# St Albans (New Zealand electorate)

St Albans was a parliamentary electorate in Christchurch, New Zealand, from 1881 to 1890, then from 1946 to 1996.

## Population centres

The previous electoral redistribution was undertaken in 1875 for the 1875–1876 election. In the six years since, New Zealand's European population had increased by 65%. In the 1881 electoral redistribution, the House of Representatives increased the number of European representatives to 91 (up from 84 since the 1875–76 election). The number of Māori electorates was held at four. The House further decided that electorates should not have more than one representative, which led to 35 new electorates being formed, including St Albans, and two electorates that had previously been abolished to be recreated. This necessitated a major disruption to existing boundaries.
The 1941 New Zealand census had been postponed due to World War II, so the 1946 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth and movements into account. The North Island gained a further two electorates from the South Island due to faster population growth. The abolition of the country quota through the Electoral Amendment Act, 1945 reduced the number and increased the size of rural electorates. None of the existing electorates remained unchanged, 27 electorates were abolished, 19 electorates were created for the first time, and eight former electorates were re-established, including St Albans.
The electorate was centred on the Christchurch suburb of St Albans.

## History

The electorate was first created for the 1881 general election, held on 9 December.
John Evans Brown contested the electorate with J. L. Wilson and A. W. O'Neill. They received 218, 168 and 85 votes, respectively. Brown was declared elected. Brown did not stand for re-election in the 1884 general election.
In 1884 general election, held on 22 July, Francis James Garrick successfully stood for the electorate against two other candidates and obtained a comfortable victory, gaining 396 out of 477 votes. Garrick stood again in the electorate in the 1887 general election, against William Pember Reeves. At the election on 26 September, Reeves and Garrick received 802 and 634 votes, respectively. With a majority of 164 votes, Reeves was the successful candidate. The electorate was abolished at the end of the parliamentary term in 1890 and Reeves successfully contested the Christchurch electorate.
The electorate was recreated in 1946. Jack Watts from the National Party was the representative from 1946 to 1957, when he successfully contested the Fendalton electorate. St Albans went to Neville Pickering of the Labour Party, who lost the electorate at the next election in 1960 to National's Bert Walker. Walker represented St Albans until 1969, when he successfully contested the Papanui electorate.
St Albans was won by Labour's Roger Drayton in the 1969 general election. He retired after three terms, and the 1978 general election was won by Labour's David Caygill, who held the electorate until it was abolished in 1996.

### Members of Parliament

The electorate was represented by eight Members of Parliament:
Key
Independent  National  Labour
| Election | Winner |
| 1881 election | John Brown |
| 1884 election | Francis Garrick |
| 1887 election | William Reeves |
| (electorate abolished 1890-1946) |||
| 1946 election | Jack Watts |
| 1949 election | Jack Watts |
| 1951 election | Jack Watts |
| 1954 election | Jack Watts |
| 1957 election | Neville Pickering |
| 1960 election | Bert Walker |
| 1963 election | Bert Walker |
| 1966 election | Bert Walker |
| 1969 election | Roger Drayton |
| 1972 election | Roger Drayton |
| 1975 election | Roger Drayton |
| 1978 election | David Caygill |
| 1981 election | David Caygill |
| 1984 election | David Caygill |
| 1987 election | David Caygill |
| 1990 election | David Caygill |
| 1993 election | David Caygill |
| (Electorate abolished in 1996; see Christchurch Central) |||

## Election results
### 1993 election

1993 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Caygill | 10,022 | 46.43 | −0.92 |
| | National | Raewyn Dawson | 6,597 | 30.56 | |
| | Alliance | Mike Newlove | 3,423 | 15.85 | +5.77 |
| | NZ First | Peter Gordon | 949 | 4.39 | |
| | Christian Heritage | Mary Lovell | 481 | 2.22 | |
| | Natural Law | Joe Pickering | 88 | 0.40 | |
| | Independent | Bill Bunting | 25 | 0.11 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,425 | 15.86 | +8.47 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,585 | 85.44 | +0.91 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 25,261 | | |

### 1990 election

1990 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Caygill | 9,990 | 47.35 | −11.05 |
| | National | David Dumergue | 8,430 | 39.96 | |
| | NewLabour | Mike Newlove | 2,127 | 10.08 | |
| | Democrats | John McCaskey | 310 | 1.46 | |
| | McGillicuddy Serious | Michael Vercoe | 209 | 0.99 | |
| | Communist League | Kerry Moyst | 28 | 0.13 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,560 | 7.39 | −14.33 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,094 | 84.53 | −3.09 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,954 | | |

### 1987 election

1987 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Caygill | 12,166 | 58.40 | +2.55 |
| | National | Andrew Cowie | 7,641 | 36.68 | |
| | Democrats | Bill Morgan | 593 | 2.84 | |
| | Socialist Action | Geoff Pearce | 181 | 0.86 | |
| | Wizard Party | Suzanne Sadler | 129 | 0.61 | |
| | Values | Phil McAnally | 121 | 0.58 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,525 | 21.72 | −6.52 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,831 | 87.62 | −4.57 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,773 | | |

