# Lyttelton (New Zealand electorate)

Lyttelton is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It existed from 1853 to 1890, and again from 1893 to 1996, when it was replaced by the Banks Peninsula electorate.

## Population centres

The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, passed by the British government, allowed New Zealand to establish a representative government. The initial 24 New Zealand electorates were defined by Governor George Grey in March 1853. Lyttelton was one of the initial single-member electorates.
The electorate was in the eastern suburbs of Christchurch, New Zealand, and included the port of Lyttelton.

## History

The electorate was created in 1853 and existed until 1890. In the 1890 election, the Akaroa electorate covered the town of Lyttelton. The Lyttelton electorate was re-established for the 1893 election and existed until 1996, the first mixed-member proportional (MMP) election, when it was included in the Banks Peninsula electorate.
The nomination meeting for the first election was held on 15 August 1853 at the Reading Room in Lyttelton. The first election was held two days later on a Wednesday at the Resident Magistrate's Office in Lyttelton, with Charles Simeon as Resident Magistrate acting as the returning officer. The election was contested by Christopher Edward Dampier, the solicitor of the Canterbury Association, and James FitzGerald, who in the previous month had been elected Canterbury's first Superintendent. FitzGerald won the election by 55 votes to 45. In the 1855 election, FitzGerald was returned unopposed. FitzGerald represented the electorate until 1857, when he resigned due to ill health.
Crosbie Ward won the resulting by-election in May 1858. Ward was re-elected unopposed on 25 January 1861.
Edward Allen Hargreaves won the 1866 election. He resigned in April 1867. Hargreaves was succeeded by George Macfarlan, who was elected unopposed in a 1 July 1867 by-election. Macfarlan died in office on 9 October 1868.
John Thomas Peacock won the 2 November 1868 by-election. At the 1871 election, Peacock was re-elected unopposed. He held the seat until April 1873, when was promoted to the New Zealand Legislative Council (the upper house). He resigned from Parliament on 5 April 1873. The resulting by-election on 19 May 1873 was won by his brother in law, Henry Richard Webb, who beat Hugh Murray-Aynsley.
At the 28 December 1875 general election, the Lyttelton electorate was contested by the same two candidates as the 1873 by-election, but this time, Murray-Aynsley was successful. Murray-Aynsley was defeated by Harry Allwright in the 1879 general election held on 4 September.
John Joyce represented Lyttelton from 1887 to 1890 and from 1893 to 1899. The electorate was held from 1913 by James McCombs for the Social Democrats and then for Labour; he was succeeded by his wife when he died, and then his son when she also died.
The 1925 general election was contested by Melville Lyons and the incumbent, James McCombs. The original count resulted in a tie of 4,900 votes each. The returning officer gave his casting vote to Lyons and declared him elected. A recount was demanded, and on 3 December 1925, an amended result of 4890 votes for Lyons and 4884 votes for McCombs was determined, with the differences in the counts explained by counting informal votes in a different way. Lyons' election was declared void on 13 March 1926, and the previous holder, McCombs, was restored as the holder of the electorate. The 22nd Parliament had its first sitting on 16 June 1926, hence Lyons had not been sworn in before his election was declared void.
The 1931 election had a close result, with McCombs just 32 votes ahead of the United–Reform Coalition candidate, Christchurch civil engineer Frederick Willie Freeman.
The seat has been held by National and Norman Kirk transferred to the safer (for Labour) Sydenham seat in 1969, just as his predecessor Harry Lake transferred to the safer (for National) Fendalton seat in 1960.

