Thames (New Zealand electorate)
Thames is a former New Zealand electorate, in the Thames-Coromandel District. It existed from 1871 to 1946.
Geographic coverage
The electorate is based on the town of Thames. At times, it covered the Coromandel Peninsula.
History
The electorate existed from 1871 to 1946. At times, it was a multi-member electorate. It was represented by ten Members of Parliament.[1]
Charles Gordon O'Neill was the first representative, elected in the 1871 general election. He represented the electorate until the end of the term in December 1875.[2]
Thames was then converted into a two-member electorate. George Grey stood for both the City of Auckland West and the Thames electorates in the 1875 general election. In the two-member Auckland electorate, only Grey and Patrick Dignan were put forward as candidates, and were thus declared elected on 22 December 1875.[3] The Thames electorate was contested by six candidates, including Julius Vogel (who was Premier in 1875), William Rowe and Charles Featherstone Mitchell. On election day (6 January 1876), Grey attracted the highest number of votes and unexpectedly, Rowe beat Vogel to second place (Vogel also stood in a second electorate – Wanganui, where he was returned). Hence Grey and Rowe were declared elected for Thames.[4] A protest against Grey's election was lodged with the returning officer the following day, stating that Grey had not been eligible to stand for election in Thames, as he had already been elected in Auckland West. This petition was filed to the House of Representatives at the end of January.[5]
With this controversy going on for several months, but being unresolved, Grey advised in mid June 1876 in a series of telegrams that he had chosen to represent Auckland West.[6] On 8 July, the report of the committee inquiring into Sir George Grey's election for the Thames was read to the House. It was found that his election to the Thames electorate was in accordance with the law, but that he had to make a decision which electorate he would represent.[7] On 15 July 1876, Grey announced that he would represent Thames, and he moved that a by-election be held in Auckland West for the seat that he would vacate there.[8]
Rowe retired at the end of the term. The 1879 general election was contested by John Sheehan and George Grey, and they were thus declared elected unopposed.[9]
In 1881, the electorate reverted to be represented by only one member. In the 1881 general election, Grey successfully contested Auckland East.[10] Sheehan was confirmed as the representative for Thames.[11]
In the 1884 general election, Sheehan (unsuccessfully) contested Napier. William Fraser was elected for Thames. Fraser was confirmed again in the 1887 general election.[12]
Edmund Taylor[13] and Alfred Cadman contested the Thames electorate in the 1890 general election. Cadman was successful with a 104 votes majority.[14] He resigned his seat on 11 July 1893.[15]
The resulting 31 July 1893 by-election was won by James McGowan, and he represented the electorate for many years until his resignation on 6 January 1909, as he was appointed to the Legislative Council.[16]
Taylor, who was unsuccessful in 1890 against Cadman, won the resulting 4 February 1909 by-election. The second ballot electoral system was in place at the time, and required for this by-election. He held the electorate until the end of the parliamentary term in 1911.[17]
Thomas William Rhodes defeated Taylor in the 1911 general election.[18] Rhodes represented the electorate until his retirement in 1928.[19]
Albert Samuel was first elected in the 1928 general election. He was re-elected in 1931 and retired in 1935.[20]
Jim Thorn was the last representative of Thames. He was first elected in the 1935 general election. His parliamentary career finished in 1946.[21] In the following year, he became High Commissioner to Canada. The Thames electorate was abolished in 1946.[22]
Members of Parliament
Thames was represented by ten Members of Parliament.[1]
Key
Independent Liberal Reform Labour
1871 to 1875
From 1871 to 1875, Thames was represented by one Member of Parliament.
