Karori (New Zealand electorate)

The 1941 New Zealand census had been postponed due to World War II, so the 1946 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth and movements into account. The North Island gained a further two electorates from the South Island due to faster population growth. The abolition of the country quota through the Electoral Amendment Act, 1945 reduced the number and increased the size of rural electorates. None of the existing electorates remained unchanged, 27 electorates were abolished, eight former electorates were re-established, and 19 electorates were created for the first time, including Karori.[1]

The electorate of Karori was created for the 1946 elections.[2] Its initial boundaries were roughly the same as the abolished Wellington West electorate, except that it did not include Brooklyn or Ngaio. It included Karori proper, Northland, Wilton, Mākara, and parts of Kelburn.

Redistributions for the 1954 elections saw it lose a small amount of territory to Wellington Central electorate, and gain a small amount from Onslow electorate. Redistributions for the 1957 elections saw it again gain territory (parts of Khandallah and Ngaio) from Onslow, but lose territory to Wellington South electorate. For the Redistributions for the 1963 elections, it gained the whole of Khandallah and Johnsonville from the abolished Onslow electorate, but lost Kelburn, Northland, and Wilton. The 1969 elections saw it lose Johnsonville, regain parts of Wilton and Northland, and gain Ohariu. In the 1972 elections, it lost ground in Wilton and Northland, but regained parts of Johnsonville.

The electorate was abolished through the 1977 electoral redistribution, which came into effect with the 1978 election. The new electorate of Ohariu was roughly based on the Karori electorate, but did not include any of Khandallah or Ngaio.[3]

The electorate was held by the National Party for the duration of its existence.[2] Its longest occupant, Jack Marshall, briefly served as Prime Minister.[4]

• 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.
• Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.