# Marsden (New Zealand electorate)

Marsden was a former parliamentary electorate, in the Whangarei District and in the Northland Region of New Zealand, which existed from 1858 to 1972. Upon its abolition, Marsden was replaced with the Whangarei electorate.

## 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. Marsden was one of those four electorates, and it covered the northern area split off from the Northern Division electorate.
The electorate was mixed urban and rural, around the city of Whangārei.

## History

The electorate existed from 1858 to 1972, and the first election was held on 29 November 1859, which was during the term of the 2nd Parliament. James Farmer was the first representative. The second representative was John Munro, who was elected on 27 December 1860, and served the whole term of the 3rd Parliament.
Francis Hull was elected to the 4th Parliament, resigned in 1869 and was succeeded by Munro in the February by-election. Munro served the rest of the term, plus the term of the 5th Parliament.
All subsequent representatives have always served full terms.
In the 1879 election there was some doubt about the validity of the election result, and a law was passed to confirm the result in Marsden and two other electorates.
The 1887 election was contested by Robert Thompson and Joseph Dargaville, and they received 955 and 550 votes, respectively. Thompson was thus declared elected.
Thompson acquired the labels 'Marsden Thompson' and 'the member for roads and bridges' in Parliament. He was known for his devotion to the interests of his district, which was desperately in need of good roads, and his only reason for being a Liberal was that the government was the only source of funding for roads and bridges (as with many other Liberals representing country electorates). He was pro-freehold (land), and was opposed to Liberal policies such as labour legislation and old age pensions. In 1908, when he stood unsuccessfully for Auckland West against a sitting Liberal member, he was once more an Independent, and his programme – freehold (land), acquisition of Maori land and opposition to prohibition had not altered.
Alfred Murdoch unsuccessfully contested the Marsden electorate in the 1919 election as an independent Liberal against the incumbent from the Reform Party, Francis Mander. Mander retired at the 1922 election, and Murdoch was elected. At the next election in 1925, Murdoch was defeated by William Jones of the Reform Party, but Murdoch defeated Jones in turn in 1928 when he stood for the United Party. After two parliamentary terms, Murdoch was defeated in 1935 by Jim Barclay of the Labour Party. In 1943, Murdoch, now standing for the National Party, defeated Barclay and won the electorate back, and held it until he retired in 1954.

### Members of Parliament

Key:
Independent Conservative Liberal Independent Liberal Reform United Labour National
| Election | Winner |
| 1859 supplementary election | James Farmer |
| 1861 election | John Munro |
| 1866 election | Francis Hull |
| 1869 by-election | John Munro |
| 1871 election | John Munro |
| 1876 election | Sir Robert Douglas |
| 1879 election | William Colbeck |
| 1881 election | Edwin Mitchelson |
| 1884 election | Edwin Mitchelson |
| 1887 election | Robert Thompson |
| 1890 election | Robert Thompson |
| 1893 election | Robert Thompson |
| 1896 election | Robert Thompson |
| 1899 election | Robert Thompson |
| 1902 election | Francis Mander |
| 1905 election | Francis Mander |
| 1908 election | Francis Mander |
| 1911 election | Francis Mander |
| 1914 election | Francis Mander |
| 1919 election | Francis Mander |
| 1922 election | Alfred Murdoch |
| 1925 election | William Jones |
| 1928 election | Alfred Murdoch |
| 1931 election | Alfred Murdoch |
| 1935 election | Jim Barclay |
| 1938 election | Jim Barclay |
| 1943 election | Alfred Murdoch |
| 1946 election | Alfred Murdoch |
| 1949 election | Alfred Murdoch |
| 1951 election | Alfred Murdoch |
| 1954 election | Don McKay |
| 1957 election | Don McKay |
| 1960 election | Don McKay |
| 1963 election | Don McKay |
| 1966 election | Don McKay |
| 1969 election | Don McKay |
| (electorate abolished 1972; see Whangarei) |||

## Election results
### 1969 election

1969 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Don McKay | 7,660 | 45.23 | −5.59 |
| | Labour | Murray Smith | 6,559 | 38.73 | |
| | Social Credit | John Geoffrey Rawson | 2,715 | 16.03 | −5.00 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,101 | 6.50 | −16.76 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,934 | 89.86 | +3.65 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,843 | | |

### 1966 election

1966 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Don McKay | 8,907 | 50.82 | −4.43 |
| | Labour | O J Lewis | 4,830 | 27.56 | |
| | Social Credit | John Geoffrey Rawson | 3,686 | 21.03 | −7.03 |
| | Independent | R Graham | 101 | 0.57 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,077 | 23.26 | −1.25 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,524 | 86.21 | −2.99 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 20,326 | | |

### 1963 election

1963 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Don McKay | 8,885 | 55.25 | −2.05 |
| | Labour | O J Lewis | 4,943 | 30.74 | |
| | Social Credit | John Geoffrey Rawson | 2,252 | 14.00 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,942 | 24.51 | −4.13 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,080 | 89.20 | −0.70 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,026 | | |

### 1960 election

1960 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Don McKay | 8,704 | 57.30 | +5.07 |
| | Labour | John Swanson Reid | 4,353 | 28.65 | |
| | Social Credit | Robert Arthur McQuillian | 2,132 | 14.03 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,351 | 28.64 | +14.77 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,189 | 89.70 | −2.52 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,932 | | |

