Buller (New Zealand electorate)

Buller is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate, from 1871 to 1972. It was represented by eleven Members of Parliament.

Population centres

The 1870 electoral redistribution was undertaken by a parliamentary select committee based on population data from the 1867 New Zealand census. Eight sub-committees were formed, with two members each making decisions for their own province; thus members set their own electorate boundaries. The number of electorates was increased from 61 to 72, and Buller was one of the new electorates.[1] The Buller electorate was created from areas that previously belonged to the Waimea and Westland electorates.[2] Settlements located in the initial electorate area were Westport, Inangahua Junction, and Reefton.[3] For the 1879 election, polling booths were in Westport, Charleston, Brighton, Addison's, Waimangaroa, Inangahua Junction, Lyell, and Karamea.[4]

History

The electorate's first representative was Eugene O'Conor, who was successful in the 1871 election, but he was defeated at the next election in 1876 by Joseph Henry.[5] Henry in turn was defeated by James Bickerton Fisher[6] at the 1879 election.[7] Fisher retired at the end of the parliamentary term in 1881.[8]

Fisher was succeeded by John Munro, who won the 1881 election.[9] Munro was defeated at the next election in 1884 by Eugene O'Conor, who thus started his second period of representation.[10] O'Conor, who joined the Liberal Party, was beaten in 1893 election by Roderick McKenzie.[11] In the 1896 election, McKenzie successfully stood in the Motueka electorate.[12]

Patrick O'Regan won the 1896 election in the Buller electorate.[13] At the 1899 election, he was defeated by James Colvin, who held the electorate until his death in 1919.[14]

From 1919 the Buller electorate was represented by two radical trade unionists from the coal mines of the West Coast, Harry Holland and Paddy Webb. Harry Holland and then Jerry Skinner died in office.

In 1972, the electorate was split into the West Coast and Tasman electorates.

Members of Parliament

The Buller electorate was represented by eleven MPs:

Key

  Independent     Liberal     Independent Liberal     Labour  

Election Winner
1871 election Eugene O'Conor
1876 election Joseph Henry
1879 election James Bickerton Fisher
1881 election John Munro
1884 election Eugene O'Conor
1887 election
1890 election
1893 election Roderick McKenzie
1896 election Patrick O'Regan
1899 election James Colvin
1902 election
1905 election
1908 election
1911 election
1914 election
1919 election Harry Holland
1922 election
1925 election
1928 election
1931 election
1933 by-election Paddy Webb
1935 election
1938 election
1943 election
1946 election Jerry Skinner
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1957 election
1960 election
1962 by-election Bill Rowling
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election
(Electorate abolished 1972; see Tasman and West Coast)

Election results

1969 election
1969 general election: Buller[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Bill Rowling 8,319 53.36 +5.00
National Ernie King 5,497 35.25 +0.58
Social Credit D L Hodgkinson 1,774 11.37
Majority 2,822 18.10 +4.57
Turnout 15,590 87.67 -0.31
Registered electors 17,782

1966 election
1966 general election: Buller[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Bill Rowling 6,510 48.36 -3.92
National Ernie King 4,668 34.67 -5.70
Social Credit W P B Doiger 2,286 16.97
Majority 1,822 13.53 +1.63
Turnout 13,464 87.98 -2.93
Registered electors 15,303

1963 election
1963 general election: Buller[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Bill Rowling 7,338 52.28 +7.30
National Ernie King 5,667 40.37 +1.21
Social Credit E Wells 1,033 7.35
Majority 1,671 11.90 +8.50
Turnout 14,038 90.91 +11.51
Registered electors 15,440

1962 by-election
1962 Buller by-election[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Bill Rowling 5,242 44.98
National Ernie King 4,846 41.58 +5.58
Social Credit P. H. Matthews 1,566 13.44 -1.36
Majority 396 3.40
Informal votes 37 0.32
Turnout 11,691 79.40 -12.70
Registered electors 14,724
Labour hold Swing

1960 election
1960 general election: Buller[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Jerry Skinner 6,380 47.58 -3.11
National Ernie King 4,834 36.05
Social Credit P. H. Matthews 1,984 14.79 +5.70
Independent Oscar Bergh 210 1.56
Majority 1,546 11.53 -6.41
Turnout 13,408 91.48 -1.05
Registered electors 14,656

1957 election
1957 general election: Buller[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Jerry Skinner 7,563 50.69 -7.07
National N L Bensenmann 4,886 32.74
Social Credit P. H. Matthews 1,357 9.09
Majority 2,677 17.94 -7.63
Turnout 13,806 92.53 +2.00
Registered electors 14,920

1954 election
1954 general election: Buller[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Jerry Skinner 7,559 57.76 +3.11
National D M Carson 4,211 32.17
Social Credit W T Eggleston 1,319 10.07
Majority 3,348 25.57 +16.28
Turnout 13,089 90.53 +4.53
Registered electors 14,458

1951 election
1951 general election: Buller[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Jerry Skinner 7,215 54.65 -3.42
National Phil McDonald 5,988 45.35 +3.42
Majority 1,227 9.29 -6.84
Turnout 13,203 86.00 -6.31
Registered electors 15,352

