Timaru (New Zealand electorate)

Timaru is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, in the South Island. It existed continuously from 1861 to 1996 and was represented by eleven Members of Parliament.

Population centres

The electorate is partly urban, and is based on the South Canterbury city of Timaru.

History

The electorate was formed in 1861 for the 3rd Parliament and existed continuously until the 1996 election.

Francis Jollie was the first representative. In the 1866 election, he successfully stood for Gladstone. Alfred Cox was the next representative, and he resigned in 1868 partway through the term. Edward Stafford won the resulting 1868 by-election. He represented the electorate for a decade and resigned in 1878. Richard Turnbull won the 1878 by-election and represented Timaru until 1890, when he died on 17 July. William Hall-Jones won the 1890 by-election. He became Prime Minister during his term, and retired in 1908.

James Craigie was the next representative, from the 1908 election. He retired in 1922. Craigie was succeeded by Frank Rolleston, who was defeated at the 1928 election.

From 1928 to 1985, the seat was held by two Labour MPs: Rev Clyde Carr a Christian minister who was a supporter of John A. Lee and remained a backbencher; and then Sir Basil Arthur a hereditary baronet and later Speaker of the House.

David Lange recalled in My Life (2005) the death of Sir Basil, and also that Labour lost the subsequent 1985 by-election when "the Labour Party organisation insisted on the selection of a candidate who could hardly be less suited to the place" and "was a good lawyer but she did not live in Timaru, and her opinions, and even her appearance, were at odds with the conservative character of the electorate." Jim Sutton won the seat back for Labour in 1993.

Election results

Key

  Independent     Liberal     Reform     Labour     National  

Election	Winner
1861 election		Francis Jollie (Independent)
1866 election		Alfred Cox (Independent)
1868 by-election		Edward Stafford (Independent)
1871 election
1875 election
1878 by-election		Richard Turnbull (Independent)
1879 election
1881 election
1884 election
1887 election
1890 by-election		William Hall-Jones (Independent, then Liberal)
1890 election
1893 election
1896 election
1899 election
1902 election
1905 election
1908 election		James Craigie (Liberal, then Independent)
1911 election
1914 election
1919 election
1922 election		Frank Rolleston (Reform)
1925 election
1928 election		Clyde Carr (Labour)
1931 election
1935 election
1938 election
1943 election
1946 election
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1957 election
1960 election
1962 by-election		Basil Arthur (Labour)
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election
1972 election
1975 election
1978 election
1981 election
1984 election
1985 by-election		Maurice McTigue (National)
1987 election
1990 election
1993 election		Jim Sutton (Labour)

References

• Rolleston, Rosamund (1971). William & Mary Rolleston : An informal biography. Reed Publishing. ISBN 0-589-00621-5. 
• Scholefield, Guy Hardy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand parliamentary record, 1840-1949. Wellington: Govt. Printer. 
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand parliamentary record, 1840-1984 (4 ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.