### 1957 election

1957 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Don McKay | 7,906 | 52.53 | +14.98 |
| | Labour | Mervyn Allan Hosking | 5,818 | 38.65 | +7.18 |
| | Social Credit | William Rodney Lewin Vallance | 994 | 6.60 | −5.75 |
| | Ind. Social Credit | Eva Hill | 332 | 2.20 | −16.44 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,088 | 13.87 | +7.80 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,050 | 92.22 | +0.40 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,318 | | |

### 1954 election

1954 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Don McKay | 5,389 | 37.55 | |
| | Labour | Mervyn Allan Hosking | 4,517 | 31.47 | −4.30 |
| | Social Credit | Eva Hill | 2,676 | 18.64 | |
| | Independent | William Rodney Lewin Vallance | 1,768 | 12.32 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 872 | 6.07 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,350 | 91.82 | +4.96 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,628 | | |

### 1951 election

1951 General election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Alfred Murdoch | 9,031 | 64.22 | +2.70 |
| | Labour | Mervyn Allan Hosking | 5,030 | 35.77 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,001 | 28.45 | +5.41 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,061 | 86.86 | −6.24 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,188 | | |

### 1949 election

1949 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Alfred Murdoch | 8,746 | 61.52 | +4.03 |
| | Labour | Douglas L. Ross | 5,470 | 38.47 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,276 | 23.04 | +7.31 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,216 | 93.10 | −2.14 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,268 | | |

### 1946 election

1946 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Alfred Murdoch | 7,851 | 57.49 | +4.91 |
| | Labour | John Stewart | 5,702 | 41.75 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 98 | 0.71 | −0.21 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,149 | 15.73 | +7.20 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,655 | 95.24 | +0.06 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,337 | | |

### 1943 election

1943 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Alfred Murdoch | 6,202 | 52.58 | +4.95 |
| | Labour | Jim Barclay | 5,196 | 44.05 | −8.32 |
| | Democratic Labour | Ernest Petty | 398 | 3.37 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 110 | 0.92 | +0.56 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,006 | 8.53 | +3.79 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,906 | 95.18 | +0.09 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,509 | | |
Table footnotes:
* ↑ Registered electors refers to civilian voters only; nationwide, 93,295 servicemen also cast valid votes although their names did not appear on electoral rolls.

### 1938 election

1938 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jim Barclay | 6,157 | 52.37 | +4.30 |
| | National | Alfred Murdoch | 5,600 | 47.63 | +2.76 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 43 | 0.36 | −0.19 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 557 | 4.74 | +1.55 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,800 | 95.08 | +3.52 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,410 | | |

### 1935 election

1935 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jim Barclay | 5,215 | 48.07 | +14.91 |
| | United | Alfred Murdoch | 4,868 | 44.87 | −21.97 |
| | Democrat | R Johns | 602 | 5.54 | |
| | Independent Liberal | St. Claire Jounneaux | 163 | 1.50 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 60 | 0.55 | −1.07 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 347 | 3.19 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,848 | 91.56 | +10.10 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,847 | | |

### 1931 election

1931 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | United | Alfred Murdoch | 5,838 | 66.84 | +22.73 |
| | Labour | Jim Barclay | 2,896 | 33.16 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 144 | 1.62 | +0.87 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,942 | 33.68 | +28.63 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,878 | 81.46 | −6.46 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,898 | | |

### 1928 election

1928 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | United | Alfred Murdoch | 3,925 | 44.12 | +3.42 |
| | Reform | William Jones | 3,475 | 39.06 | −9.46 |
| | Labour | William Henry Chetham | 1,299 | 14.60 | |
| | Independent | Albert Hugh Curtis | 198 | 2.23 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 67 | 0.75 | +0.09 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 450 | 5.06 | −2.76 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,964 | 87.93 | −2.84 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,195 | | |

### 1925 election

1925 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Reform | William Jones | 4,038 | 48.52 | −0.56 |
| | Independent Liberal | Alfred Murdoch | 3,387 | 40.70 | −10.22 |
| | Labour | Arthur Shapton Richards | 897 | 10.78 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 55 | 0.66 | −0.62 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 651 | 7.82 | +5.98 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,377 | 90.77 | +3.71 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,229 | | |

### 1922 election

1922 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Liberal | Alfred Murdoch | 3,752 | 50.92 | +14.90 |
| | Reform | William Jones | 3,616 | 49.08 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 136 | 1.85 | −1.37 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 95 | 1.27 | −0.53 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,463 | 87.06 | +8.35 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,572 | | |

### 1919 election

1919 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Reform | Francis Mander | 2,307 | 39.24 |
| | Independent Liberal | Alfred Murdoch | 2,118 | 36.03 |
| | Independent Labour | Donald Alexander McLean | 850 | 14.46 |
| | Independent | Albert Hugh Curtis | 604 | 10.27 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 108 | 1.80 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 189 | 3.21 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,987 | 78.71 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,606 | |

### 1899 election

1899 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent Liberal | Robert Thompson | 2,205 | 59.42 |
| | Conservative | George Alderton | 891 | 24.01 |
| | Independent | Charles Mackesy | 615 | 16.57 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,314 | 35.41 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,711 | 66.97 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,541 | |

### 1890 election

1890 general election: Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Robert Thompson | 803 | 56.15 |
| | Liberal | Albert Elliot | 627 | 43.84 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 176 | 12.30 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,430 | 49.04 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,914 | |