1949 election
1949 general election: Buller[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Jerry Skinner 7,941 58.07 -2.71
National Phil McDonald 5,735 41.93 +2.71
Majority 2,206 16.13 -5.42
Turnout 13,676 92.31 -2.57
Registered electors 14,814

1946 election
1946 general election: Buller[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Jerry Skinner 8,211 60.78
National Phil McDonald 5,299 39.22
Majority 2,912 21.55
Turnout 13,510 94.88
Registered electors 14,239

1933 by-election
1933 Buller by-election[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Paddy Webb 4,799 68.10
Liberal–Labour H. Ian Simpson 2,249 31.90
Informal votes 343 4.86 +3.14
Majority 2,550 36.18
Turnout 7,048 71.36 -17.66

1931 election
1931 general election: Buller[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Harry Holland 6,136 71.01
Reform John Menzies[20] 2,505 28.99
Majority 3,631 42.02
Informal votes 151 1.72
Turnout 8,792 89.02
Registered electors 9,876

1928 election
1928 general election: Buller[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Harry Holland 5,988 70.33 +11.12
Reform Dugald Macdonald Robertson 2,371 27.85
Majority 3,617 42.48 +23.20
Informal votes 154 1.80 +0.95
Turnout 8,513 90.84 -3.08
Registered electors 9,371

1925 election
1925 general election: Buller[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Harry Holland 4,704 59.21 -0.59
Reform C S Bielby 3,172 39.92
Majority 1,532 19.28 -1.60
Informal votes 68 0.85 -0.45
Turnout 7,944 93.92 +2.12
Registered electors 8,458

1922 election
1922 general election: Buller[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Harry Holland 4,413 59.80 +2.10
Reform John Menzies 2,872 38.91
Majority 1,541 20.88 +4.56
Informal votes 94 1.27 +0.36
Turnout 7,379 91.80 -1.31
Registered electors 8,038

1919 election
1919 general election: Buller[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Harry Holland 3,545 57.70
Liberal Denis Quinlan O'Brien 2,542 41.38
Majority 1,003 16.32
Informal votes 56 0.91 -0.45
Turnout 6,143 93.11 +11.81
Registered electors 6,597

1914 election
1914 general election[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal James Colvin 3,594 67.00
Reform George Powell 1,399 26.08
Social Democrat Hugh Gillen 371 6.91
Majority 2,195 40.92
Informal votes 73 1.36
Turnout 5,364 81.30
Registered electors 6,597

1899 election
1899 general election: Buller[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Liberal James Colvin 2,846 55.37
Liberal Patrick O'Regan 2,294 44.63
Majority 552 10.74
Turnout 5,140 87.68
Registered electors 5,862

1893 election
1893 general election: Buller[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Roderick McKenzie 1,817 53.11
Independent Eugene O'Conor 1,604 46.89
Majority 213 6.23
Turnout 3,421 84.39
Registered electors 4,054

1879 election
1879 general election: Buller[4][28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent James Bickerton Fisher 410 55.56
Independent Joseph Henry 328 44.44
Majority 82 11.11
Informal votes 19 2.51
Turnout 757 66.00
Registered electors 1,147

Notes
  1. McRobie 1989, p. 39.
  2. McRobie 1989, pp. 37, 41.
  3. McRobie 1989, p. 41.
  4. "Buller District Election". Westport Times. XIII (1728). 16 September 1879. p. 2. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  5. Wilson 1985, pp. 204, 224.
  6. The Cyclopedia Company Limited, ed. (1906). "Former Members Of The House Of Representatives". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand - Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts. Christchurch. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
  7. Wilson 1985, pp. 196, 204.
  8. Wilson 1985, p. 196.
  9. Wilson 1985, p. 222.
  10. Wilson 1985, pp. 222, 224.
  11. Wilson 1985, pp. 216, 224.
  12. Wilson 1985, p. 216.
  13. Wilson 1985, p. 224.
  14. Wilson 1985, pp. 190, 224.
  15. Norton 1988, p. 204.
  16. "The General Election, 1949". National Library. 1950. pp. 1–5, 8. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  17. "The General Election, 1946". National Library. 1947. pp. 1–11, 14. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  18. "Buller By-Election". The Press. LXIX (21026). 30 November 1933. p. 8. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  19. The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 2. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  20. "Buller Electorate". The Evening Post. CXII (127). 25 November 1931. p. 10. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  21. Skinner, W. A. G. (1929). The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. Retrieved 4 December 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  22. The General Election, 1925. Government Printer. 1926. p. 2. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  23. The General Election, 1922. Government Printer. 1923. p. 2. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  24. Hislop, J. (1921). The General Election, 1919. National Library. pp. 1–6. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  25. Hislop, J. (1915). The General Election, 1914. National Library. pp. 1–33. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  26. "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  27. "The General Election, 1893". National Library. 1894. p. 2. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  28. McRobie 1989, p. 44.
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References
  • McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand parliamentary election results, 1946–1987. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington Department of Political Science. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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