### Election results

Key
Independent  Liberal  Social Democrat  Labour  Reform  National
| Election | Winner |
| 1853 election | James FitzGerald |
| 1855 election | James FitzGerald |
| 1858 by-election | Crosbie Ward |
| 1861 election | Crosbie Ward |
| 1866 election | Edward Hargreaves |
| 1867 by-election | George Macfarlan |
| 1868 by-election | John Thomas Peacock |
| 1871 election | John Thomas Peacock |
| 1873 by-election | Henry Richard Webb |
| 1875 election | Hugh Murray-Aynsley |
| 1879 election | Harry Allwright |
| 1881 election | Harry Allwright |
| 1884 election | Harry Allwright |
| 1887 election | John Joyce |
| (Electorate abolished 1890–1893; see Akaroa) |||
| 1893 election | John Joyce |
| 1896 election | John Joyce |
| 1899 election | George Laurenson |
| 1902 election | George Laurenson |
| 1905 election | George Laurenson |
| 1908 election | George Laurenson |
| 1911 election | George Laurenson |
| 1913 by-election | James McCombs |
| 1914 election | James McCombs |
| 1919 election | James McCombs |
| 1922 election | James McCombs |
| 1925 election | Melville Lyons |
| 13 March 1926 | James McCombs |
| 1928 election | James McCombs |
| 1931 election | James McCombs |
| 1933 by-election | Elizabeth McCombs |
| 1935 by-election | Terry McCombs |
| 1935 election | Terry McCombs |
| 1938 election | Terry McCombs |
| 1943 election | Terry McCombs |
| 1946 election | Terry McCombs |
| 1949 election | Terry McCombs |
| 1951 election | Harry Lake |
| 1954 election | Harry Lake |
| 1957 election | Norman Kirk |
| 1960 election | Norman Kirk |
| 1963 election | Norman Kirk |
| 1966 election | Norman Kirk |
| 1969 election | Tom McGuigan |
| 1972 election | Tom McGuigan |
| 1975 election | Colleen Dewe |
| 1978 election | Ann Hercus |
| 1981 election | Ann Hercus |
| 1984 election | Ann Hercus |
| 1987 election | Peter Simpson |
| 1990 election | Gail McIntosh |
| 1993 election | Ruth Dyson |
| (Electorate abolished 1996; see Banks Peninsula) |||
Table footnotes:
* ↑ 1925 election result declared invalid in 1926 and McCombs reinstated.

## Election results
### 1993 election

1993 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ruth Dyson | 9,616 | 40.60 | |
| | National | David Carter | 8,939 | 37.74 | |
| | Alliance | Ann Lewis | 3,729 | 15.74 | +6.98 |
| | NZ First | Ross Gluer | 829 | 3.50 | |
| | Christian Heritage | Bruce Burnett | 375 | 1.58 | |
| | Natural Law | David Lovell-Smith | 193 | 0.81 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 677 | 2.85 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,681 | 87.71 | +0.55 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 26,997 | | |

### 1990 election

1990 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Gail McIntosh | 9,368 | 41.13 | |
| | Labour | Peter Simpson | 9,300 | 40.83 | −15.13 |
| | NewLabour | Ann Lewis | 1,996 | 8.76 | |
| | Green | Cliff Mason | 1,760 | 7.72 | |
| | Democrats | Audrey Evans Scott | 141 | 0.61 | |
| | Social Credit | Louise Moore | 137 | 0.60 | |
| | McGillicuddy Serious | Tom Wells | 74 | 0.32 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 68 | 0.29 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,776 | 87.16 | −1.37 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 26,129 | | |

### 1987 election

1987 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Simpson | 12,362 | 55.96 | |
| | National | Philip Hall | 8,629 | 39.06 | |
| | Democrats | Michael Bruce | 813 | 3.68 | −0.45 |
| | NZ Party | Alan John Roberts | 187 | 0.84 | |
| | Imperial British Conservative | Paul Swafford | 96 | 0.43 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,733 | 16.90 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,087 | 88.53 | −4.11 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,948 | | |

### 1984 election

1984 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ann Hercus | 11,994 | 51.52 | −2.47 |
| | National | Doug Graham | 7,031 | 30.20 | |
| | NZ Party | Ross Burrows | 3,291 | 14.13 | |
| | Social Credit | Michael Bruce | 962 | 4.13 | −5.86 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,963 | 21.32 | +3.34 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,278 | 92.64 | +1.91 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 25,127 | | |

### 1981 election

1981 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ann Hercus | 11,685 | 53.99 | +5.43 |
| | National | Simon Stamers-Smith | 7,793 | 36.01 | |
| | Social Credit | Michael Bruce | 2,163 | 9.99 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,892 | 17.98 | +11.40 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,641 | 90.73 | +19.93 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,852 | | |

### 1978 election

1978 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ann Hercus | 10,493 | 48.56 | |
| | National | Colleen Dewe | 9,070 | 41.98 | −5.90 |
| | Social Credit | Louise Moore | 1,294 | 5.98 | |
| | Values | Helen Chambers | 577 | 2.67 | |
| | Independent | John Victor Pierson | 153 | 0.70 | |
| | Tory | Suzanne Sadler | 17 | 0.07 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,423 | 6.58 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,604 | 70.80 | −15.09 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 30,510 | | |

