# Kaiapoi (New Zealand electorate)

Kaiapoi was a rural New Zealand electorate, north of Christchurch in the Canterbury region of New Zealand from 1861 to 1946. It was represented by twelve Members of Parliament.

## Population centres

The electorate was centred on the town of Kaiapoi to the north of Christchurch. In the 1887 election, polling booths were in Kaiapoi, Clarkville, Rangiora and Woodend.

## History

The electorate dates from 1861. Isaac Cookson was the first representative after winning the 1861. Cookson had previously represented the Christchurch Country electorate, which was abolished at the end of the term of the 2nd Parliament in 1960. Cookson resigned in 1863, and the resulting 1863 by-election was won by Robert Wilkin. Wilkin retired at the end of the parliamentary term and was succeeded by Joseph Beswick, who won the 1866 election, but resigned the following year.
The resulting 1867 by-election was won by John Studholme, who was confirmed at the 1871 election but resigned in 1874. He was succeeded by Charles Bowen in the 1875 by-election. Bowen was confirmed in the 1875 and 1879 elections. Bowen retired at the 1881 election.
Isaac Wilson was elected in 1881, but resigned before the end of the term due to failing health. Edward Richardson stood in the 16 May 1884 by-election. He was returned unopposed. Richardson won the 1884 and 1887 elections, and he retired at the end of the parliamentary term in 1890. In the 1887 election, his opponent was Richard Moore.
Moore was the successful candidate in the 1890 election. A conservative, he was defeated by David Buddo of the Liberal Party in the 1893 election. Moore in turn defeated Buddo in the 1896 election. In the 1899 election, Buddo defeated Moore again. This time, Buddo held the electorate until he was defeated in the 1919 election by David Jones. At the next election in 1922, Buddo defeated Jones. From 1925, his Liberal Party called itself 'National Party' for two years. Buddo retired in 1928.
Buddo was succeeded by Richard Hawke from the United Party in the 1928 election. He was re-elected in 1931, but lost the 1935 election against Labour's Morgan Williams. Williams held the electorate until it was abolished in 1946. Williams contested the St Albans in the 1946 election, but was defeated.

### Members of Parliament

Key
Independent Conservative Liberal Reform United Labour
| Election | Winner |
| 1861 election | Isaac Cookson |
| 1863 by-election | Robert Wilkin |
| 1866 election | Joseph Beswick |
| 1867 by-election | John Studholme |
| 1871 election | John Studholme |
| 1875 by-election | Charles Bowen |
| 1875 election | Charles Bowen |
| 1879 election | Charles Bowen |
| 1881 election | Isaac Wilson |
| 1884 by-election | Edward Richardson |
| 1884 election | Edward Richardson |
| 1887 election | Edward Richardson |
| 1890 election | Richard Moore |
| 1893 election | David Buddo |
| 1896 election | Richard Moore |
| 1899 election | David Buddo |
| 1902 election | David Buddo |
| 1905 election | David Buddo |
| 1908 election | David Buddo |
| 1911 election | David Buddo |
| 1914 election | David Buddo |
| 1919 election | David Jones |
| 1922 election | David Buddo |
| 1925 election | David Buddo |
| 1928 election | Richard Hawke |
| 1931 election | Richard Hawke |
| 1935 election | Morgan Williams |
| 1938 election | Morgan Williams |
| 1943 election | Morgan Williams |
| (Electorate abolished 1946) |||

## Election results
### 1943 election

1943 general election: Kaiapoi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Morgan Williams | 5,767 | 50.08 | −5.68 |
| | National | William Harold Overton | 5,006 | 43.47 | |
| | Real Democracy | Oscar Alfred Thelning | 432 | 3.75 | |
| | People's Movement | Harry Bliss | 143 | 1.24 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 166 | 1.44 | −0.04 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 761 | 6.60 | −6.94 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,514 | 89.34 | −2.07 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,887 | | |

