# Grey Lynn (electorate)

Grey Lynn is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate, in the city of Auckland. It existed from 1902 to 1978, and was represented by nine Members of Parliament.

## Population centres

The Representation Act 1900 had increased the membership of the House of Representatives from general electorates 70 to 76, and this was implemented through the 1902 electoral redistribution. In 1902, changes to the country quota affected the three-member electorates in the four main centres. The tolerance between electorates was increased to ±1,250 so that the Representation Commissions (since 1896, there had been separate commissions for the North and South Islands) could take greater account of communities of interest. These changes proved very disruptive to existing boundaries, and six electorates were established for the first time, including Grey Lynn, and two electorates that previously existed were re-established.
During this electorate's existence, it was centred on the suburb of Grey Lynn. In the 1902 election, the electorate was classed as a mix of rural and urban (with a two to one ratio), and comprised areas just west of the central part of Auckland. In the 1907 electoral redistribution, the electorate was classed as fully urban, and the country quota thus no longer applied.

## History

The electorate existed from 1902 to 1978. George Fowlds of the Liberal Party was the electorate's first representative. He served for three terms as was beaten in the 1911 election by the independent left-wing politician John Payne.
In 1919 Ellen Melville was one of three women who stood at short notice when women were able to stand as candidates for election to parliament. She stood on behalf of the Reform Party and came second in Grey Lynn.
Grey Lynn was held from the 1919 election by Labour's Fred Bartram until he was defeated in 1928 by John Fletcher of the United Party. During 1930, Fletcher became an Independent. There was disagreement in the Labour Party regarding the nomination for the 1931 election, with John A. Lee chosen over their previous representative Fred Bartram, resulting in the latter to stand as an Independent. Four candidates stood in total, with Lee defeating the incumbent.

### Members of Parliament

The electorate was represented by nine Members of Parliament.
Key
Liberal  Independent Labour  Labour  Independent  United  Democratic Labour
| Election | Winner |
| 1902 election | George Fowlds |
| 1905 election | George Fowlds |
| 1908 election | George Fowlds |
| 1911 election | John Payne |
| 1914 election | John Payne |
| 1919 election | Fred Bartram |
| 1922 election | Fred Bartram |
| 1925 election | Fred Bartram |
| 1928 election | John Fletcher |
| 1931 election | John A. Lee |
| 1935 election | John A. Lee |
| 1938 election | John A. Lee |
| 1943 election | Fred Hackett |
| 1946 election | Fred Hackett |
| 1949 election | Fred Hackett |
| 1951 election | Fred Hackett |
| 1954 election | Fred Hackett |
| 1957 election | Fred Hackett |
| 1960 election | Fred Hackett |
| 1963 by-election | Reginald Keeling |
| 1963 election | Ritchie Macdonald |
| 1966 election | Ritchie Macdonald |
| 1969 election | Eddie Isbey |
| 1972 election | Eddie Isbey |
| 1975 election | Eddie Isbey |
| (Electorate abolished 1978; see Auckland Central) |||
Table footnotes:
* ↑ John Fletcher became an Independent during 1930.

## Election results
### 1975 election

1975 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eddie Isbey | 8,268 | 51.58 | −9.03 |
| | National | Jens Meder | 5,429 | 33.87 | +6.90 |
| | Values | Loren Robb | 1,472 | 9.18 | |
| | Social Credit | Bill Ross | 977 | 6.09 | −0.94 |
| | Socialist Action | Matt Robson | 31 | 0.19 | |
| | Socialist Unity | Bruce Skilton | 30 | 0.18 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,839 | 17.71 | −15.92 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,027 | 71.99 | −13.65 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 22,262 | | |

### 1972 election

1972 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eddie Isbey | 9,887 | 60.61 | +16.10 |
| | National | Jens Meder | 4,400 | 26.97 | +1.09 |
| | Social Credit | Bill Ross | 1,148 | 7.03 | +2.29 |
| | Values | Wayne Houston | 814 | 4.99 | |
| | New Democratic | Martin Spratt | 63 | 0.38 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,487 | 33.63 | +15.01 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,312 | 85.64 | −1.45 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,045 | | |

### 1969 election

1969 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eddie Isbey | 6,966 | 44.51 | |
| | National | Jens Meder | 4,051 | 25.88 | |
| | Independent Labour | Kevin Ryan | 3,887 | 24.84 | |
| | Social Credit | Bill Ross | 743 | 4.74 | −6.19 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,915 | 18.62 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,647 | 87.09 | +4.25 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,965 | | |

### 1966 election

1966 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ritchie Macdonald | 8,329 | 59.77 | −2.24 |
| | National | Horace Alexander Nash | 3,930 | 28.20 | |
| | Social Credit | Bill Ross | 1,523 | 10.93 | +5.09 |
| | Communist | Peter McAra | 152 | 1.09 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,399 | 31.57 | −3.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,934 | 82.84 | −2.46 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,820 | | |

### 1963 election

1963 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ritchie Macdonald | 9,383 | 62.01 | |
| | National | Jolyon Firth | 4,598 | 30.38 | |
| | Social Credit | Bill Ross | 885 | 5.84 | +1.96 |
| | Communist | George Jackson | 264 | 1.74 | −0.28 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,240 | 34.63 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,130 | 85.30 | +43.82 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,737 | | |

### 1963 by-election

1963 Grey Lynn by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Reginald Keeling | 4,172 | 65.84 | |
| | National | Ray Presland | 1,791 | 28.26 | |
| | Social Credit | Bill Ross | 246 | 3.88 | |
| | Communist | George Jackson | 128 | 2.02 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 24 | 0.38 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,381 | 37.57 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,361 | 41.48 | −44.66 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,336 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### 1960 election

1960 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fred Hackett | 8,761 | 63.78 | −3.37 |
| | National | Brian Zouch | 4,165 | 30.32 | |
| | Social Credit | Frederick Thomas Morley | 693 | 5.04 | |
| | Communist | Dick Wolf | 117 | 0.85 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,596 | 33.45 | −5.83 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,736 | 86.14 | −7.57 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,945 | | |

### 1957 election

1957 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fred Hackett | 9,893 | 67.15 | +2.51 |
| | National | Bernard Griffiths | 4,106 | 27.87 | |
| | Social Credit | Ernest Richard James | 733 | 4.97 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,787 | 39.28 | +2.65 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,732 | 93.71 | +2.79 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,720 | | |

### 1954 election

1954 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fred Hackett | 8,483 | 64.64 | −0.35 |
| | National | Tom McGowan | 3,676 | 28.01 | |
| | Social Credit | Samuel Hank Charles Jones | 835 | 6.36 | |
| | Communist | Rita Smith | 129 | 0.98 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,807 | 36.63 | +6.65 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,123 | 90.92 | +2.25 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,432 | | |

### 1951 election

1951 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fred Hackett | 8,265 | 64.99 | +6.95 |
| | National | Harold Barry | 4,452 | 35.01 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,813 | 29.98 | −11.98 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,717 | 88.67 | −5.23 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,341 | | |

### 1949 election

1949 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fred Hackett | 7,362 | 58.04 | −14.40 |
| | National | John Leon Faulkner | 3,159 | 24.02 | |
| | Democratic Labour | John A. Lee | 2,627 | 19.98 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,203 | 41.96 | −2.93 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,148 | 93.90 | −0.98 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,002 | | |

### 1946 election

1946 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fred Hackett | 9,537 | 72.44 | +13.43 |
| | National | Harold Barry | 3,627 | 27.56 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,910 | 44.89 | +9.17 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,164 | 94.28 | −0.07 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,962 | | |

### 1943 election

1943 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fred Hackett | 10,010 | 59.01 | |
| | Democratic Labour | John A. Lee | 3,951 | 23.29 | −56.26 |
| | National | Ellen Melville | 2,802 | 16.52 | |
| | Real Democracy | Joseph Alexander Govan | 410 | 2.42 | −18.03 |
| | People's Movement | George Edward Plane | 91 | 0.54 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 322 | 1.86 | +0.03 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,059 | 35.72 | −23.38 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,286 | 94.35 | +1.67 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,321 | | |

### 1938 election

1938 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John A. Lee | 11,584 | 79.55 | +4.78 |
| | National | Joseph Alexander Govan | 2,977 | 20.45 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 272 | 1.83 | −1.05 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,607 | 59.10 | −1.85 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,833 | 92.68 | +3.52 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,005 | | |

### 1935 election

1935 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John A. Lee | 9,828 | 74.77 | +16.99 |
| | United | George Wildish | 1,816 | 13.81 | |
| | Democrat | Hilton Basil Moore Arthur | 1,290 | 9.81 | |
| | Communist | Henry Mornington Smith | 210 | 1.59 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 379 | 2.88 | +2.00 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,012 | 60.95 | +33.27 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,144 | 89.16 | +5.90 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,741 | | |

### 1931 election

1931 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John A. Lee | 6,767 | 57.78 | |
| | Independent | John Fletcher | 3,525 | 30.10 | −16.43 |
| | United | Walter Harry Murray | 1,037 | 8.85 | |
| | Independent Labour | Fred Bartram | 382 | 3.26 | −42.73 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 104 | 0.88 | −0.18 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,242 | 27.68 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,815 | 83.26 | −4.07 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,190 | | |

### 1928 election

1928 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | United | John Fletcher | 5,489 | 46.53 | |
| | Labour | Fred Bartram | 5,425 | 45.99 | −6.67 |
| | Reform | Patrick Buckley Fitzherbert | 684 | 5.79 | |
| | Independent | Louisa Paterson | 72 | 0.61 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 126 | 1.06 | −0.26 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 64 | 0.54 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,796 | 87.33 | −3.47 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,507 | | |

### 1925 election

1925 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fred Bartram | 6,061 | 52.66 | −3.73 |
| | Reform | Ellen Melville | 5,296 | 46.01 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 152 | 1.32 | +0.07 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 765 | 6.64 | −7.40 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,509 | 90.80 | −1.75 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,674 | | |

### 1922 election

1922 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fred Bartram | 5,648 | 56.39 | +20.37 |
| | Reform | William John Holdsworth | 4,241 | 42.34 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 126 | 1.25 | −0.10 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,407 | 14.04 | +8.53 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,015 | 92.55 | +6.49 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,821 | | |

### 1919 election

1919 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fred Bartram | 3,141 | 36.02 | |
| | Reform | Ellen Melville | 2,660 | 30.51 | |
| | Liberal | George Fowlds | 2,405 | 27.58 | |
| | Independent | Lindsay Garmson | 214 | 2.45 | |
| | Independent Labour | Paul Richardson | 180 | 2.06 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 118 | 1.35 | −0.33 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 481 | 5.51 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,718 | 86.06 | −0.14 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,130 | | |

### 1914 election

1914 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Labour | John Payne | 2,933 | 34.04 | −16.07 |
| | Reform | Murdoch McLean | 2,844 | 33.01 | |
| | United Labour | George Fowlds | 2,838 | 32.94 | −16.62 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 145 | 1.68 | +1.37 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 89 | 1.03 | +0.49 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,615 | 86.20 | +5.09 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,994 | | |

### 1911 election

1911 general election: Grey Lynn, first ballot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Fowlds | 3,117 | 44.64 | −9.94 |
| | Independent Labour | John Payne | 2,191 | 31.38 | |
| | Reform | Walter Harry Murray | 1,568 | 22.45 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 106 | 1.51 | −0.57 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,982 | 81.79 | −0.41 |
| Second ballot result ||||||
| | Independent Labour | John Payne | 3,470 | 50.11 | +18.73 |
| | Liberal | George Fowlds | 3,432 | 49.56 | +4.92 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 22 | 0.31 | −1.20 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38 | 0.54 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,924 | 81.11 | −0.68 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,536 | | |

### 1908 election

1908 general election: Grey Lynn, first ballot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Fowlds | 4,035 | 54.58 | +3.00 |
| | Conservative | Oliver Nicholson | 3,146 | 42.55 | |
| | Independent Labour | James Ulysses Brown | 57 | 0.77 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 154 | 2.08 | +1.16 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 889 | 12.02 | +7.92 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,392 | 82.20 | +0.87 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,992 | | |

### 1905 election

1905 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Fowlds | 2,891 | 51.58 | −0.15 |
| | Conservative | John Farrell | 2,661 | 47.48 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 52 | 0.92 | +1.95 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 230 | 4.10 | +1.23 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,604 | 81.33 | +5.71 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,890 | | |

### 1902 election

1902 general election: Grey Lynn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | George Fowlds | 2,108 | 51.43 |
| | Liberal–Labour | Thomas Taylor Masefield | 1,990 | 48.56 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 118 | 2.87 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,098 | 75.62 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,419 | |