64.06 +6.13
Labour Otto Ernest Niederer 4,725 35.94
Majority 3,697 28.12 +9.59
Turnout 13,147 94.08 +1.54
Registered electors 13,973

1943 election

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1943 general election: Pahiatua[12][13][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Keith Holyoake 5,705 57.93
Labour George Anders Hansen 3,880 39.39
Democratic Labour Edward Ellis 190 1.92
Informal votes 73 0.74
Majority 1,825 18.53
Turnout 9,848 95.62
Registered electors 10,299

1928 election

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1928 general election: Pahiatua[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Alfred Ransom 4,369 52.32
Reform Harold Smith 3,447 41.28
Labour Joseph Whittle 535 6.41
Majority 922 11.04
Informal votes 94 1.11
Turnout 8,445 90.97
Registered electors 9,283

1916 by-election

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1916 Pahiatua by-election[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Harold Smith 1,521 47.57
Liberal Robert Ross 1,438 44.97
Labour George McFarlane 238 7.44
Majority 83 2.59
Turnout 3,197 51.23
Registered electors 6,241[19]
Reform hold Swing

1904 by-election

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1904 Pahiatua by-election[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Liberal Bill Hawkins 1,418 42.08
Liberal Lindsay Buick 1,323 39.26
Independent Samuel Bolton 476 14.12
Liberal David Crewe 138 4.09
Independent Donald Munro 14 0.41
Majority 95 2.81
Turnout 3,369

1899 election

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1899 general election: Pahiatua[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John O'Meara 2,058 54.92 +23.31
Conservative Harold Smith 1,689 45.08
Majority 369 9.85 +8.90
Turnout 3,747 83.25
Registered electors 4,501

1896 election

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1896 general election: Pahiatua[22][23][24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John O'Meara 1,004 31.61
Conservative Robert Manisty 974 30.67
Liberal William Wilson McCardle 848 26.70
Independent Liberal James Taylor 233 7.34
Conservative George Whitcombe 117 3.68
Majority 30 0.94
Informal votes
Registered electors 4,125
Turnout

Notes

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  1. ^ McRobie 1989, p. 63.
  2. ^ McRobie 1989, p. 62.
  3. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 62–79.
  4. ^ McRobie 1989, p. 95.
  5. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 90–94.
  6. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 269.
  7. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 206.
  8. ^ a b c Norton 1988, p. 305.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Norton 1988, p. 304.
  10. ^ "The General Election, 1949". National Library. 1950. pp. 1–5, 8. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  11. ^ "The General Election, 1946". National Library. 1947. pp. 1–11, 14. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  12. ^ "The General Election, 1943". National Library. 1944. p. 11. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  13. ^ "Results from all Electorates". Evening Post. Vol. CXXXVI, no. 76. 27 September 1943. p. 6. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  14. ^ "City Nominations". Evening Post. Vol. CXXXVI, no. 61. 9 September 1943. p. 9. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  15. ^ Skinner, W. A. G. (1929). The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. p. 4. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Political : Nomination for Pahiatua seat". Manawatu Standard. Vol. XLVIII, no. 279. 23 October 1928. p. 8. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  17. ^ "Pahiatua by-election". Bay of Plenty Times. 18 August 1916. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Pahiatua by-election". Sun. 7 August 1916. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  19. ^ McRobie 1989, p. 75.
  20. ^ "Complete Returns". The Marlborough Express. Vol. XXXVII, no. 174. 29 July 1904. p. 2. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  21. ^ "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 1. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  22. ^ "The General Election". Auckland Star. Vol. XXVII, no. 305. 23 December 1896. p. 6. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  23. ^ "List of Candidates". The Star. No. 5733. 28 November 1896. p. 6. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  24. ^ "Pahiatua Electorate". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. XVI, no. 5498. 30 November 1896. p. 3. Retrieved 12 January 2014.

References

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  • 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: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.