# 1905 New Zealand general election

The 1905 New Zealand general election was held on Wednesday, 6 December in the general electorates, and on Wednesday, 20 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 16th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of 412,702 voters turned out, with 396,657 (83.25% of the electoral roll) voting in the European electorates.

## Changes to the electoral law

The 1903 City Single Electorates Act declared that at the dissolution of the 15th Parliament, the four multi-member electorates would be abolished and replaced each with three single-member electorates. It was also the year absentee voting was introduced for all electors unable to be in their own electorate on election day. The first Chief Electoral Officer was appointed.
Accordingly, the multi-member urban electorates of City of Auckland, City of Christchurch, City of Dunedin and City of Wellington were abolished and replaced with the following single-member seats:
* Auckland Central
* Auckland East
* Auckland West
* Christchurch East
* Christchurch North
* Christchurch South
* Wellington Central
* Wellington East
* Wellington North
* Dunedin Central
* Dunedin North
* Dunedin South
Nine of these twelve electorates had existed before. Wellington Central, Wellington North, and Dunedin North were established for the first time.

## Historic context

In 1905 a progressive faction within the Liberal Party started to form in opposition to Liberal leader Richard Seddon's policies. They announced that they would stand in the election as the New Liberal Party, however an accusation against Seddon's son, when disproven saw most of the dissidents return to the Liberal Party, and of the four New Liberals (George Laurenson, Francis Fisher, Harry Bedford and Tommy Taylor) that stood in the election only Laurenson and Fisher were returned.
The freshly created Independent Political Labour League also contested the election as a breakaway faction from the Liberals. It was the first of many steps of a gradual move by urban labourers shifting allegiance to an independent working-class political party. Previously, most workers had supported the Liberal Party, which since the 1890s had attempted to gain Trade Union support by appointing union representatives to the party's governing body. The IPLL did not perform well, gaining only 3,478 votes nationwide with no candidates elected.
The Rev Frank Isitt was the Prohibition candidate for several South Island electorates, and came second in two.

## Results
### Party totals

The following table gives party strengths and vote distribution.
Election results :
| Party | Candidates | Total votes | Percentage | Seats won | Change |
| Liberal | 94 | 219,144 | 53.1 | 58 | +11 |
| Conservative | 63 | 122,572 | 29.7 | 16 | -3 |
| New Liberal | 7 | 15,721 | 3.8 | 2 | +2 |
| Ind. Labour League | 9 | 3,478 | 0.8 | 0 | ±0 |
| Independent | 63 | 51,785 | 12.5 | 4 | -10 |

### Votes summary

Popular Vote
Liberal
53.1%
Conservative
29.7%
New Liberal
3.8%
Ind. Labour League
0.8%
Independents
12.5% :
Parliament seats
Liberal
72.5%
Conservative
20.0%
New Liberal
2.5%
Independents
5.0% :

