Grey (New Zealand electorate)

Grey, originally formed as Greymouth, is a former parliamentary electorate in the West Coast region of New Zealand. The electorate of Greymouth was created for the 1881 general election, and lasted until 1890. In 1890 the Grey electorate was created, and was abolished in 1919.

Grey Valley, Westland, New Zealand, 1976.

Population centres

Throughout the electorate's history, the town of Greymouth was always included in its area. The town of Brunner belonged to the electorate during most periods.[1]

History

Greymouth was represented from the 1881 general election by Joseph Petrie.[2] He was defeated in the 1884 general election by Arthur Guinness, who represented the electorate (renamed in 1890 as Grey) until his death in 1913.[3]

After the resulting 1913 by-election, the electorate was represented from 1916 to 1919 by two radical politicians from the West Coast coal mines representing the Labour Party or its predecessors. They were Paddy Webb, who was imprisoned in 1918,[4] and Harry Holland, who represented Grey from the by-election on 29 May 1918 until 16 December 1919 when the electorate was abolished.

Members of Parliament

The various electorates were represented by four members of parliament. From 1881 to 1890, Greymouth was a single-member electorate, renamed as Grey from 1890 to 1919.[5]

Key

  Independent     Liberal  
  Social Democrat     Labour  
Election Winner
1881 election Joseph Petrie
1884 election Arthur Guinness
1887 election
1890 election
1893 election
1896 election
1899 election
1902 election
1905 election
1908 election
1911 election
1913 by-election Paddy Webb
1914 election
1917 by-election
1918 by-election Harry Holland
(Electorate abolished in 1919; see Buller)

Election results

1918 by-election
1918 Grey by-election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Holland 2,865 50.90
Reform Thomas Coates 2,717 48.27
Informal votes 46 0.81
Majority 148 2.62
Turnout 5,628

1913 by-election, first ballot
1913 Grey by-election: First ballot
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Henry Michel 2,189 34.64
Social Democrat Paddy Webb 2,091 33.09
Liberal Michael Hannan 2,039 32.27
Turnout 6,319

1913 by-election, second ballot
1913 Grey by-election: Second ballot
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Democrat Paddy Webb 3,477 55.30
Reform Henry Michel 2,811 44.70
Majority 666 10.60
Turnout 6,288
Social Democrat gain from Liberal Swing

1899 election
1899 general election: Grey[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Guinness 2,660 58.67
Conservative Michael Hannan 1,874 41.33
Majority 786 17.34
Turnout 4,534 79.22
Registered electors 5,723

1893 election
1893 general election: Grey[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Guinness 2,434 70.55 +20.12
Independent Richard Nancarrow 711 20.61
Liberal R. F. Bell 305 8.84
Majority 1,723 49.94 +48.63
Turnout 3,450 74.47 +6.90
Registered electors 4,633

1890 election
1890 general election: Grey[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Guinness 1,109 50.43
Liberal–Labour William Hugh Jones 1,090 49.57
Majority 29 1.31
Turnout 2,199 67.57
Registered electors 3,254

1884 election
1884 general election: Greymouth[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Arthur Guinness 848 58.16
Independent Joseph Petrie 610 41.84
Majority 238 16.32
Turnout 1,458 84.47
Registered electors 1,726

Notes
  1. McRobie 1989, pp. 39–77.
  2. Scholefield 1925, p. 125.
  3. Scholefield 1925, p. 97.
  4. Scholefield 1925, p. 145.
  5. Wilson 1984.
  6. "The Grey Election - Official Recount". Greymouth Evening Star. 7 June 1918. p. 2. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  7. "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  8. "Public Notice". Grey River Argus. LVII (10386). 30 November 1899. p. 3. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  9. "The General Election, 1893". National Library. 1894. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  10. "The General Election". Otago Daily Times. 28 November 1893. p. 6. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  11. "The General Election, 1890". National Library. 1891. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  12. "The General Election, 1884". National Library. 1884. p. 2. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

References
  • McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
  • Scholefield, Guy (1925) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record (2nd 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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