Cheviot (New Zealand electorate)

Cheviot was a parliamentary electorate in the Canterbury region of New Zealand, from 1858 to 1890. It was named after what was then one of the country's largest sheep stations, Cheviot Hills.

Population centres

The initial 24 New Zealand electorates were defined by Governor George Grey in March 1853, based on the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 that had been passed by the British government. The Constitution Act also allowed the House of Representatives to establish new electorates, and this was first done in 1858, when four new electorates were formed by splitting existing electorates.[1] Cheviot was one of those four electorates, and it was established in areas that previously belonged to the Wairau and Christchurch Country electorates.[2]

The Cheviot electorate was entirely rural. The returning officer, George Leslie Lee, decided on two polling stations for the first election in December 1859, and they were both sheep stations of runholders: Robinson's station Cheviot Hills, and Mason's Old Station at Waituhi Creek.[3]

History

The first election in the Cheviot electorate was held on 18 December 1859, which was partway through the term of the 2nd New Zealand Parliament. Edward Jollie was the first representative.[4] Charles Hunter Brown announced his candidacy for the 1 March 1861 election long before the election date was set. Frederick Weld was narrowly defeated in the 15 February 1861 election in the Wairau electorate and subsequently became a candidate in Cheviot, where he defeated Brown.[5] In the 1866 election, David Monro was declared elected unopposed.[6]

Leonard Harper[7] was the only representative who did not serve through his whole term – he resigned on 2 April 1878.[8] The subsequent 1878 by-election, held on 27 May, was won by Alfred Saunders.[9]

The electorate was abolished in 1890.[10]

Election results

The electorate was represented by eight Members of Parliament:[10]

Key

  Independent  

Election Winner
1859 supplementary election Edward Jollie
1861 election Frederick Weld
1866 election David Monro
1871 election Henry Ingles
1876 election Leonard Harper
1878 by-election Alfred Saunders
1879 election
1881 election Hugh McIlraith
1884 election James Dupré Lance
1887 election

Election results

1878 by-election
1878 Cheviot by-election[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Alfred Saunders 94 57.67
Independent Henry Ingles 69 42.33
Turnout 163
Majority 25 15.34

1861 election
1861 general election: Cheviot[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Frederick Weld 24 77.42
Independent Charles Hunter Brown 7 22.58
Majority 17 54.84
Turnout 31 15.82
Registered electors 196

See also
  • History and naming of the town of Cheviot

Notes
  1. McRobie 1989, pp. 29.
  2. McRobie 1989, pp. 30f.
  3. "Government Notices". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. XVIII. 3 December 1859. p. 4. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  4. Wilson 1985, p. 208.
  5. "Local Intelligence". Lyttelton Times. XV (868). 6 March 1861. p. 4. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  6. "Town and country". Lyttelton Times. XXV (1620). 23 February 1866. p. 2. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  7. "Mr. Leonard Harper". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia Company Limited. 1903. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  8. Wilson 1985, p. 203.
  9. Wilson 1985, p. 233.
  10. Wilson 1985, p. 260.
  11. "The Cheviot Election". Globe. IX (1300). 20 May 1878. p. 3. Retrieved 23 January 2019.

References
  • 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.
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