# Riccarton (New Zealand electorate)

Riccarton is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It existed from 1893 to 1978, and was represented by eight Members of Parliament.

## Population centres

In the 1892 electoral redistribution, population shift to the North Island required the transfer of one seat from the South Island to the north. The resulting ripple effect saw every electorate established in 1890 have its boundaries altered, and eight electorates were established for the first time, including Riccarton.
The electorate was in the western suburbs of Christchurch, New Zealand, and was based on the suburb of Riccarton.

## History

The electorate was created in 1893, and existed to 1978 when it was abolished.
The first representative of the electorate was George Warren Russell, who started his parliamentary career with his 1893 election. Russell was beaten in the 1896 election by William Rolleston, who had distinguished himself through his contribution to education and his support for Canterbury Museum. Rolleston was the last Superintendent of Canterbury Province. Russell regained the electorate in the 1899 election with a majority of one vote over Rolleston, which brought an end to that political career. Russell lost the Riccarton electorate again in the 1902 election, this time to George Witty, who held the electorate for 23 years until 1925.
The electorate was contested by three candidates in the 1922 election. George Witty was successful, with Bert Kyle coming second and Jack McCullough coming third.
In the 1938 election, Labour's Thomas Herbert Langford came very close to defeating the National incumbent, Bert Kyle. Before the counting of the absentee and postal votes, Langford was leading by 38 votes. The final count saw Kyle with a majority of 87 votes.

### Members of Parliament

The Riccarton electorate was represented by eight Members of Parliament.
Key
Liberal Conservative Independent Liberal  Reform Independent National Labour
| Election | Winner |
| 1893 election | George Russell |
| 1896 election | William Rolleston |
| 1899 election | George Russell |
| 1902 election | George Witty |
| 1905 election | George Witty |
| 1908 election | George Witty |
| 1911 election | George Witty |
| 1914 election | George Witty |
| 1919 election | George Witty |
| 1922 election | George Witty |
| 1925 election | Bert Kyle |
| 1928 election | Bert Kyle |
| 1931 election | Bert Kyle |
| 1935 election | Bert Kyle |
| 1938 election | Bert Kyle |
| 1943 election | Jack Watts |
| 1946 election | Angus McLagan |
| 1949 election | Angus McLagan |
| 1951 election | Angus McLagan |
| 1954 election | Angus McLagan |
| 1956 by-election | Mick Connelly |
| 1957 election | Mick Connelly |
| 1960 election | Mick Connelly |
| 1963 election | Mick Connelly |
| 1966 election | Mick Connelly |
| 1969 election | Eric Holland |
| 1972 election | Eric Holland |
| 1975 election | Eric Holland |
| (Electorate abolished 1978) |||

## Election results
### 1975 election

1975 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Eric Holland | 10,937 | 57.24 | +3.87 |
| | Labour | Don Johnson | 6,171 | 32.29 | |
| | Values | Beverley Hughes | 1,440 | 7.53 | |
| | Social Credit | Jim Biggs | 503 | 2.63 | +0.32 |
| | Imperial British Conservative | Brian Downham | 55 | 0.28 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,766 | 24.94 | +12.72 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,106 | 83.49 | −8.17 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 22,882 | | |

### 1972 election

1972 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Eric Holland | 9,451 | 53.37 | −2.35 |
| | Labour | David Jackson | 7,287 | 41.15 | |
| | Values | Peter Lusk | 441 | 2.49 | |
| | Social Credit | Jim Biggs | 410 | 2.31 | |
| | New Democratic | Charles Cullen | 91 | 0.51 | −4.51 |
| | Independent | Earl Sydney William Constable | 26 | 0.14 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,164 | 12.22 | −4.25 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,706 | 91.66 | +0.41 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,317 | | |

### 1969 election

1969 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Eric Holland | 9,942 | 55.72 | |
| | Labour | Alan C. McEwen | 7,003 | 39.25 | |
| | Social Credit | Charles Cullen | 897 | 5.02 | −6.72 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,939 | 16.47 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,842 | 91.25 | +4.27 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,551 | | |

### 1966 election

1966 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mick Connelly | 8,834 | 52.17 | −2.38 |
| | National | Ian Wilson | 6,109 | 36.07 | −2.44 |
| | Social Credit | Charles Cullen | 1,989 | 11.74 | +4.82 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,725 | 16.09 | +0.05 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,932 | 86.98 | −2.82 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,466 | | |

### 1963 election

1963 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mick Connelly | 8,670 | 54.55 | −6.42 |
| | National | Ian Wilson | 6,120 | 38.51 | |
| | Social Credit | Charles Cullen | 1,101 | 6.92 | −0.52 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,550 | 16.04 | +1.27 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,891 | 89.80 | −11.04 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,695 | | |

### 1960 election

1960 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mick Connelly | 8,342 | 60.97 | +3.45 |
| | National | Deena V. Sergel | 4,320 | 31.57 | −5.66 |
| | Social Credit | Charles Cullen | 1,019 | 7.44 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,022 | 14.77 | −5.52 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,681 | 78.76 | −13.29 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,370 | | |

### 1957 election

1957 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mick Connelly | 8,128 | 57.52 | −3.93 |
| | National | Deena V. Sergel | 5,261 | 37.23 | |
| | Social Credit | Jesse Colechin | 740 | 5.23 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,867 | 20.29 | +15.51 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,129 | 92.05 | +25.77 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,348 | | |

### 1956 by-election

1956 Riccarton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mick Connelly | 6,549 | 61.45 | |
| | National | Balfour Dingwall | 2,691 | 25.25 | −0.96 |
| | Social Credit | Wilfrid Owen | 1,379 | 12.94 | |
| | Ind. Social Credit | Ernest Yealands | 28 | 0.26 | |
| | Independent | Richard Grenfell | 11 | 0.10 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 40 | 0.37 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,858 | 36.20 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,698 | 66.28 | −24.33 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,140 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### 1954 election

1954 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Angus McLagan | 8,195 | 56.03 | −1.64 |
| | National | Balfour Dingwall | 3,832 | 26.19 | |
| | Social Credit | Jesse Colechin | 2,599 | 17.76 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,343 | 29.69 | +14.34 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,626 | 90.61 | +3.30 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,140 | | |

### 1951 election

1951 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Angus McLagan | 8,506 | 57.67 | −0.83 |
| | National | Eric Philip Wills | 6,241 | 42.32 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,265 | 15.35 | −3.03 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,747 | 87.31 | −4.34 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,889 | | |

### 1949 election

1949 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Angus McLagan | 8,613 | 58.50 | −5.22 |
| | National | Harry Lake | 5,906 | 40.11 | |
| | Communist | Ronald Taylor | 204 | 1.38 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,707 | 18.38 | −9.13 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,723 | 91.65 | −0.24 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,063 | | |

### 1946 election

1946 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Angus McLagan | 8,974 | 63.72 |
| | National | Vic Wilson | 5,109 | 36.27 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,875 | 27.51 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,083 | 91.89 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,325 | |

### 1943 election

There were four candidates in 1943, with the election won by Jack Watts over Harold Ernest Denton.

### 1931 election

1931 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Reform | Bert Kyle | 4,355 | 40.09 | −2.28 |
| | Independent | Archibald Albany McLachlan | 3,766 | 34.67 | −7.28 |
| | Labour | G. T. Thurston | 2,741 | 25.23 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 589 | 5.42 | +5.00 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 67 | 0.61 | −0.21 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,929 | 87.24 | −2.84 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,528 | | |
Table footnotes:
* ↑ For some biographical details of McLachlan refer to his grandfather's article

### 1928 election

1928 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Reform | Bert Kyle | 4,515 | 42.37 |
| | United | Archibald Albany McLachlan | 4,470 | 41.95 |
| | Labour | George Hartley Thompson | 1,671 | 15.68 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 45 | 0.42 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 88 | 0.82 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,744 | 90.07 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,928 | |
Table footnotes:
* ↑ For some biographical details of McLachlan refer to his grandfather's article

### 1919 election

1919 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | George Witty | 2,948 | 40.74 |
| | Reform | William Russell Devereux | 2,322 | 32.09 |
| | Labour | John Robertson | 1,966 | 27.17 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 626 | 8.65 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 89 | 1.22 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,325 | 84.97 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,621 | |

### 1905 election

1905 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | George Witty | 2,294 | 55.54 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Caverhill | 1,054 | 25.52 |
| | Independent Liberal | George Warren Russell | 679 | 16.44 |
| | Liberal–Labour | John Ash Efford | 103 | 2.49 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,240 | 30.02 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 66 | 1.57 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,196 | 84.12 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,988 | |

### 1899 election

1899 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Warren Russell | 1,867 | 50.01 | +5.98 |
| | Conservative | William Rolleston | 1,866 | 49.99 | −5.98 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1 | 0.03 | −11.90 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,733 | 81.42 | +1.88 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,585 | | |

### 1896 election

1896 general election: Riccarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | William Rolleston | 1,834 | 55.97 |
| | Liberal | George Warren Russell | 1,443 | 44.03 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 391 | 11.93 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,277 | 79.54 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,120 | |