# Pahiatua (New Zealand electorate)

Pahiatua is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate in the Wairarapa region. It existed from 1896 to 1996, and was represented by nine Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Keith Holyoake for 34 years.

## Population centres

In the 1896 electoral redistribution, rapid population growth in the North Island required the transfer of three seats from the South Island to the north. Four electorates that previously existed were re-established, and three electorates were established for the first time, including Pahiatua. The original area of the Pahiatua electorate included the towns of Pahiatua and Woodville. Over time, the electorate shifted slightly north, until the town of Dannevirke was covered following the 1918 electoral redistribution.
The 1946 electoral redistribution took the abolition of the country quota into account, and as a rural electorate, the area covered by the Pahiatua electorate increased significantly. The Masterton electorate to the south was abolished, and its area distributed to the Wairarapa and Pahiatua electorate. Eketāhuna and Castlepoint were gained by the electorate in that process.

## History

The Pahiatua electorate existed from 1896 to 1996. Early holders of the seat were John O'Meara from 1896 to 1904, Bill Hawkins from 1904 to 1905, Robert Beatson Ross from 1905 to 1911, James Escott from 1911 to 1916, Harold Smith from 1916 to 1919, Archibald McNicol from 1919 to 1922, and Alfred Ransom from 1922 to 1943.
The seat was held by Prime Minister Keith Holyoake for 34 years, until he resigned to become Governor-General. He was succeeded by John Falloon, who chose to retire in 1996 when the seat was abolished.

### Members of Parliament

Key
Liberal  Liberal–Labour  Reform  United  National
| Election | Winner |
| 1896 election | John O'Meara |
| 1899 election | John O'Meara |
| 1902 election | John O'Meara |
| 1904 by-election | Bill Hawkins |
| 1905 election | Robert Beatson Ross |
| 1908 election | Robert Beatson Ross |
| 1911 election | James Escott |
| 1914 election | James Escott |
| 1916 by-election | Harold Smith |
| 1919 election | Archibald McNicol |
| 1922 election | Alfred Ransom |
| 1925 election | Alfred Ransom |
| 1928 election | Alfred Ransom |
| 1931 election | Alfred Ransom |
| 1935 election | Alfred Ransom |
| 1938 election | Alfred Ransom |
| 1943 election | Keith Holyoake |
| 1946 election | Keith Holyoake |
| 1949 election | Keith Holyoake |
| 1951 election | Keith Holyoake |
| 1954 election | Keith Holyoake |
| 1957 election | Keith Holyoake |
| 1960 election | Keith Holyoake |
| 1963 election | Keith Holyoake |
| 1966 election | Keith Holyoake |
| 1969 election | Keith Holyoake |
| 1972 election | Keith Holyoake |
| 1975 election | Keith Holyoake |
| 1977 by-election | John Falloon |
| 1978 election | John Falloon |
| 1981 election | John Falloon |
| 1984 election | John Falloon |
| 1987 election | John Falloon |
| 1990 election | John Falloon |
| 1993 election | John Falloon |
| (Electorate abolished in 1996; see Wairarapa) |||

## Election results
### 1977 by-election

1977 Pahiatua by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | John Falloon | 9,059 | 63.01 | |
| | Labour | Allan Levett | 4,280 | 29.77 | |
| | Social Credit | Graeme Hislop | 844 | 5.87 | −3.89 |
| | Values | Peter McHugh | 194 | 1.35 | −2.18 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,779 | 33.24 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,377 | 68.49 | −16.12 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 20,993 | | |
| | National hold | National hold | Swing | | |

### 1975 election

1975 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Keith Holyoake | 10,423 | 64.19 | +4.08 |
| | Labour | Paul Thornicroft | 3,654 | 22.50 | |
| | Social Credit | Graeme Hislop | 1,585 | 9.76 | |
| | Values | Peter McHugh | 574 | 3.53 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,769 | 41.69 | +12.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,236 | 84.61 | −1.39 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,188 | | |

### 1972 election

1972 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Keith Holyoake | 8,825 | 60.11 | −2.15 |
| | Labour | L J Cairns | 4,466 | 30.42 | |
| | Social Credit | J H Morrow | 1,022 | 6.96 | |
| | Liberal Reform | R E Cheer | 253 | 1.72 | |
| | New Democratic | J W Duffy | 115 | 0.78 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,359 | 29.69 | −4.30 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,681 | 86.00 | +0.75 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,069 | | |

### 1969 election

1969 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Keith Holyoake | 9,010 | 62.26 | +0.51 |
| | Labour | Trevor de Cleene | 4,090 | 28.26 | |
| | Social Credit | Douglas Conway | 1,131 | 7.81 | |
| | Country Party | C K R Farnsworth | 240 | 1.65 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,920 | 33.99 | −7.29 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,471 | 86.75 | +0.86 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,681 | | |