## Electorate results

The following are the results of the 1905 general election:
Key
Liberal  Conservative  New Liberal  Liberal–Labour  Independent Liberal  Independent
Electorate results for the 1905 New Zealand general election :
| Electorate | Incumbent | Incumbent | Winner | Winner | Majority | Runner up |
| General electorates ||||||||
| Ashburton | | John McLachlan | John McLachlan | John McLachlan | 244 | John Studholme |
| Auckland Central | New electorate | New electorate | | Alfred Kidd | 939 | Lemuel Bagnall |
| Auckland East | New electorate | New electorate | | Frederick Baume | 871 | Harry Bamford |
| Auckland West | New electorate | New electorate | | Charles Poole | 340 | James Parr |
| Avon | | William Tanner | William Tanner | William Tanner | 725 | John Russell Brunt |
| Awarua | | Joseph Ward | Joseph Ward | Joseph Ward | 2,848 | Henry Woodnorth |
| Bay of Islands | | Robert Houston | Robert Houston | Robert Houston | 470 | John Charles Johnson |
| Bay of Plenty | | William Herries | William Herries | William Herries | 211 | Joseph Foster |
| Bruce | | James Allen | James Allen | James Allen | 435 | William Darcy Mason |
| Buller | | James Colvin | James Colvin | James Colvin | 2,798 | Frank Isitt |
| Caversham | | Thomas Sidey | Thomas Sidey | Thomas Sidey | 1,760 | William Earnshaw |
| Chalmers | | Edmund Allen | Edmund Allen | Edmund Allen | 1,437 | William Pryor |
| Christchurch East | New electorate | New electorate | | Thomas Davey | 565 | Henry Featherston Toogood |
| Christchurch North | New electorate | New electorate | | Charles Gray | 1,084 | Tommy Taylor |
| Christchurch South | New electorate | New electorate | | Harry Ell | 2,511 | Charles Henry Winny |
| Clutha | | James Thomson | | Alexander Malcolm | 272 | Daniel Stewart |
| Courtenay | | Charles Lewis | Charles Lewis | Charles Lewis | 232 | Thomas Jones McBride |
| Dunedin Central | New electorate | New electorate | | John A. Millar | 1,919 | Alexander Samuel Adam |
| Dunedin North | New electorate | New electorate | | Alfred Richard Barclay | 514 | Harry Bedford |
| Dunedin South | New electorate | New electorate | | James Arnold | 780 | William Downie Stewart |
| Eden | | John Bollard | John Bollard | John Bollard | 2,760 | Robert French |
| Egmont | | William Thomas Jennings | William Thomas Jennings | William Thomas Jennings | 651 | Charles Leech |
| Ellesmere | | Heaton Rhodes | Heaton Rhodes | Heaton Rhodes | 283 | George Rennie |
| Franklin | | William Massey | William Massey | William Massey | 935 | William Wilson McCardle |
| Geraldine | | Frederick Flatman | Frederick Flatman | Frederick Flatman | 1,233 | William Jeffries |
| Grey | | Arthur Guinness | Arthur Guinness | Arthur Guinness | 377 | Joseph Petrie |
| Grey Lynn | | George Fowlds | George Fowlds | George Fowlds | 230 | John Farrell |
| Hawera | | Charles E. Major | Charles E. Major | Charles E. Major | 449 | Felix McGuire |
| Hawke's Bay | | William Russell | | Alfred Dillon | 1,043 | William Russell |
| Hurunui | | Andrew Rutherford | Andrew Rutherford | Andrew Rutherford | 1,186 | Obed Frederick Clothier |
| Hutt | | Thomas Wilford | Thomas Wilford | Thomas Wilford | 1,912 | George Yerex |
| Invercargill | | Josiah Hanan | Josiah Hanan | Josiah Hanan | 1,721 | Irvin Willis Raymond |
| Kaiapoi | | David Buddo | David Buddo | David Buddo | 45 | Richard Moore |
| Kaipara | | Alfred Harding | | John Stallworthy | 9 | Alfred Harding |
| Lyttelton | | George Laurenson | George Laurenson | George Laurenson | 1,108 | William Radcliffe |
| Manawatu | | Job Vile | | John Stevens | 359 | Job Vile |
| Manukau | | Matthew Kirkbride | Matthew Kirkbride | Matthew Kirkbride | 663 | Ralph Duncan Stewart |
| Marsden | | Francis Mander | Francis Mander | Francis Mander | 348 | Robert Thompson |