### 1975 election

1975 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Colleen Dewe | 10,107 | 47.88 | |
| | Labour | Tom McGuigan | 9,108 | 43.15 | −13.73 |
| | Values | Peter Heal | 1,300 | 6.15 | |
| | Social Credit | Errol Crockett | 592 | 2.80 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 999 | 4.73 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,107 | 85.89 | −5.69 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,574 | | |

### 1972 election

1972 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom McGuigan | 11,078 | 56.88 | +9.68 |
| | National | John Blumsky | 7,843 | 40.27 | |
| | Social Credit | Joe Pounsford | 472 | 2.42 | |
| | Liberal Reform | W J Jamieson | 52 | 0.26 | |
| | New Democratic | Robert Ramsay Scarth | 31 | 0.15 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,235 | 16.61 | +15.05 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,476 | 91.58 | −0.18 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,266 | | |

### 1969 election

1969 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom McGuigan | 8,800 | 47.20 | |
| | National | Peter de Latour | 8,508 | 45.63 | +5.83 |
| | Social Credit | Terry Huggins | 1,042 | 5.58 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 292 | 1.56 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,642 | 91.76 | +4.12 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 20,315 | | |

### 1966 election

1966 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Norman Kirk | 9,045 | 52.00 | −2.04 |
| | National | Peter de Latour | 6,924 | 39.80 | |
| | Social Credit | Cliff Munnings | 1,424 | 8.18 | +1.11 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,121 | 12.19 | −2.97 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,393 | 87.64 | −4.51 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,844 | | |

### 1963 election

1963 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Norman Kirk | 9,539 | 54.04 | +6.35 |
| | National | Tom Flint | 6,862 | 38.87 | |
| | Social Credit | Cliff Munnings | 1,249 | 7.07 | +0.81 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,677 | 15.16 | +13.60 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,650 | 92.15 | −0.53 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,153 | | |

### 1960 election

1960 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Norman Kirk | 7,910 | 47.65 | −1.00 |
| | National | Jim Hay | 7,650 | 46.08 | |
| | Social Credit | Cliff Munnings | 1,040 | 6.26 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 260 | 1.56 | −1.86 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,600 | 92.68 | −1.93 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,911 | | |

### 1957 election

1957 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Norman Kirk | 8,064 | 48.65 | |
| | National | Harry Lake | 7,497 | 45.23 | +2.94 |
| | Social Credit | Wilfrid Owen | 1,014 | 6.11 | −12.21 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 567 | 3.42 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,575 | 94.61 | −3.01 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,519 | | |

### 1954 election

1954 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Harry Lake | 6,175 | 42.29 | −8.15 |
| | Labour | Tom McGuigan | 6,151 | 42.12 | |
| | Social Credit | Wilfrid Owen | 2,675 | 18.32 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24 | 0.16 | −0.73 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,601 | 91.90 | +2.24 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,887 | | |

### 1951 election

1951 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Harry Lake | 7,480 | 50.44 | |
| | Labour | Terry McCombs | 7,347 | 49.55 | −3.81 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 133 | 0.89 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,827 | 89.36 | −2.51 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,591 | | |

### 1949 election

1949 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Terry McCombs | 7,758 | 53.36 | −1.50 |
| | National | Richard Ralph Beauchamp | 6,780 | 46.63 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 978 | 6.72 | −4.30 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,538 | 91.87 | +1.55 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,824 | | |

### 1946 election

1946 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Terry McCombs | 7,682 | 54.86 | +3.05 |
| | National | Ted Taylor | 6,319 | 45.13 | +3.77 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,543 | 11.02 | +0.57 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,001 | 90.32 | +0.82 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,500 | | |

### 1943 election

1943 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Terry McCombs | 6,817 | 51.81 | −9.58 |
| | National | Ted Taylor | 5,443 | 41.37 | |
| | Democratic Labour | Malcolm Frederick Nottage | 781 | 5.94 | |
| | Real Democracy | Leonard Alexander Jarden | 117 | 0.89 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 124 | 0.93 | 0.53 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,374 | 10.44 | −12.34 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,282 | 84.04 | −9.10 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,805 | | |

