Hokitika (New Zealand electorate)

Hokitika is a former parliamentary electorate in the West Coast region of New Zealand, based on the town of Hokitika. It existed from 1871 to 1890 and was represented by nine members of parliament. For a time, it was one of the two-member electorates in New Zealand.

History

The Hokitika electorate existed from the 1871 general election to 1890. John White was its first representative until the end of the parliamentary term in 1875, when he retired.^[1]

Beginning with the 1875–1876 general election, which was held in Hokitika on 14 January 1876, the electorate was represented by two members. Edmund Barff and Charles Button were elected, Robert Reid and Richard Seddon (the later Premier) were defeated, and Conrad Hoos withdrew just before the election.^[2][3] Barff served the whole term until 1879,^[4] while Button resigned in May 1878^[5] and was succeeded by Seymour Thorne George in an 1878 by-election, and who a year later successfully stood in the Rodney electorate.^[6]

Robert Reid^[7] and Richard Seddon were elected in the 1879 general election. Seddon, who was later Premier ("King Dick"), was in 1881 elected for Kumara.^[8] Reid contested the 1881 general election against Gerard George Fitzgerald, with the latter being successful.^[9][10]

John Bevan won the 1884 general election,^[11] and he was succeeded in the 1887 election by Joseph Grimmond.^[12] In 1890, the Hokitika electorate was abolished.^[13] Grimmond stood in the Westland electorate instead, but was defeated by Richard Seddon.^[14]

Members of parliament

Hokitika was represented by nine members of parliament.^[15]

1871 to 1875

From 1871 to 1875, Hokitika was a single-member electorate. It was represented by one Member of Parliament.

Election	Winner
1871 election		John White

1876 to 1881

From 1876 to 1881, Hokitika was a two-member electorate. It was represented by five Members of Parliament.

Election	Winners
1876 election		Edmund Barff		Charles Button
1878 by-election				Seymour Thorne George
1879 election		Robert Reid		Richard Seddon

1881 to 1890

From 1881 to 1890, Hokitika was again a single-member electorate, represented by three Members of Parliament.

Election	Winner
1881 election		Gerard George Fitzgerald
1884 election		John Bevan
1887 election		Joseph Grimmond

Election results

1887 election

1887 general election: Hokitika^[16][17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Joseph Grimmond	830	57.64
	Independent	John Bevan	610	42.36	−6.60
Majority			220	15.28	+11.13
Turnout			1,440	70.38	+1.12
Registered electors			2,046

1884 election

1884 general election: Hokitika^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Bevan	684	48.96
	Independent	Gerard George Fitzgerald	626	44.81	−11.63
	Independent	James Clarke[19]	87	6.23
Majority			58	4.15	−8.73
Turnout			1,397	69.26	−2.38
Registered electors			2,017

1881 election

1881 general election: Hokitika^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Gerard George Fitzgerald	653	56.44
	Independent	Robert Reid	504	43.56
Majority			149	12.88	+4.25
Turnout			1,157	71.64
Registered electors			1,615

1879 election

1879 general election: Hokitika^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Robert Reid	917	33.09
	Independent	Richard Seddon	800	28.87
	Independent	Peter Dungan[22]	561	20.25
	Independent	Edmund Barff	403	14.54
	Independent	Hamilton Cuming[22]	90	3.25
Majority			239[nb 1]	8.63
Turnout			2,771
Registered electors			1,823[23][nb 2]

1878 by-election

1878 Hokitika by-election^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Seymour Thorne George	884	52.84
	Independent	Gerard George Fitzgerald	789	47.16
Majority			95	5.68
Turnout			1,673	91.77
Registered electors			1,823

1876 election

1876 general election: Hokitika^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Edmund Barff	648	30.71
	Independent	Charles Button	586	27.77
	Independent	Robert Reid	527	24.98
	Independent	Richard Seddon	343	16.26
	Independent	Conrad Hoos	6	0.28
Majority			59[nb 3]
Registered electors			1,547[23][nb 4]

Table footnotes

1. As two members were elected, majority is the difference between the second and third candidate
2. Electors had two votes each
3. As two members were elected, majority is the difference between the second and third candidate
4. Electors had two votes each