| Masterton | | Alexander Hogg | Alexander Hogg | Alexander Hogg | 859 | James Christopher Cooper |
| Mataura | | Robert McNab | Robert McNab | Robert McNab | 435 | Thomas MacGibbon |
| Motueka | | Roderick McKenzie | Roderick McKenzie | Roderick McKenzie | 2,733 | Frank Isitt |
| Mount Ida | | Alexander Herdman | | John MacPherson | 394 | Alexander Herdman |
| Napier | | Alfred Fraser | Alfred Fraser | Alfred Fraser | 1,469 | Montague W. P. Lascelles |
| Nelson | | John Graham | John Graham | John Graham | 29 | Harry Atmore |
| Newtown | | William Henry Peter Barber | William Henry Peter Barber | William Henry Peter Barber | 1,213 | Thomas William Hislop |
| Oamaru | | Thomas Young Duncan | Thomas Young Duncan | Thomas Young Duncan | 2,009 | James Mitchell |
| Ohinemuri | | Edward Moss | | Hugh Poland | 351 | Edward Moss |
| Oroua | | Frank Lethbridge | Frank Lethbridge | Frank Lethbridge | 986 | Owen Carlin Pleasants |
| Otaki | | William Hughes Field | William Hughes Field | William Hughes Field | 1,394 | Byron Paul Brown |
| Pahiatua | | Bill Hawkins | | Robert Beatson Ross | 206 | Bill Hawkins |
| Palmerston | | William Wood | William Wood | William Wood | 480 | Frederick Pirani |
| Parnell | | Frank Lawry | Frank Lawry | Frank Lawry | 122 | Murdoch McLean |
| Patea | | Walter Symes | Walter Symes | Walter Symes | 143 | John Hine |
| Rangitikei | | Arthur Remington | Arthur Remington | Arthur Remington | 1,710 | Joe Reginald Sommerville |
| Riccarton | | George Witty | George Witty | George Witty | 1,240 | Thomas Caverhill |
| Selwyn | | Charles Hardy | Charles Hardy | Charles Hardy | 322 | Joseph Ivess |
| Taieri | | Donald Reid | Donald Reid | Donald Reid | 535 | Alexander Marshall |
| Taranaki | | Edward Smith | Edward Smith | Edward Smith | 236 | Henry Okey |
| Thames | | James McGowan | James McGowan | James McGowan | 1,229 | Malcolm Fleming |
| Timaru | | William Hall-Jones | William Hall-Jones | William Hall-Jones | 1,063 | Frank Rolleston |
| Tuapeka | | James Bennet | James Bennet | James Bennet | 977 | Robert Gilkison |
| Waiapu | | James Carroll | James Carroll | James Carroll | 1,798 | Lissant Clayton |
| Waikato | | Frederic Lang | | Henry Greenslade | 78 | Frederic Lang |
| Waikouaiti | | Thomas Mackenzie | Thomas Mackenzie | Thomas Mackenzie | 702 | Edward Henry Clark |
| Waipawa | | Charles Hall | Charles Hall | Charles Hall | 1,254 | George Hunter |
| Wairarapa | | Walter Clarke Buchanan | | J. T. Marryat Hornsby | 531 | Walter Clarke Buchanan |
| Wairau | | Charles H. Mills | Charles H. Mills | Charles H. Mills | 977 | John Duncan |
| Waitaki | | William Steward | William Steward | William Steward | 1,643 | George Dash |
| Waitemata | | Ewen Alison | Ewen Alison | Ewen Alison | 971 | Cecil Clinkard |
| Wakatipu | | William Fraser | William Fraser | William Fraser | 423 | Michael Gilfedder |
| Wallace | | John Charles Thomson | John Charles Thomson | John Charles Thomson | 461 | Dugald Macpherson |
| Wanganui | | Archibald Willis | | James Thomas Hogan | 924 | Archibald Willis |
| Wellington Central | New electorate | New electorate | | Francis Fisher | 445 | Patrick O'Regan |
| Wellington East | New electorate | New electorate | | John Aitken | 19 | William McLean |
| Wellington North | New electorate | New electorate | | Charles Hayward Izard | 660 | John Duthie |
| Westland | | Richard Seddon | Richard Seddon | Richard Seddon | 3,180 | Harry Cowin |
| Māori electorates ||||||||
| Eastern Maori | | Wi Pere | | Āpirana Ngata | 757 | Wi Pere |
| Northern Maori | | Hone Heke | Hone Heke | Hone Heke | 627 | Ru Reweti |
| Southern Maori | | Tame Parata | Tame Parata | Tame Parata | 160 | Hopere Uru |
| Western Maori | | Henare Kaihau | Henare Kaihau | Henare Kaihau | 1,688 | Tureiti Te Heuheu Tukino V |