Port Chalmers (New Zealand electorate)

Port Chalmers then Chalmers was a parliamentary electorate in the Otago Region of New Zealand, from 1866 to 1938. It was centred on the town of Port Chalmers, the main port of Dunedin and Otago.

Population centres

In the 1865 electoral redistribution, the House of Representatives focussed its review of electorates to South Island electorates only, as the Central Otago Gold Rush had caused significant population growth, and a redistribution of the existing population. Fifteen additional South Island electorates were created, including Port Chalmers, and the number of Members of Parliament was increased by 13 to 70.[1]

History

Port Chalmers was first established in 1866 for the term of the 4th New Zealand Parliament. For the 1893 election, it was renamed as Chalmers. In 1896, the electorate was abolished, but it was re-created as Chalmers for the 1902 election. The electorate was again abolished in 1938.[2]

Thomas Dick was elected on 17 March 1866 and resigned on 15 October 1866. He successfully contested the 15 December 1866 by-election, but resigned again on 26 April 1867.[3] David Forsyth Main succeeded him through the 1867 by-election.

James Macandrew died in February 1887 whilst holding the electorate. The 1887 by-election was won by James Mills.[4] The 1887 election was contested by Mills and James Green,[5] with Mills being successful.[6]

James McColl Dickson represented Chalmers for four parliamentary terms from the 1914 election until 1928, when he retired.[7] Dickson was succeeded by another member of the Reform Party, Alfred Ansell, who won the 1928 and 1931 elections.[8] In both elections, Ansell was challenged by Labour's Norman Hartley Campbell.[9][10] Campbell had already won the nomination as the Labour candidate for the 1935 election against M. Connolly, when he died in February 1935 following an operation.[11][12] The Labour Party hierarchy wanted to make Connolly their candidate, but there was resentment and a new ballot was held, which was won by Archibald Campbell, the brother of Norman Hartley Campbell.[11] Archibald Campbell defeated Ansell with the swing to Labour in the 1935 election, but retired in 1938.[13]

The electorate was represented by seven Members of Parliament from 1866 to 1896, and a further five MPs from 1902 to 1938.[2] At the 1937 redistribution the electorate was split between Dunedin Central, Dunedin North and Oamaru electorates.

Members of Parliament

Key

  Independent     Liberal     Liberal-Labour     Independent Liberal     Reform     Labour  
Election Winner
1866 election Thomas Dick
1866 by-election
1867 by-election David Main
1871 election James Macandrew
1876 election William Reynolds
1878 by-election James Green
1879 election James Macandrew
1881 election
1884 election
1887 by-election James Mills
1887 election
1890 election
(electorate renamed as Chalmers)
1893 election John A. Millar
(electorate abolished, 1896-1902)
1902 election Edmund Allen
1905 election
1908 election Edward Clark
1911 election
1914 election James Dickson
1919 election
1922 election
1925 election
1928 election Alfred Ansell
1931 election
1935 election Archibald Campbell
(Electorate abolished 1938)

Election results

1931 election

General election, 1931: Chalmers[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Reform Alfred Ansell 3,870 49.19
Labour Norman Hartley Campbell 3,698 47.01
Independent T Scollay 299 3.80
Majority 172 2.19
Informal votes 34 0.43
Turnout 7,901 87.32
Registered electors 9,048

1902 election

General election, 1902: Chalmers[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Edmund Allen 2,614 56.63
Conservative John White 2,002 43.37
Majority 612 13.26
Turnout 4,616 76.54
Registered electors 6,031

1893 election

General election, 1893: Port Chalmers[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal-Labour John A. Millar 1,754 51.76 +9.23
Liberal Edmund Allen 1,635 48.24
Majority 119 3.51
Turnout 3,389 70.44 +4.26
Registered electors 4,811

1890 election

General election, 1890: Port Chalmers[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent James Mills 874 57.46
Liberal-Labour John A. Millar 647 42.53
Majority 227 14.92
Turnout 1,521 66.18
Registered electors 2,298

Notes

  1. ↑ McRobie 1989, p. 36.
  2. 1 2 Wilson 1985, p. 260.
  3. ↑ Scholefield 1950, p. 103.
  4. ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 220.
  5. ↑ "The General Elections". Otago Daily Times (7980). 19 September 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  6. ↑ "The General Election, 1887". National Library. 1887. p. 3. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  7. ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 193.
  8. ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 180.
  9. ↑ The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. 1929. p. 2. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  10. 1 2 The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 2. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Another Ballot?". Auckland Star. LXVI (84). 9 April 1935. p. 9. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  12. ↑ "Obituary". The Evening Post. CXIX (31). 6 February 1935. p. 13. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  13. ↑ Wilson 1985, pp. 180, 187.
  14. ↑ "The General Election, 1902". National Library. 1903. p. 3. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  15. ↑ "The General Election, 1893". National Library. 1894. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  16. ↑ "The General Election". Otago Daily Times. 28 November 1893. p. 6. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  17. ↑ "The General Election, 1890". National Library. 1891. Retrieved 25 February 2012.

References

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