Manukau (New Zealand electorate)

The previous electoral redistribution was undertaken in 1875 for the 1875–1876 election. In the six years since, New Zealand's European population had increased by 65%. In the 1881 electoral redistribution, the House of Representatives increased the number of European representatives to 91 (up from 84 since the 1875–76 election). The number of Māori electorates was held at four. The House further decided that electorates should not have more than one representative, which led to 35 new electorates being formed, including Manukau, and two electorates that had previously been abolished to be recreated. This necessitated a major disruption to existing boundaries.[1]

The First Labour Government was defeated in the 1949 election and the incoming National Government changed the Electoral Act, with the electoral quota once again based on total population as opposed to qualified electors, and the tolerance was increased to 7.5% of the electoral quota. There was no adjustments in the number of electorates between the South and North Islands, but the law changes resulted in boundary adjustments to almost every electorate through the 1952 electoral redistribution; only five electorates were unaltered.[2] Five electorates were reconstituted (including Manukau) and one was newly created, and a corresponding six electorates were abolished; all of these in the North Island.[3] These changes took effect with the 1954 election.[4]

The electorate was in the southern section of greater Auckland, and was centred on Manukau.

The electorate existed from 1881 to 1938[5] and then from 1954 to 1978. It was represented by nine Members of Parliament.

Matthew Kirkbride was elected to the Manukau electorate in the 1902 general election, and held the electorate until he died in 1906.[6] His death caused the 6 December 1906 Manukau by-election, which was won by Frederic Lang.[7]

Bill Jordan was first elected in the 1922 general election and was confirmed in the next four elections.[8] When the Labour Party won the 1935 general election and formed the First Labour Government of New Zealand, Jordan expected a cabinet position. Instead, he was appointed to the post of New Zealand High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, which had until that point been traditionally a retirement post for former cabinet ministers.[9] His resignation from Parliament caused the 30 September 1936 Manukau by-election, which was won by Arthur Osborne.[7]

• McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
• 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.
• 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.