| Election | Winner | |
| 1871 election | Charles Gordon O'Neill | |
1876 to 1881
From 1876 to 1881, Thames was a two-member electorate. It was represented by three Members of Parliament:
| Election | Winner | |||
| 1876 election | William Rowe | George Grey | ||
| 1879 election | John Sheehan | |||
1881 to 1946
From 1881 to 1946, Thames was a single member electorate again. Sheehan continued his representation, and six other members followed him:
Election results
1931 election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reform | Albert Samuel | 4,702 | 52.60 | ||
| Labour | John Sommerville Montgomerie[24] | 4,238 | 47.40 | ||
| Majority | 464 | 5.19 | |||
| Informal votes | 108 | 1.19 | |||
| Turnout | 9,048 | 84.49 | |||
| Registered electors | 10,709 | ||||
1899 election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | James McGowan | 2,573 | 54.99 | +0.93 | |
| Liberal | Henry Greenslade | 1,389 | 29.69 | ||
| Independent | Edmund Taylor | 717 | 15.32 | -30.61 | |
| Majority | 1,184 | 25.30 | +17.18 | ||
| Informal votes | 71 | 1.49 | +0.30 | ||
| Turnout | 4,750 | 76.17 | -1.87 | ||
| Registered electors | 6,236 | ||||
1896 election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | James McGowan | 2,149 | 54.06 | ||
| Independent Liberal | Edmund Taylor | 1,826 | 45.94 | ||
| Majority | 323 | 8.13 | |||
| Informal votes | 48 | 1.19 | |||
| Registered electors | 5,155 | ||||
| Turnout | 4,023 | 78.04 | |||
1890 election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Alfred Cadman | 982 | 52.79 | ||
| Liberal-Labour | Edmund Taylor | 878 | 47.20 | ||
| Majority | 104 | 5.59 | |||
| Turnout | 1,860 | 75.60 | |||
| Registered electors | 2,460 | ||||
1876 election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Sir George Grey | 984 | 67.53 | ||
| Independent | William Rowe | 862 | 59.16 | ||
| Independent | Sir Julius Vogel | 685 | 47.01 | ||
| Independent | C F Mitchell | 330 | 22.64 | ||
| Independent | C O'Neil | 26 | 1.78 | ||
| Independent | C Cornes | 20 | 1.37 | ||
| Independent | S Stephenson | 7 | 0.48 | ||
| Majority | 177 | 12.14 | |||
| Turnout | 1,457 | ||||
Notes
- 1 2 Scholefield 1950, p. 164.
- ↑ Scholefield 1950, p. 130.
- ↑ "(By Telegraph). Auckland. Dec. 22.". XXIII (1159). North Otago Times. 23 December 1875. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- ↑ "THE ELECTIONS". XXXII (5708). Daily Southern Cross. 8 January 1876. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
- ↑ "The Thames election : petition against sir George Grey's election.". XXXII (5724). Daily Southern Cross. 1 February 1876. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
- ↑ "Sir George Grey and the seats for the Thames and City West.". XXXII (5205). Daily Southern Cross. 17 June 1876. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
- ↑ "New Zealand Parliament". XXIV (2427). Taranaki Herald. 12 July 1876. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
- ↑ "Parliamentary". IV (401). Bay Of Plenty Times. 15 July 1876. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
- ↑ "Thames election". Bay Of Plenty Times. VIII (777). 4 September 1879. p. 3. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
- ↑ Scholefield 1950, p. 110.
- ↑ Scholefield 1950, p. 138.
- ↑ Scholefield 1925, p. 107.
- ↑ "The Thames Election". Thames Star. XXII (6749). 5 December 1890. p. 2. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
- ↑ "Election After-thoughts". Observer. X (624). 13 December 1890. p. 3. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
- ↑ Scholefield 1950, p. 99.
- ↑ Scholefield 1925, pp. 80, 122.
- ↑ Scholefield 1925, p. 143.
- ↑ "Thames News : The Thames Election". Thames Star. XLVI (10128). 9 December 1911. p. 2. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
- ↑ Scholefield 1925, p. 135.
- ↑ Scholefield 1925, p. 137.
- ↑ Scholefield 1925, p. 144.
- ↑ Scholefield 1925, p. 164.
- ↑ The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
- ↑ "Reform Triumph". The Northern Advocate. 18 June 1925. p. 5. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
- ↑ "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 1. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
- ↑ "Electoral District of Thames". Thames Advertiser. XXIX (9510). 13 December 1899. p. 3. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
- ↑ "Electoral District of Thames". Thames Advertiser. XXVIII (8607). 10 December 1896. p. 3. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "The General Election, 1890". National Library. 1891. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
- ↑ "Declaration of the Poll at Thames". XIII (4419). New Zealand Herald. 12 January 1876. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
References
- Scholefield, Guy (1925) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record (2nd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
- Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
- Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.