# Hokitika (New Zealand electorate)

Hokitika is a former parliamentary electorate in the West Coast region of New Zealand, based on the town of Hokitika. It existed from 1871 to 1890 and was represented by nine members of parliament. For a time, it was one of the two-member electorates in New Zealand.

## History

The Hokitika electorate existed from the 1871 general election to 1890. John White was its first representative until the end of the parliamentary term in 1875, when he retired.
Beginning with the 1875–1876 general election, which was held in Hokitika on 14 January 1876, the electorate was represented by two members. Edmund Barff and Charles Button were elected, Robert Reid and Richard Seddon (the later Premier) were defeated, and Conrad Hoos withdrew just before the election. Barff served the whole term until 1879, while Button resigned in May 1878 and was succeeded by Seymour Thorne George in an 1878 by-election, and who a year later successfully stood in the Rodney electorate.
Robert Reid and Richard Seddon were elected in the 1879 general election. Seddon, who was later Premier ("King Dick"), was in 1881 elected for Kumara. Reid contested the 1881 general election against Gerard George Fitzgerald, with the latter being successful.
John Bevan won the 1884 general election, and he was succeeded in the 1887 election by Joseph Grimmond. In 1890, the Hokitika electorate was abolished. Grimmond stood in the Westland electorate instead, but was defeated by Richard Seddon.

## Members of parliament

Hokitika was represented by nine members of parliament.

### 1871 to 1875

From 1871 to 1875, Hokitika was a single-member electorate. It was represented by one Member of Parliament.
| Election | Winner | Winner |
| 1871 election | | John White |

### 1876 to 1881

From 1876 to 1881, Hokitika was a two-member electorate. It was represented by five Members of Parliament.
| Election | Winners | Winners |
| 1876 election | Edmund Barff | Charles Button |
| 1878 by-election | Edmund Barff | Seymour Thorne George |
| 1879 election | Robert Reid | Richard Seddon |

### 1881 to 1890

From 1881 to 1890, Hokitika was again a single-member electorate, represented by three Members of Parliament.
| Election | Winner |
| 1881 election | Gerard George Fitzgerald |
| 1884 election | John Bevan |
| 1887 election | Joseph Grimmond |

## Election results
### 1887 election

1887 general election: Hokitika :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Joseph Grimmond | 830 | 57.64 | |
| | Independent | John Bevan | 610 | 42.36 | −6.60 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 220 | 15.28 | +11.13 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,440 | 70.38 | +1.12 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,046 | | |

### 1884 election

1884 general election: Hokitika :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | John Bevan | 684 | 48.96 | |
| | Independent | Gerard George Fitzgerald | 626 | 44.81 | −11.63 |
| | Independent | James Clarke | 87 | 6.23 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 58 | 4.15 | −8.73 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,397 | 69.26 | −2.38 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,017 | | |

### 1881 election

1881 general election: Hokitika :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Gerard George Fitzgerald | 653 | 56.44 | |
| | Independent | Robert Reid | 504 | 43.56 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 149 | 12.88 | +4.25 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,157 | 71.64 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,615 | | |

### 1879 election

1879 general election: Hokitika :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Robert Reid | 917 | 33.09 |
| | Independent | Richard Seddon | 800 | 28.87 |
| | Independent | Peter Dungan | 561 | 20.25 |
| | Independent | Edmund Barff | 403 | 14.54 |
| | Independent | Hamilton Cuming | 90 | 3.25 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 239 | 8.63 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,771 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,823 | |

### 1878 by-election

1878 Hokitika by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Seymour Thorne George | 884 | 52.84 |
| | Independent | Gerard George Fitzgerald | 789 | 47.16 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 95 | 5.68 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,673 | 91.77 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,823 | |

### 1876 election

1876 general election: Hokitika :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Edmund Barff | 648 | 30.71 |
| | Independent | Charles Button | 586 | 27.77 |
| | Independent | Robert Reid | 527 | 24.98 |
| | Independent | Richard Seddon | 343 | 16.26 |
| | Independent | Conrad Hoos | 6 | 0.28 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 59 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,547 | |

### Table footnotes

* ↑ As two members were elected, majority is the difference between the second and third candidate
* ↑ Electors had two votes each
* ↑ As two members were elected, majority is the difference between the second and third candidate
* ↑ Electors had two votes each