### 1938 election

1938 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Terry McCombs | 8,041 | 61.39 | 2.68 |
| | National | Isaac Wilson | 5,057 | 38.61 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,984 | 22.78 | −0.61 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 53 | 0.40 | −0.19 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,151 | 93.14 | 7.87 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,120 | | |

### 1935 election

1935 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Terry McCombs | 6,965 | 58.71 | 0.06 |
| | United/Reform | Seton Fulton Marshall | 4,190 | 35.32 | |
| | Democrat | Benjamin Henry Riseley | 709 | 5.98 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,775 | 23.39 | 4.49 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 71 | 0.59 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,935 | 85.27 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,997 | | |

### 1935 by-election

1935 Lyttelton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Terry McCombs | 5,437 | 58.65 | |
| | United/Reform | Melville Lyons | 3,685 | 39.75 | |
| | Independent Labour | Edward Hills | 103 | 1.11 | |
| | Independent | G.S. Hamilton | 46 | 0.50 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1752 | 18.9 | −6.75 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,271 | 67.43 | |

### 1933 by-election

1933 Lyttelton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elizabeth McCombs | 6,344 | 61.66 | 11.89 |
| | United/Reform | Frederick Freeman | 3,675 | 35.72 | −13.76 |
| | Independent Labour | Edward Hills | 269 | 2.61 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,669 | 25.94 | +25.65 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,288 | 74.98 | |

### 1931 election

1931 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | James McCombs | 5,404 | 49.77 |
| | Reform | Frederick Willie Freeman | 5,372 | 49.47 |
| | Independent | William Ling Page | 83 | 0.76 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 32 | 0.29 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 71 | 0.65 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,930 | 86.57 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,625 | |

### 1928 election

1928 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James McCombs | 5,022 | 46.53 | −3.52 |
| | Reform | John Beanland | 3,036 | 28.13 | |
| | United | William Thomas Lester | 2,734 | 25.33 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,986 | 18.40 | 18.29 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 88 | 0.81 | −0.26 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,880 | 90.27 | −0.85 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,053 | | |

### 1925 election

1925 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James McCombs | 4,900 | 50.06 | −3.39 |
| | Reform | Melville Lyons | 4,889 | 49.94 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11 | 0.11 | −6.78 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 106 | 1.07 | −0.19 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,895 | 91.12 | 0.73 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,859 | | |

### 1922 election

1922 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James McCombs | 4,758 | 53.45 | 12.27 |
| | Reform | Robert Macartney | 4,144 | 46.55 | 13.30 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 614 | 6.90 | −1.03 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 114 | 1.26 | −0.71 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,016 | 90.40 | 6.99 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,974 | | |

### 1919 election

1919 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James McCombs | 2,999 | 41.18 | −20.31 |
| | Reform | Robert Macartney | 2,422 | 33.26 | |
| | Liberal | William Thomas Lester | 1,277 | 17.53 | |
| | Liberal | Harry Ell | 585 | 8.03 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 577 | 7.92 | −15.06 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 147 | 1.98 | 0.49 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,430 | 83.41 | −0.44 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,908 | | |

### 1914 election

1914 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Social Democrat | James McCombs | 4,276 | 61.49 | 9.24 |
| | Reform | Malcolm Miller | 2,678 | 38.51 | −9.24 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,598 | 22.98 | 18.48 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 105 | 1.49 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,059 | 83.85 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,419 | | |

### 1913 by-election

1913 Lyttelton by-election: First ballot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Social Democrat | James McCombs | 2,075 | 42.20 |
| | Reform | Malcolm Miller | 1,560 | 31.73 |
| | Liberal | James Laurenson | 922 | 18.75 |
| | Independent Liberal | Henry Thacker | 263 | 5.35 |
| | Independent | William Radcliffe | 97 | 1.97 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,917 | |
1913 Lyttelton by-election: Second ballot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Social Democrat | James McCombs | 2,628 | 52.25 |
| | Reform | Malcolm Miller | 2,402 | 47.75 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 226 | 4.50 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,030 | |
| | Social Democrat gain from Liberal | Social Democrat gain from Liberal | Swing | |

### 1911 election

1911 general election: Lyttelton, first ballot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Laurenson | 4,160 | 66.66 | 9.76 |
| | Independent Liberal | Colin Cook | 2,081 | 33.34 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,079 | 33.31 | 19.51 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 79 | 1.25 | 0.47 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,320 | 83.85 | 0.27 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,537 | | |

### 1908 election

1908 general election: Lyttelton, first ballot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Laurenson | 3,682 | 56.90 | 9.21 |
| | Independent Liberal | Henry Thacker | 2,789 | 43.10 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 893 | 13.80 | −7.47 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 51 | 0.78 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,522 | 83.58 | −2.92 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,803 | | |

### 1905 election

1905 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Laurenson | 2,515 | 47.69 | −30.09 |
| | Liberal | William Radcliffe | 1,393 | 26.41 | |
| | Conservative | Charles Lord Russell | 967 | 18.34 | |
| | Conservative | Samuel R. Webb | 399 | 7.57 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,122 | 21.27 | −34.28 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 121 | 2.24 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,395 | 86.50 | 6.15 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,237 | | |

### 1902 election

1902 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Laurenson | 3,041 | 77.77 | 2.50 |
| | Liberal | William Rollitt | 869 | 22.23 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,172 | 55.55 | 5.01 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,910 | 80.35 | 6.26 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,866 | | |

### 1899 election

1899 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | George Laurenson | 2,700 | 75.27 |
| | Conservative | William Jacques | 887 | 24.73 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,813 | 50.54 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,841 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,587 | 74.10 |

### 1896 election

1896 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Joyce | 1,734 | 49.83 | −18.12 |
| | Conservative | William Jacques | 1,288 | 37.01 | |
| | Independent Liberal | Samuel R. Webb | 458 | 13.16 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 446 | 12.82 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,285 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | |

### 1893 election

1893 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | John Joyce | 1,895 | 67.95 |
| | Liberal | Edwin Blake | 854 | 30.62 |
| | Independent | John Moncrieff Douglass | 40 | 1.43 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,041 | 37.33 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,789 | 77.71 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,589 | |

### 1887 election

1887 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | John Joyce | 613 | 59.75 | |
| | Independent | Harry Allwright | 413 | 40.25 | −7.49 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 200 | 19.49 | 13.67 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,026 | 74.08 | −11.05 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,385 | | |

### 1884 election

1884 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Harry Allwright | 328 | 47.74 | 13.35 |
| | Independent | Samuel R. Webb | 288 | 41.92 | 9.25 |
| | Independent | E. M. Clissold | 71 | 10.33 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 40 | 5.82 | 4.36 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 687 | 85.13 | 5.87 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 807 | | |

### 1881 election

1881 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Harry Allwright | 259 | 34.40 | −17.78 |
| | Independent | Edward Richardson | 248 | 32.93 | |
| | Independent | Samuel R. Webb | 246 | 32.67 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11 | 1.46 | −2.89 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 753 | 79.26 | −1.47 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 950 | | |

### 1879 election

1879 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Harry Allwright | 192 | 52.17 | |
| | Independent | Hugh Murray-Aynsley | 176 | 47.83 | −8.68 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16 | 4.35 | −8.66 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 5 | 1.34 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 373 | 80.74 | 4.34 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 462 | | |

### 1875 election

1875 general election: Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Hugh Murray-Aynsley | 139 | 56.50 | 7.98 |
| | Independent | Henry Richard Webb | 107 | 43.50 | −7.98 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 32 | 13.01 | 10.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 246 | 76.40 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 322 | | |

### 1873 by-election

1873 Lyttelton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Henry Richard Webb | 122 | 51.48 |
| | Independent | Hugh Murray-Aynsley | 115 | 48.52 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 237 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7 | 2.95 |

### 1866 election

1866 general election: Town of Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Edward Hargreaves | 107 | 60.80 |
| | Independent | Henry Sewell | 69 | 39.20 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38 | 21.59 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 176 | 48.09 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 366 | |

### 1853 election

1853 general election: Town of Lyttelton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | James FitzGerald | 55 | 55.0% |
| | Independent | Christopher Edward Dampier | 45 | 45.0% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10 | 10.0% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 100 | 80.0% |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 125 | |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Melville Lyons was elected for the Reform Party, originally the votes were equal (4900), then a recount found for Lyons. But on appeal his election was declared void on 13 March 1926, and the previous holder, James McCombs, was restored as the electorate representative.