# Miramar (New Zealand electorate)

Miramar was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate in the south-eastern suburbs of Wellington. It was created in 1946, replacing Wellington East, and was replaced by Rongotai for the first MMP election of 1996.

## Population centres

The 1941 New Zealand census had been postponed due to World War II, so the 1946 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth and movements into account. The North Island gained a further two electorates from the South Island due to faster population growth. The abolition of the country quota through the Electoral Amendment Act, 1945 reduced the number and increased the size of rural electorates. None of the existing electorates remained unchanged, 27 electorates were abolished, eight former electorates were re-established, and 19 electorates were created for the first time, including Miramar. The electorate's boundary was initially located on the Rongotai isthmus that is occupied by Wellington Airport. This boundary slowly shifted towards the city of Wellington in subsequent electoral redistributions. The electorate boundaries were unaffected by the electoral redistributions in 1972 and 1987. The electorate was abolished in 1996, when it was replaced by the Rongotai electorate.

## History

The electorate was marginal, and changed several times between the parties. The first representative in 1946 was Bob Semple of the Labour Party. Semple did not stand for re-election in 1954 and died at New Plymouth in January 1955.
Semple was succeeded by Labour's Bill Fox, who served from 1954 until his defeat in the 1966 election by National's Bill Young.

### Members of Parliament

Key
Labour  National
| Election | Winner |
| 1946 election | Bob Semple |
| 1949 election | Bob Semple |
| 1951 election | Bob Semple |
| 1954 election | Bill Fox |
| 1957 election | Bill Fox |
| 1960 election | Bill Fox |
| 1963 election | Bill Fox |
| 1966 election | Bill Young |
| 1969 election | Bill Young |
| 1972 election | Bill Young |
| 1975 election | Bill Young |
| 1978 election | Bill Young |
| 1981 election | Peter Neilsen |
| 1984 election | Peter Neilsen |
| 1987 election | Peter Neilsen |
| 1990 election | Graeme Reeves |
| 1993 election | Annette King |
| (Electorate abolished in 1996; see Rongotai) |||

## Election results
### 1993 election

1993 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Annette King | 10,352 | 46.42 | |
| | National | Graeme Reeves | 7,757 | 34.78 | −8.71 |
| | Alliance | Jody Hamilton | 2,590 | 11.61 | |
| | NZ First | Andrew Campbell | 960 | 4.30 | |
| | Christian Heritage | Robin Corner | 353 | 1.58 | |
| | McGillicuddy Serious | Hellen Sarah Thornton | 187 | 0.83 | |
| | Natural Law | Wayne Shepard | 65 | 0.29 | |
| | Private Enterprise | Frank Moncur | 35 | 0.15 | +0.07 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,595 | 11.63 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,299 | 85.85 | −0.65 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 25,972 | | |

### 1990 election

1990 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Graeme Reeves | 8,789 | 43.49 | |
| | Labour | Peter Neilson | 8,237 | 40.76 | −16.51 |
| | Green | Denis Foot | 1,914 | 9.47 | |
| | NewLabour | Josie Bullock | 965 | 4.77 | |
| | McGillicuddy Serious | John Morrison | 123 | 0.60 | |
| | Democrats | David Coad | 69 | 0.34 | −1.97 |
| | Social Credit | C J Whittaker | 64 | 0.31 | |
| | Independent | M Day | 29 | 0.14 | |
| | Private Enterprise | Frank Moncur | 17 | 0.08 | −0.07 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 552 | 2.73 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,207 | 86.50 | −1.29 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,359 | | |

### 1987 election

1987 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Neilson | 11,556 | 57.27 | +7.89 |
| | National | Ian Macfarlane | 7,495 | 37.14 | |
| | Democrats | David Coad | 468 | 2.31 | |
| | Independent | Viv Walker | 433 | 2.14 | |
| | McGillicuddy Serious | S M Smith | 143 | 0.70 | |
| | NZ Party | B H Purvis | 50 | 0.24 | |
| | Private Enterprise | Frank Moncur | 32 | 0.15 | +0.02 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,061 | 20.12 | +4.56 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,177 | 87.79 | −5.60 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 22,983 | | |

### 1984 election

1984 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Neilson | 11,102 | 49.38 | +3.53 |
| | National | Don Crosbie | 7,603 | 33.81 | |
| | NZ Party | Mike Bungay | 3,424 | 15.22 | |
| | Social Credit | P M Lines | 279 | 1.24 | |
| | Independent | John Kirk | 43 | 0.19 | |
| | Private Enterprise | Frank Moncur | 31 | 0.13 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,499 | 15.56 | +12.93 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,482 | 93.39 | +2.90 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,072 | | |

### 1981 election

1981 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Neilson | 9,821 | 45.85 | |
| | National | Bill Young | 9,172 | 42.82 | −1.51 |
| | Social Credit | Rod Carlisle | 2,303 | 10.75 | +0.84 |
| | Independent | G N McCardle | 121 | 0.56 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 649 | 3.03 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,417 | 90.49 | +22.42 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,667 | | |

### 1978 election

1978 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Bill Young | 9,236 | 44.33 | −5.60 |
| | Labour | Bill Jeffries | 8,921 | 42.82 | |
| | Social Credit | Rod Carlisle | 2,065 | 9.91 | |
| | Values | Denis Welch | 611 | 2.93 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 315 | 1.51 | −7.76 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,833 | 65.07 | −16.73 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,014 | | |

### 1975 election

1975 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Bill Young | 9,413 | 49.93 | +2.72 |
| | Labour | John Wybrow | 7,664 | 40.65 | |
| | Values | Cathy Wilson | 956 | 5.07 | |
| | Social Credit | Frederick Joseph Charles Morgan | 773 | 4.10 | +0.25 |
| | Independent | George Nieris | 45 | 0.23 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,749 | 9.27 | +6.80 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,851 | 81.80 | −9.21 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,044 | | |

### 1972 election

1972 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Bill Young | 8,294 | 47.21 | −5.35 |
| | Labour | Brian Edwards | 7,860 | 44.74 | |
| | Social Credit | Frederick Joseph Charles Morgan | 677 | 3.85 | −1.31 |
| | Values | D Tindill | 630 | 3.58 | |
| | New Democratic | K Boyd | 54 | 0.30 | |
| | Independent | J D Howard | 50 | 0.28 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 434 | 2.47 | −7.82 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,565 | 91.01 | +0.77 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,299 | | |

### 1969 election

1969 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Bill Young | 9,134 | 52.56 | +5.91 |
| | Labour | Charles Troughton | 7,345 | 42.26 | |
| | Social Credit | Frederick Joseph Charles Morgan | 898 | 5.16 | −2.40 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,789 | 10.29 | +9.42 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,377 | 90.24 | +3.79 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,255 | | |

### 1966 election

1966 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Bill Young | 7,767 | 46.65 | −0.21 |
| | Labour | Bill Fox | 7,621 | 45.78 | −3.50 |
| | Social Credit | Frederick Joseph Charles Morgan | 1,259 | 7.56 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 146 | 0.87 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,647 | 86.45 | −4.99 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,255 | | |

### 1963 election

1963 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bill Fox | 8,465 | 49.28 | +0.72 |
| | National | Bill Young | 8,049 | 46.86 | |
| | Social Credit | George Johnson | 662 | 3.85 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 416 | 2.42 | −0.73 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,176 | 91.44 | +2.06 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,782 | | |

### 1960 election

1960 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bill Fox | 7,186 | 48.56 | −5.76 |
| | National | Bernard Lewis Lyons | 6,719 | 45.40 | |
| | Social Credit | Robert William Johnson | 893 | 6.03 | +1.28 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 467 | 3.15 | −10.25 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,798 | 89.38 | −4.11 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,555 | | |

### 1957 election

1957 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bill Fox | 8,417 | 54.32 | +2.51 |
| | National | Clevedon Costello | 6,340 | 40.92 | |
| | Social Credit | Robert William Johnson | 736 | 4.75 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,077 | 13.40 | +2.96 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,493 | 93.49 | +5.32 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,571 | | |

### 1954 election

1954 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bill Fox | 7,576 | 51.81 | |
| | National | Robert John McConnell | 6,049 | 41.37 | |
| | Social Credit | Roy Matheson Gunn | 998 | 6.82 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,527 | 10.44 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,623 | 88.17 | −3.11 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,584 | | |

### 1951 election

1951 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Semple | 6,785 | 53.59 | −0.49 |
| | National | Cuthbert Taylor | 5,878 | 46.41 | +2.22 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 501 | 3.95 | −5.93 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,663 | 85.63 | −5.65 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,788 | | |

### 1949 election

1949 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Semple | 7,193 | 54.08 | −5.02 |
| | National | Cuthbert Taylor | 5,878 | 44.19 | |
| | Communist | Kenneth Stanton | 229 | 1.72 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,315 | 9.88 | −8.30 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,300 | 91.28 | +1.29 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,570 | | |

### 1946 election

1946 general election: Miramar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Bob Semple | 8,064 | 59.10 |
| | National | Len Jacobsen | 5,582 | 40.90 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,482 | 18.18 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,646 | 90.99 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,996 | |