Wellington Suburbs (New Zealand electorate)

Wellington Suburbs was a parliamentary electorate in Wellington, New Zealand. It existed from 1893 to 1902, then from 1908 to 1911, and from 1919 to 1946. The electorate was represented by six Members of Parliament.

Population centres

In the 1892 electoral redistribution, population shift to the North Island required the transfer of one seat from the South Island to the north. The resulting ripple effect saw every electorate established in 1890 have its boundaries altered, and eight electorates were established for the first time, including Wellington Suburbs.^[1]

History

Suburbs of Wellington was formed for the 1893 election.^[2] The first representative was Alfred Newman, who had been in Parliament since a 1884 by-election. At the next election in 1896, Newman stood in Otaki and was defeated.^[3]

Thomas Wilford of the Liberal Party won the 1896 election, but the result was declared void after an election petition on the grounds of corrupt and illegal practices.^[4] Charles Wilson, also of the Liberal Party, was elected MP for Wellington Suburbs following a by-election on 23 April 1897, but retired at the end of the term in 1899.^[5] Wilford then won the electorate in the 1899 election. Wellington Suburbs was abolished in 1902, and Wilford successfully contested the Hutt electorate instead.^[6]

The electorate was recreated as Wellington Suburbs in 1908 for one parliamentary term, i.e. until 1911.^[2] John Luke of the Liberal Party won the 1908 election. He was defeated for Wellington Suburbs and Country in the 1911 election.^[7]

The electorate was recreated in 1919.^[2] Robert Alexander Wright, who was first elected to Parliament in 1908 and was most recently representing the Wellington Suburbs and Country electorate, won the 1919 election representing the Reform Party. He continued to represent the electorate until he unsuccessfully stood in the Wellington West electorate in the 1938 election.^[8]

Wright was succeeded by Harry Ernest Combs in 1938. He was a member of the Labour Party and represented the electorate for two parliamentary terms until 1946,^[9] when it was abolished again.^[2] Combs successfully contested Onslow in 1946.^[9]

Members of Parliament

The electorate was represented by six Members of Parliament.

Key   Independent     Liberal     Reform     Labour  

Election results

1931 election

1928 election

1899 election

Notes

References

• McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8. 
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.