### 1938 election

1938 general election: Kaiapoi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Morgan Williams | 6,318 | 55.76 | +8.71 |
| | National | George Warren | 4,813 | 42.48 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 168 | 1.48 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,535 | 13.54 | −0.53 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,329 | 91.41 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,393 | | |

### 1935 election

1935 general election: Kaiapoi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Morgan Williams | 4,763 | 47.05 | |
| | United | Richard Hawke | 3,339 | 32.98 | −24.69 |
| | Independent | Archibald Albany McLachlan | 2,021 | 19.96 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,424 | 14.07 | −1.29 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,123 | 88.17 | +2.30 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,481 | | |
Table footnotes:
* ↑ For some biographical details of McLachlan refer to his grandfather's article

### 1931 election

1931 general election: Kaiapoi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | United | Richard Hawke | 5,312 | 57.68 | +23.16 |
| | Labour | John Archer | 3,898 | 42.32 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,414 | 15.35 | +14.32 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 26 | 0.28 | −1.47 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,236 | 85.87 | −3.80 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,756 | | |

### 1928 election

1928 general election: Kaiapoi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | United | Richard Hawke | 3,216 | 34.52 | |
| | Reform | James Arthur Flesher | 3,120 | 33.49 | |
| | Labour | Elizabeth McCombs | 2,980 | 31.99 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 96 | 1.03 | −6.08 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 166 | 1.75 | +0.94 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,482 | 89.67 | −1.98 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,574 | | |

### 1925 election

1925 general election: Kaiapoi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | David Buddo | 3,594 | 45.98 | +0.56 |
| | Reform | William Brock | 3,038 | 38.86 | |
| | Labour | Morgan Williams | 1,185 | 15.16 | +5.11 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 556 | 7.11 | +6.23 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 64 | 0.81 | 0.19 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,881 | 91.65 | +2.40 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,599 | | |

### 1922 election

1922 general election: Kaiapoi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | David Buddo | 3,328 | 45.42 | +7.27 |
| | Reform | David Jones | 3,263 | 44.53 | +5.63 |
| | Labour | Morgan Williams | 736 | 10.05 | −12.89 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 65 | 0.89 | +0.13 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 46 | 0.62 | −0.44 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,373 | 89.25 | +5.45 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,261 | | |

### 1919 election

1919 general election: Kaiapoi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Reform | David Jones | 2,580 | 38.91 | −1.30 |
| | Liberal | David Buddo | 2,530 | 38.15 | −21.64 |
| | Labour | Morgan Williams | 1,521 | 22.94 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 50 | 0.75 | −18.83 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 71 | 1.06 | +0.53 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,702 | 83.80 | −4.24 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,998 | | |

### 1914 election

1914 general election: Kaiapoi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | David Buddo | 3,606 | 59.79 |
| | Reform | David Jones | 2,425 | 40.21 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,181 | 19.58 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 32 | 0.53 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,063 | 88.04 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,887 | |

### 1899 election

1899 general election: Kaiapoi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | David Buddo | 2,186 | 54.45 |
| | Conservative | Richard Moore | 1,705 | 42.47 |
| | Independent | John Verrall | 124 | 3.09 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 481 | 11.98 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,015 | 83.72 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,796 | |

### 1893 election

1893 general election: Kaiapoi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | David Buddo | 1,587 | 51.41 | |
| | Conservative | Richard Moore | 1,500 | 48.59 | −14.42 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 87 | 2.82 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,087 | 82.96 | +14.19 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,721 | | |

### 1890 election

1890 general election: Kaiapoi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Richard Moore | 937 | 63.01 |
| | Liberal–Labour | William Hoban | 550 | 36.99 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 387 | 26.02 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,487 | 68.77 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,162 | |

### 1875 by-election

1875 Kaiapoi by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Charles Bowen | 294 | 60.49 |
| | Independent | Joseph Beswick | 192 | 39.51 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 486 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 102 | 20.99 |

### 1866 election

1866 general election: Kaiapoi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Joseph Beswick | 101 | 52.06 |
| | Independent | William Travers | 93 | 47.94 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8 | 4.12 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 194 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | |