Egmont (New Zealand electorate)

Egmont is a former New Zealand electorate, in south Taranaki. It existed from 1871 to 1978.

Geographic coverage

Egmont is the old name of the mountain that is the Taranaki landmark of Mount Taranaki. A village north of the mountain is also called Egmont.

History

This rural electorate was formed in 1871.[1] Mount Egmont, after which it is named, was confiscated from Māori by the New Zealand Government under the powers of the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863, following the Second Taranaki War.

William Gisborne was the first elected representative in 1871, elected unopposed. He was a minister in the third Fox Ministry and resigned from Parliament when the government fell on 10 September 1872.[2][3] Harry Atkinson won the resulting 1872 by-election. He held the electorate until 1891, when he resigned.[4] During this time, he was Premier on four occasions.

Atkinson's resignation caused the 1891 by-election, which was won by Felix McGuire.[5] He held the electorate until 1896,[6] when he (successfully) stood for the Hawera electorate instead.[7] He was succeeded by Walter Symes from 1896 until 1902, when he (successfully) stood for Patea.[8] The next representative was William Thomas Jennings from 1902 until 1908, when he (successfully) stood for Taumarunui.[9]

Bradshaw Dive was elected in 1908 and held the electorate for one term.[10] He was defeated in 1911 by Thomas Mackenzie, who resigned in 1912.[11] Charles Wilkinson won the resulting 1912 by-election and retired in 1919. He was succeeded by Oswald Hawken, who won the 1919 election, but was defeated in 1928 by Wilkinson coming out of his retirement. This time, Wilkinson held the electorate until 1943, when he retired for good.

The electorate was then held by three members of the National Party; Ernest Corbett (1943–57), William Sheat (1957–66) and Venn Young (1966–78).

Egmont was abolished in 1978, and was replaced by the Waitotara electorate.

Members of Parliament

Egmont was represented by twelve Members of Parliament:

Key

  Independent   Conservative   Liberal   Reform   National

Election Winner
1871 election William Gisborne
1872 by-election Harry Atkinson
1876 election
1879 election
1881 election
1884 election
1887 election
1890 election
1891 by-election Felix McGuire
1893 election
1896 election Walter Symes
1899 election
1902 election William Jennings
1905 election
1908 election Bradshaw Dive
1911 election Thomas Mackenzie
1912 by-election Charles Wilkinson
1914 election
1919 election Oswald Hawken
1922 election
1925 election
1928 election Charles Wilkinson
1931 election
1935 election
1938 election
1943 election Ernest Corbett
1946 election
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1957 election William Sheat
1960 election
1963 election
1966 election Venn Young
1969 election
1972 election
1975 election
(Electorate abolished 1978)

Election results

1931 election
1931 general election: Egmont[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Charles Wilkinson 4,409 58.71
Reform Frederick Gawith 3,101 41.29
Majority 1,308 17.42
Informal votes 27 0.36
Turnout 7,537 85.71
Registered electors 8,794

1928 election
1928 general election: Egmont[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Charles Wilkinson 4,577 58.17
Reform Oswald Hawken 3,291 41.83
Majority 1,286 16.34
Informal votes 55 0.69
Turnout 7,923 91.46
Registered electors 8,663

1912 by-election
1912 Egmont by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Charles Wilkinson 2,721 55.9
Liberal David Lyon Abbott Astbury[15] 2,139 43.9
Informal votes 11 0.20
Majority 582 12.0
Turnout 4,871
Reform gain from Liberal Swing

1905 election
1905 general election: Egmont[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Thomas Jennings 2,621 53.39
Independent Liberal Charles Leech 1,970 40.13
Socialist Harry Campbell 215 4.37
Informal votes 103 2.09
Majority 651 13.26
Turnout 4,909

1899 election
1899 general election: Egmont[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter Symes 2,253 53.16
Conservative William Monkhouse 1,985 46.84
Majority 268 6.32
Turnout 4,238 76.71
Registered electors 5,525

1893 election
1893 general election: Egmont[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Felix McGuire 1,305 48.88
Conservative Benjamin Robbins 1,170 43.82
Liberal E. G. Allsworth 195 7.30
Majority 135 5.06
Turnout 2,670 72.81
Registered electors 3,667

1891 by-election
1891 Egmont by-election[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Felix McGuire 986 51.92
Independent Robert Bruce 913 48.04
Majority 73 3.84
Turnout 1,899

1890 election
1890 general election: Egmont[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harry Atkinson 1,096 58.08
Independent Felix McGuire 791 41.92
Majority 305 16.16
Turnout 1,887 70.72
Registered electors 2,668

Notes
  1. Scholefield 1950, p. 157.
  2. Bohan, Edmund (22 June 2007). "Gisborne, William 1825 - 1898". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  3. Scholefield 1925, p. 95.
  4. Scholefield 1925, pp. 75–76.
  5. Scholefield 1950, pp. 93, 122.
  6. Scholefield 1925, p. 113.
  7. Scholefield 1950, p. 158.
  8. Scholefield 1925, p. 137.
  9. Scholefield 1925, p. 105.
  10. Scholefield 1925, p. 88.
  11. Scholefield 1925, p. 114.
  12. The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 2. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  13. "Notice of nominations received and polling places appointed". Opunake Times. 24 November 1931. p. 3. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  14. Skinner, W. A. G. (1929). The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. p. 2. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  15. "Electoral District of Egmont". Hawera & Normanby Star. Vol. XVIII. 9 September 1912. p. 1. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  16. "The General Election, 1905". National Library. 1906. pp. 1–6. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  17. "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 1. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  18. "The General Election, 1893". National Library. 1894. p. 1. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  19. "Egmont Election: Success of the Local Candidate". Taranaki Herald. Vol. XL, no. 9011. 18 February 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  20. "The General Election, 1890". National Library. 1891. Retrieved 25 February 2012.

References
  • Scholefield, Guy (1925) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record (2nd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
  • Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
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