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Gisborne (New Zealand electorate)

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Gisborne is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It existed from 1908 to 1996, and it was represented by 12 Members of Parliament.

Population centres

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In the 1907 electoral redistribution, a major change that had to be allowed for was a reduction of the tolerance to ±750 to those electorates where the country quota applied. The North Island had once again a higher population growth than the South Island, and three seats were transferred from south to north. In the resulting boundary distribution, every existing electorate was affected, and three electorates were established for the first time, including the Taumarunui electorate. These changes took effect with the 1908 election.[1]

The city of Gisborne was located within the electorate. In the initial area covered by the electorate, the city was located near the electorate's northern border, and it went as far south as just short of Bay View. Wairoa was thus also located within the initial area.[2]

In the 1911 electoral redistribution, the southern boundary shifted north significantly, and Wairoa was lost to the Hawke's Bay electorate.[3] In the 1918 electoral redistribution, the Gisborne electorate lost large inland areas, but re-gained Wairoa.[4] In the 1922 electoral redistribution, changes to the boundaries were minimal,[5] and in the 1927 electoral redistribution, the electorate was left unaltered.[6]

In the 1937 electoral redistribution, large inland areas were gained and Wairoa lost.[7] The changes in the 1946 electoral redistribution were most significant, with the city of Gisborne now located near the southern boundary of the electorate, and all of the East Cape being gained. The electorate now included the settlements of Te Karaka, Matawai, Tolaga Bay, and Tokomaru Bay.[8]

History

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The electorate existed from 1908 to 1996, when it was replaced by the Mahia electorate, which was renamed East Coast from 2002. Its first representative was James Carroll of the Liberal Party, who served for three terms until his defeat in the 1919 election.[9] Douglas Lysnar represented the Gisborne electorate from 1919 to 1931, when he was defeated.

In the 1928 contest Lysnar stood as an Independent supporter of the Reform Party and was successful. During 1930, he stopped supporting the Reform Party and became fully independent.[10] At the following election in 1931 he ran as an Independent, but was not returned,[11] beaten by Labour's David Coleman.[12]

Members of Parliament

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Key

  Liberal   Reform   Independent   Labour   National

Election Winner
1908 election James Carroll
1911 election
1914 election
1919 election Douglas Lysnar
1922 election
1925 election
1928 election
1931 election David Coleman
1935 election
1938 election
1943 election
1946 election
1949 election Reginald Keeling
1951 election Harry Dudfield
1954 election Reginald Keeling (2nd period)
1957 election
1960 election Esme Tombleson
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election
1972 election Trevor Davey
1975 election Bob Bell
1978 election
1981 election
1984 election Allan Wallbank
1987 election
1990 election Wayne Kimber
1993 election Janet Mackey
(Electorate abolished in 1996; see Mahia)

Election results

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1943 election

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1943 general election: Gisborne[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Coleman 6,677 55.06 −8.93
National Harry Barker 4,756 39.22
Democratic Labour Trevor Lyon 572 4.71
Informal votes 121 0.99 +0.44
Majority 572 4.71 −23.84
Turnout 12,126 93.77 +1.39
Registered electors 12,931

1938 election

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1938 general election: Gisborne[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Coleman 8,158 63.99 +5.44
National Kenneth Francis Jones 4,518 35.44
Informal votes 71 0.55 −0.19
Majority 3,640 28.55 +11.44
Turnout 12,747 92.38 +4.13
Registered electors 13,797

1935 election

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1935 general election: Gisborne[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Coleman 6,230 58.55 +13.61
Independent Douglas Lysnar 4,409 41.44 −0.34
Informal votes 79 0.74 +0.45
Majority 1,821 17.11 +13.50
Turnout 10,639 88.25 +4.83
Registered electors 12,055

1931 election

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1931 general election: Gisborne[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Coleman 4,436 44.94
Independent Douglas Lysnar 4,124 41.78
Reform Harry de Lautour 1,311 13.28
Informal votes 29 0.29
Majority 312 3.16
Turnout 9,900 83.42
Registered electors 11,867

1928 election

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1928 general election: Gisborne[16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Douglas Lysnar 3,746 38.30
Labour David Coleman 3,400 34.76
United William Lissant Clayton 2,635 26.94
Majority 346 3.54
Informal votes 68 0.69
Turnout 9,849 87.07
Registered electors 11,311

1922 election

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1922 general election: Gisborne[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Douglas Lysnar 3,465 38.71 +0.80
Liberal George Wildish[19] 2,965 33.12
Labour Tom Brindle 2,521 28.16 −0.66
Majority 500 5.59 +0.94
Turnout 8,951 80.61 +10.95
Registered electors 11,104

1919 election

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1919 general election: Gisborne[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Douglas Lysnar 3,041 37.91
Liberal James Carroll 2,668 33.26
Labour Tom Brindle 2,312 28.82
Informal votes 114 1.40
Majority 373 4.65
Turnout 8,135 69.66
Registered electors 11,678

Notes

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  1. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 71f.
  2. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 70f.
  3. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 74f.
  4. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 78f.
  5. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 82f.
  6. ^ McRobie 1989, p. 87.
  7. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 90f.
  8. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 94f.
  9. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 188.
  10. ^ "State of Parties". Auckland Star. Vol. LXII, no. 5. 7 January 1931. p. 3. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  11. ^ Wilson 1985.
  12. ^ a b The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 2. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  13. ^ "The General Election, 1943". National Library. 1944. p. 11. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  14. ^ "The General Election, 1938". National Library. 1939. pp. 1–6. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
  15. ^ The General Election, 1935. National Library. 1936. pp. 1–35. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  16. ^ Skinner, W. A. G. (1929). The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. p. 2. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  17. ^ "Declaration of result of poll". Poverty Bay Herald. Vol. LIV, no. 16807. 21 November 1928. p. 1. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  18. ^ "Official Counts". The Evening Post. Vol. CIV, no. 144. 15 December 1922. p. 8. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  19. ^ "Women Take Part". The Evening Post. Vol. CXX, no. 107. 1 November 1935. p. 14. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  20. ^ The New Zealand Official Year-Book. Government Printer. 1920. Archived from the original on 1 September 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2013.

References

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  • 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.