# Birkenhead (New Zealand electorate)

Birkenhead was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate on Auckland's North Shore from 1969 to 1996, when it was absorbed into the Northcote electorate.

## Population centres

Through an amendment in the Electoral Act in 1965, the number of electorates in the South Island was fixed at 25, an increase of one since the 1962 electoral redistribution. It was accepted that through the more rapid population growth in the North Island, the number of its electorates would continue to increase, and to keep proportionality, three new electorates were allowed for in the 1967 electoral redistribution for the next election. In the North Island, five electorates were newly created (including Birkenhead) and one electorate was reconstituted while three electorates were abolished. In the South Island, three electorates were newly created and one electorate was reconstituted while three electorates were abolished. The overall effect of the required changes was highly disruptive to existing electorates, with all but three electorates having their boundaries altered. These changes came into effect with the 1969 election.
This suburban electorate was on the North Shore of Auckland. Most of its original area had previously been with the Waitemata electorate. It was absorbed into the Northcote electorate.

## History

Norman King of the Labour Party had first been elected to the Waitemata electorate in the 1954 election. He was the first representatives for the Birkenhead electorate when it was created for the 1969 election. King was defeated in the 1975 election by Jim McLay of the National Party.
The electorate was abolished in the 1996 election, the first mixed-member proportional (MMP) election.

### Members of Parliament

Key
Labour  National
| Election | Winner |
| 1969 election | Norman King |
| 1972 election | Norman King |
| 1975 election | Jim McLay |
| 1978 election | Jim McLay |
| 1981 election | Jim McLay |
| 1984 election | Jim McLay |
| 1987 election | Jenny Kirk |
| 1990 election | Ian Revell |
| 1993 election | Ian Revell |
| (Electorate abolished in 1996; see Northcote) |||

## Election results
### 1993 election

1993 general election: Birkenhead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Ian Revell | 7,866 | 36.99 | −12.16 |
| | Labour | Ann Hartley | 7,762 | 36.50 | |
| | Alliance | Bob Lack | 3,314 | 15.58 | |
| | NZ First | Ruth Norman | 1,681 | 7.90 | |
| | Christian Heritage | Tony Brebner | 364 | 1.71 | |
| | McGillicuddy Serious | Ben Nicholson | 164 | 0.77 | |
| | Natural Law | Angela Wood | 68 | 0.31 | |
| | Workers Rights | Caroline Selwood-Hatt | 45 | 0.21 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 104 | 0.48 | −13.21 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,264 | 85.98 | −0.54 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,730 | | |

### 1990 election

1990 general election: Birkenhead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Ian Revell | 10,094 | 49.15 | |
| | Labour | Jenny Kirk | 7,281 | 35.45 | −18.25 |
| | Green | Michael Crowther | 1,820 | 8.86 | |
| | NewLabour | Ross Tozer | 900 | 4.38 | |
| | Democrats | Richard George Midson | 179 | 0.87 | −1.05 |
| | McGillicuddy Serious | Katerina Jane Julian | 161 | 0.78 | |
| | Independent | Tony Seagar | 99 | 0.48 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,813 | 13.69 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,534 | 85.44 | −2.85 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,033 | | |

### 1987 election

1987 general election: Birkenhead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jenny Kirk | 11,063 | 53.70 | |
| | National | Barry Gustafson | 8,843 | 42.92 | |
| | Democrats | Richard George Midson | 397 | 1.92 | |
| | NZ Party | Ernest Yeoman | 186 | 0.90 | |
| | Libertarian | D I M Fraser | 110 | 0.53 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,220 | 10.77 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,599 | 88.29 | −4.93 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,329 | | |

### 1984 election

1984 general election: Birkenhead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Jim McLay | 9,547 | 43.82 | −2.69 |
| | Labour | John Course | 7,830 | 35.94 | |
| | NZ Party | Janie Pearce | 3,761 | 17.26 | |
| | Social Credit | Bruce Raymond Sheppard | 648 | 2.97 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,717 | 7.88 | −2.23 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,786 | 93.22 | +3.15 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,370 | | |

### 1981 election

1981 general election: Birkenhead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Jim McLay | 9,672 | 46.51 | −2.11 |
| | Labour | Bill Smith | 7,568 | 36.39 | |
| | Social Credit | Mervyn Adair | 3,552 | 17.08 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,104 | 10.11 | −3.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,792 | 90.07 | +18.54 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,082 | | |

### 1978 election

1978 general election: Birkenhead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Jim McLay | 9,350 | 48.62 | −3.14 |
| | Labour | Rex Stanton | 6,816 | 35.44 | |
| | Social Credit | Des Long | 2,583 | 13.43 | |
| | Values | Keith Wargeant | 480 | 2.49 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,534 | 13.17 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,229 | 71.53 | −13.30 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 26,882 | | |

### 1975 election

1975 general election: Birkenhead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Jim McLay | 10,871 | 51.76 | |
| | Labour | Norman King | 8,055 | 38.35 | −11.46 |
| | Values | Ray Tomes | 1,253 | 5.96 | |
| | Social Credit | George Thew | 907 | 4.31 | −1.17 |
| | Independent | Noel Hardie | 14 | 0.06 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,816 | 13.40 | −0.23 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,000 | 84.83 | −5.32 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,753 | | |

### 1972 election

1972 general election: Birkenhead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Norman King | 8,213 | 49.81 | −1.42 |
| | National | Don McKinnon | 6,680 | 40.51 | −1.67 |
| | Social Credit | George Thew | 904 | 5.48 | |
| | Values | Andrew John Quaill | 642 | 3.89 | |
| | New Democratic | Len Inkster | 47 | 0.28 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,533 | 9.29 | +0.24 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,486 | 90.15 | +1.33 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,286 | | |

### 1969 election

1969 general election: Birkenhead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Norman King | 9,623 | 51.23 |
| | National | Don McKinnon | 7,922 | 42.18 |
| | Social Credit | John Robert Neil | 1,236 | 6.58 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,701 | 9.05 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,781 | 88.82 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,144 | |