# Waitomo (New Zealand electorate)

Waitomo was a parliamentary electorate in the Waikato region and the King Country of New Zealand, from 1919 to 1972. The electorate was represented by four Members of Parliament.

## Population centres

In the 1918 electoral redistribution, the North Island gained a further three electorates from the South Island due to faster population growth. Only two existing electorates were unaltered, five electorates were abolished, two former electorate were re-established, and three electorates, including Waitomo, were created for the first time. The Taumarunui electorate was abolished through the 1918 electoral redistribution, and the vast majority of the Waitomo electorate's area had previously been in the Taumarunui electorate. Settlements that fell within the initial area of the Waitomo electorate were Ōtorohanga, Te Kūiti, Ōhura, Awakino, Mōkau, and Waitara.

## History

The Waitomo electorate was first established for the 1919 election. The first representative was William Thomas Jennings of the Liberal Party. John Rolleston of the Reform Party defeated the incumbent by 3447 to 3441 votes, a majority of only six votes. Rolleston in turn was defeated in 1928 by Walter Broadfoot of the United Party. Broadfoot joined the National Party in 1936 when it formed through the amalgamation of the United and Reform Parties. He remained the electorate's representative until the 1954 election, when he retired.
Broadfoot was succeeded by David Seath of the National Party, who represented the electorate until the 1972 election, when he retired. In the same year, the Waitomo electorate was abolished.

### Members of Parliament

The Waitomo electorate was represented by four Members of Parliament:
Key
| Liberal | Reform | United | National |
| Election | Winner |
| 1919 election | William Thomas Jennings |
| 1922 election | John Rolleston |
| 1925 election | John Rolleston |
| 1928 election | Walter Broadfoot |
| 1931 election | Walter Broadfoot |
| 1935 election | Walter Broadfoot |
| 1938 election | Walter Broadfoot |
| 1943 election | Walter Broadfoot |
| 1946 election | Walter Broadfoot |
| 1949 election | Walter Broadfoot |
| 1951 election | Walter Broadfoot |
| 1954 election | David Seath |
| 1957 election | David Seath |
| 1960 election | David Seath |
| 1963 election | David Seath |
| 1966 election | David Seath |
| 1969 election | David Seath |
| (Electorate abolished 1972; see King Country) |||

## Election results
### 1935 election

1935 general election: Waitomo :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | United | Walter Broadfoot | 4,521 | 45.86 |
| | Labour | Jack Jones | 2,995 | 30.38 |
| | Country Party | J H Penniket | 2,341 | 23.74 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 65 | 0.65 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,526 | 15.49 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,857 | 91.08 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,822 | |

### 1928 election

1928 general election: Waitomo :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | United | Walter Broadfoot | 3,797 | 48.99 |
| | Reform | John Rolleston | 3,265 | 42.13 |
| | Labour | Charles Croall | 688 | 8.88 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 532 | 6.86 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 52 | 0.67 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,802 | 87.28 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,939 | |