### 1984 election

1984 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Caygill | 12,208 | 55.85 | +0.82 |
| | National | Ian Wilson | 6,036 | 27.61 | |
| | NZ Party | Maurice Kattell | 2,621 | 11.99 | |
| | Social Credit | Quinton Manson | 990 | 4.52 | −8.94 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,172 | 28.24 | +4.72 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,855 | 92.19 | +2.81 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,704 | | |

### 1981 election

1981 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Caygill | 11,524 | 55.03 | +2.31 |
| | National | Jim Baker | 6,598 | 31.50 | |
| | Social Credit | Quinton Manson | 2,819 | 13.46 | +4.54 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,926 | 23.52 | +16.19 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,941 | 89.38 | +22.42 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,428 | | |

### 1978 election

1978 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Caygill | 11,279 | 52.72 | |
| | National | Neil Russell | 7,600 | 35.52 | |
| | Social Credit | Quinton Manson | 1,909 | 8.92 | +5.44 |
| | Values | Conway Jack | 577 | 2.69 | |
| | Tory | Ian Douglas Costello | 28 | 0.13 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,570 | 7.33 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,393 | 66.96 | −12.93 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 31,946 | | |

### 1975 election

1975 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roger Drayton | 9,013 | 48.59 | −7.43 |
| | National | Prudence Rotherberg | 7,443 | 40.13 | |
| | Values | Roger Wilson | 1,304 | 7.03 | |
| | Social Credit | Quinton Manson | 647 | 3.48 | |
| | Independent | Richard Dawson | 104 | 0.56 | |
| | Imperial British Conservative | Alice Flett | 36 | 0.19 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,570 | 8.46 | −8.89 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,547 | 79.89 | −6.64 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,214 | | |

### 1972 election

1972 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roger Drayton | 9,900 | 56.02 | +6.41 |
| | National | Ron Doak | 6,834 | 38.67 | |
| | Social Credit | Carol Flint | 514 | 2.90 | |
| | Values | Bob Overend | 376 | 2.12 | |
| | New Democratic | Bob Scott | 47 | 0.26 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,066 | 17.35 | +12.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,671 | 86.53 | +2.92 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 20,420 | | |

### 1969 election

1969 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roger Drayton | 8,415 | 49.61 | |
| | National | Ian Wilson | 7,506 | 44.25 | |
| | Social Credit | Jim Fountain | 1,041 | 6.13 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 909 | 5.35 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,962 | 89.45 | +3.66 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,961 | | |

### 1966 election

1966 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Bert Walker | 8,455 | 53.62 | −1.72 |
| | Labour | Ted Adcock | 5,880 | 37.29 | |
| | Social Credit | Ray McNeil | 1,344 | 8.52 | |
| | Keynesian Progress | Mark Sadler | 88 | 0.55 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,575 | 16.33 | +1.33 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,767 | 85.79 | −5.36 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,378 | | |

### 1963 election

1963 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Bert Walker | 9,228 | 55.34 | +6.74 |
| | Labour | John Palmer | 6,727 | 40.34 | |
| | Social Credit | Carol Flint | 718 | 4.30 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,501 | 15.00 | +13.15 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,673 | 91.15 | +0.10 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,291 | | |

### 1960 election

1960 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Bert Walker | 7,809 | 48.60 | |
| | Labour | Neville Pickering | 7,511 | 46.75 | −3.28 |
| | Social Credit | George Richard Lynne | 746 | 4.64 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 298 | 1.85 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,066 | 91.25 | −0.70 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,605 | | |

### 1957 election

1957 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neville Pickering | 7,960 | 50.03 | |
| | National | Eric Philip Wills | 7,459 | 46.88 | |
| | Social Credit | Thomas Francis Penrose | 759 | 4.77 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 501 | 3.14 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,908 | 91.95 | +0.42 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,299 | | |

### 1954 election

1954 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Jack Watts | 6,905 | 43.58 | −11.49 |
| | Labour | Mick Connelly | 6,297 | 39.75 | |
| | Social Credit | Stanley William Ayers | 2,639 | 16.65 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 608 | 3.83 | −6.32 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,841 | 92.37 | +2.29 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,148 | | |

### 1951 election

1951 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Jack Watts | 7,675 | 55.07 | +0.85 |
| | Labour | John Bernard Mora | 6,260 | 44.93 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,415 | 10.15 | +1.71 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,935 | 90.08 | −3.10 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,469 | | |

### 1949 election

1949 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Jack Watts | 7,335 | 54.22 | +3.90 |
| | Labour | George Manning | 6,193 | 45.78 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,142 | 8.44 | +7.80 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,528 | 93.18 | +1.19 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,518 | | |

### 1946 election

1946 general election: St Albans :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | National | Jack Watts | 6,691 | 50.32 |
| | Labour | Morgan Williams | 6,605 | 49.68 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 86 | 0.64 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,296 | 91.99 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,453 | |