### 1966 election

1966 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Keith Holyoake | 7,914 | 61.75 | −3.95 |
| | Labour | F M O'Brien | 2,623 | 20.46 | |
| | Social Credit | J H Morrow | 2,207 | 17.22 | |
| | Independent | R E Cheer | 71 | 0.55 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,291 | 41.28 | −0.39 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,815 | 85.89 | −3.03 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,919 | | |

### 1963 election

1963 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Keith Holyoake | 9,039 | 65.70 | +1.26 |
| | Labour | Ernie Hemmingsen | 3,306 | 24.03 | |
| | Social Credit | Oliver Marks | 1,411 | 10.25 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,733 | 41.67 | +2.47 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,756 | 88.92 | −1.26 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,469 | | |

### 1960 election

1960 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Keith Holyoake | 8,111 | 64.44 | +2.41 |
| | Labour | Kingsley McKane | 3,177 | 25.24 | |
| | Social Credit | Percival John Dempsey | 1,298 | 10.31 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,934 | 39.20 | +8.32 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,586 | 90.18 | −2.39 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,955 | | |

### 1957 election

1957 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Keith Holyoake | 8,075 | 62.03 | +0.22 |
| | Labour | William Erle Rose | 4,055 | 31.15 | |
| | Social Credit | R M Gunn | 887 | 6.81 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,020 | 30.88 | +1.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,017 | 92.57 | 1.84 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,061 | | |

### 1954 election

1954 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Keith Holyoake | 7,293 | 61.81 | +0.92 |
| | Labour | Ronald Bell | 3,774 | 31.98 | |
| | Social Credit | M M Whimp | 731 | 6.19 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,519 | 29.82 | −3.15 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,798 | 90.73 | +1.92 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,003 | | |

### 1951 election

1951 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Keith Holyoake | 8,490 | 60.89 | −6.68 |
| | Labour | Owen Jones | 3,892 | 27.91 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,598 | 32.97 | −2.18 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,382 | 88.81 | −3.45 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,942 | | |

### 1949 election

1949 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Keith Holyoake | 8,663 | 67.57 | +3.51 |
| | Labour | G P O'Leary | 4,156 | 32.43 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,507 | 35.15 | −7.03 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,819 | 92.26 | −1.82 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,894 | | |

### 1946 election

1946 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Keith Holyoake | 8,422 | 64.06 | +6.13 |
| | Labour | Otto Ernest Niederer | 4,725 | 35.94 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,697 | 28.12 | +9.59 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,147 | 94.08 | +1.54 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,973 | | |

### 1943 election

1943 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | National | Keith Holyoake | 5,705 | 57.93 |
| | Labour | George Anders Hansen | 3,880 | 39.39 |
| | Democratic Labour | Edward Ellis | 190 | 1.92 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 73 | 0.74 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,825 | 18.53 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,848 | 95.62 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,299 | |

### 1928 election

1928 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | United | Alfred Ransom | 4,369 | 52.32 |
| | Reform | Harold Smith | 3,447 | 41.28 |
| | Labour | Joseph Whittle | 535 | 6.41 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 922 | 11.04 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 94 | 1.11 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,445 | 90.97 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,283 | |

### 1916 by-election

1916 Pahiatua by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Reform | Harold Smith | 1,521 | 47.57 |
| | Liberal | Robert Ross | 1,438 | 44.97 |
| | Labour | George McFarlane | 238 | 7.44 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 83 | 2.59 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,197 | 51.23 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,241 | |
| | Reform hold | Reform hold | Swing | |

### 1904 by-election

1904 Pahiatua by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Liberal | Bill Hawkins | 1,418 | 41.74 | |
| | Liberal | Lindsay Buick | 1,323 | 38.94 | |
| | Conservative | Samuel Bolton | 476 | 14.01 | −27.40 |
| | Liberal | David Crewe | 138 | 4.06 | |
| | Independent | Donald Munro | 14 | 0.42 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 28 | 0.82 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 95 | 2.79 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,397 | 79.16 | +2.88 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,291 | | |

### 1899 election

1899 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John O'Meara | 2,058 | 54.92 | +23.31 |
| | Conservative | Harold Smith | 1,689 | 45.08 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 369 | 9.85 | +8.90 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,747 | 83.25 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,501 | | |

### 1896 election

1896 general election: Pahiatua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | John O'Meara | 1,004 | 31.61 |
| | Conservative | Robert Manisty | 974 | 30.67 |
| | Liberal | William Wilson McCardle | 848 | 26.70 |
| | Independent Liberal | James Taylor | 233 | 7.34 |
| | Conservative | George Whitcombe | 117 | 3.68 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 30 | 0.94 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,125 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |