Jump to content

St Albans (New Zealand electorate)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

St Albans was a parliamentary electorate in Christchurch, New Zealand from 1881 to 1890, then from 1946 to 1996.

Population centres

[edit]

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 St Albans, and two electorates that had previously been abolished to be recreated. This necessitated a major disruption to existing boundaries.[1]

The 1941 New Zealand census had been postponed due to World War II, so the 1946 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth and movements into account. The North Island gained a further two electorates from the South Island due to faster population growth. The abolition of the country quota through the Electoral Amendment Act, 1945 reduced the number and increased the size of rural electorates. None of the existing electorates remained unchanged, 27 electorates were abolished, 19 electorates were created for the first time, and eight former electorates were re-established, including St Albans.[2]

The electorate was centred on the Christchurch suburb of St Albans.

History

[edit]

The electorate was first created for the 1881 general election, held on 9 December.[3]

John Evans Brown contested the electorate with J. L. Wilson and A. W. O'Neill. They received 218, 168 and 85 votes, respectively. Brown was declared elected.[4] Brown did not stand for re-election in the 1884 general election.[5]

In 1884 general election, held on 22 July, Francis James Garrick successfully stood for the electorate against two other candidates and obtained a comfortable victory, gaining 396 out of 477 votes.[6] Garrick stood again in the electorate in the 1887 general election, against William Pember Reeves. At the election on 26 September, Reeves and Garrick received 802 and 634 votes, respectively. With a majority of 164 votes, Reeves was the successful candidate.[7][8] The electorate was abolished at the end of the parliamentary term in 1890 and Reeves successfully contested the Christchurch electorate.

The electorate was recreated in 1946.[9] Jack Watts from the National Party was the representative from 1946 to 1957, when he successfully contested the Fendalton electorate. St Albans went to Neville Pickering of the Labour Party, who lost the electorate at the next election in 1960 to National's Bert Walker. Walker represented St Albans until 1969, when he successfully contested the Papanui electorate.

St Albans was won by Labour's Roger Drayton in the 1969 general election. He retired after three terms, and the 1978 general election was won by Labour's David Caygill, who held the electorate until it was abolished in 1996.

Members of Parliament

[edit]

The electorate was represented by eight Members of Parliament:[9]

Key

  Independent   National   Labour

Election Winner
1881 election John Brown
1884 election Francis Garrick
1887 election William Reeves
(electorate abolished 1890-1946)
1946 election Jack Watts
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1957 election Neville Pickering
1960 election Bert Walker
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election Roger Drayton
1972 election
1975 election
1978 election David Caygill
1981 election
1984 election
1987 election
1990 election
1993 election
(Electorate abolished in 1996; see Christchurch Central)

Election results

[edit]

1993 election

[edit]
1993 general election: St Albans[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Caygill 10,022 46.43 −0.92
National Raewyn Dawson 6,597 30.56
Alliance Mike Newlove 3,423 15.85 +5.77
NZ First Peter Gordon 949 4.39
Christian Heritage Mary Lovell 481 2.22
Natural Law Joe Pickering 88 0.40
Independent Bill Bunting 25 0.11
Majority 3,425 15.86 +8.47
Turnout 21,585 85.44 +0.91
Registered electors 25,261

1990 election

[edit]
1990 general election: St Albans[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Caygill 9,990 47.35 −11.05
National David Dumergue 8,430 39.96
NewLabour Mike Newlove 2,127 10.08
Democrats John McCaskey 310 1.46
McGillicuddy Serious Michael Vercoe 209 0.99
Communist League Kerry Moyst 28 0.13
Majority 1,560 7.39 −14.33
Turnout 21,094 84.53 −3.09
Registered electors 24,954

1987 election

[edit]
1987 general election: St Albans[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Caygill 12,166 58.40 +2.55
National Andrew Cowie 7,641 36.68
Democrats Bill Morgan 593 2.84
Socialist Action Geoff Pearce 181 0.86
Wizard Party Suzanne Sadler 129 0.61
Values Phil McAnally 121 0.58
Majority 4,525 21.72 −6.52
Turnout 20,831 87.62 −4.57
Registered electors 23,773

1984 election

[edit]
1984 general election: St Albans[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Caygill 12,208 55.85 +0.82
National Ian Wilson 6,036 27.61
NZ Party Maurice Kattell 2,621 11.99
Social Credit Quinton Manson 990 4.52 −8.94
Majority 6,172 28.24 +4.72
Turnout 21,855 92.19 +2.81
Registered electors 23,704

1981 election

[edit]
1981 general election: St Albans[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Caygill 11,524 55.03 +2.31
National Jim Baker 6,598 31.50
Social Credit Quinton Manson 2,819 13.46 +4.54
Majority 4,926 23.52 +16.19
Turnout 20,941 89.38 +22.42
Registered electors 23,428

1978 election

[edit]
1978 general election: St Albans[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Caygill 11,279 52.72
National Neil Russell 7,600 35.52
Social Credit Quinton Manson 1,909 8.92 +5.44
Values Conway Jack 577 2.69
Tory Ian Douglas Costello 28 0.13
Majority 1,570 7.33
Turnout 21,393 66.96 −12.93
Registered electors 31,946

1975 election

[edit]
1975 general election: St Albans[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roger Drayton 9,013 48.59 −7.43
National Prudence Rotherberg 7,443 40.13
Values Roger Wilson 1,304 7.03
Social Credit Quinton Manson 647 3.48
Independent Richard Dawson 104 0.56
Imperial British Conservative Alice Flett 36 0.19
Majority 1,570 8.46 −8.89
Turnout 18,547 79.89 −6.64
Registered electors 23,214

1972 election

[edit]
1972 general election: St Albans[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roger Drayton 9,900 56.02 +6.41
National Ron Doak 6,834 38.67
Social Credit Carol Flint 514 2.90
Values Bob Overend 376 2.12
New Democratic Bob Scott 47 0.26
Majority 3,066 17.35 +12.00
Turnout 17,671 86.53 +2.92
Registered electors 20,420

1969 election

[edit]
1969 general election: St Albans[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roger Drayton 8,415 49.61
National Ian Wilson 7,506 44.25
Social Credit Jim Fountain 1,041 6.13
Majority 909 5.35
Turnout 16,962 89.45 +3.66
Registered electors 18,961

1966 election

[edit]
1966 general election: St Albans[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Bert Walker 8,455 53.62 −1.72
Labour Ted Adcock 5,880 37.29
Social Credit Ray McNeil 1,344 8.52
Keynesian Progress Mark Sadler 88 0.55
Majority 2,575 16.33 +1.33
Turnout 15,767 85.79 −5.36
Registered electors 18,378

1963 election

[edit]
1963 general election: St Albans[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Bert Walker 9,228 55.34 +6.74
Labour John Palmer 6,727 40.34
Social Credit Carol Flint 718 4.30
Majority 2,501 15.00 +13.15
Turnout 16,673 91.15 +0.10
Registered electors 18,291

1960 election

[edit]
1960 general election: St Albans[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Bert Walker 7,809 48.60
Labour Neville Pickering 7,511 46.75 −3.28
Social Credit George Richard Lynne 746 4.64
Majority 298 1.85
Turnout 16,066 91.25 −0.70
Registered electors 17,605

1957 election

[edit]
1957 general election: St Albans[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neville Pickering 7,960 50.03
National Eric Philip Wills 7,459 46.88
Social Credit Thomas Francis Penrose 759 4.77
Majority 501 3.14
Turnout 15,908 91.95 +0.42
Registered electors 17,299

1954 election

[edit]
1954 general election: St Albans[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Jack Watts 6,905 43.58 −11.49
Labour Mick Connelly 6,297 39.75
Social Credit Stanley William Ayers 2,639 16.65
Majority 608 3.83 −6.32
Turnout 15,841 92.37 +2.29
Registered electors 17,148

1951 election

[edit]
1951 general election: St Albans[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Jack Watts 7,675 55.07 +0.85
Labour John Bernard Mora 6,260 44.93
Majority 1,415 10.15 +1.71
Turnout 13,935 90.08 −3.10
Registered electors 15,469

1949 election

[edit]
1949 general election: St Albans[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Jack Watts 7,335 54.22 +3.90
Labour George Manning 6,193 45.78
Majority 1,142 8.44 +7.80
Turnout 13,528 93.18 +1.19
Registered electors 14,518

1946 election

[edit]
1946 general election: St Albans[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Jack Watts 6,691 50.32
Labour Morgan Williams 6,605 49.68
Majority 86 0.64
Turnout 13,296 91.99
Registered electors 14,453

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 43–48.
  2. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 91–96.
  3. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 97.
  4. ^ "CHRISTCHURCH NORTH". The Star. No. 4255. 10 December 1881. p. 3. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  5. ^ "THE NOMINATIONS". The Star. No. 5054. 15 July 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  6. ^ "St Albans". The Star. No. 5016. 23 July 1884. pp. Page 3. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
  7. ^ Cyclopedia Company Limited, ed. (1903). "Christchurch City And Suburban — Ex-Members of the House of Representatives". Cyclopedia of New Zealand - Canterbury Provincial District. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia Company Limited. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
  8. ^ "St Albans". The Star. No. 6043. 27 September 1887. p. 4. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
  9. ^ a b Scholefield 1950, p. 163.
  10. ^ Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1993. p. 101.
  11. ^ Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1990. p. 105.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Norton 1988, p. 343.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g Norton 1988, p. 342.
  14. ^ "The General Election, 1949". National Library. 1950. pp. 1–5, 8. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  15. ^ "The General Election, 1946". National Library. 1947. pp. 1–11, 14. Retrieved 1 January 2014.

References

[edit]
  • McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
  • 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.
  • 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.