Auckland West - History

History

The City of Auckland West electorate was created for the election held on 11 January 1861 and it lasted to 1890. During this period, City of Auckland West was a two-member electorate.

At the first election in 1861, Josiah Firth and John Williamson were elected. Firth resigned on 30 April 1862, and was succeeded by James Williamson (no relation to John Williamson) in the 1862 by-election.

In the December 1875 election, Sir George Grey and Patrick Dignan were the only candidates in the two-member electorate and were thus declared elected. In January 1876, Grey also contested and won a seat in the Thames electorate. A protest against Grey's election was lodged with the returning officer the following day, stating that Grey had not been eligible to stand for election in Thames, as he had already been elected in Auckland West. This petition was filed to the House of Representatives at the end of January. On 8 July, the report of the committee inquiring into Sir George Grey's election for the Thames was read to the House. It was found that his election to the Thames electorate was in accordance with the law, but that he had to make a decision for which electorate he would sit. On 15 July 1876, Grey announced that he would represent Thames, and he moved that a by-election be held in Auckland West for the seat that he would vacate there.

The 25 July 1876 by-election caused by Grey's retirement was won by Benjamin Tonks, who resigned in 1877.

The electorate was then represented by James Wallis 1877-81, William John Hurst 1879-81 and David Goldie 1887-90.

The "Auckland West" electorate was created in 1905, and lasted to 1946. It was held for 1905-11 & 1914-19 by Charles Poole, 1911-14 by James Henry Bradney, and from 1919 until he died in 1940 by revered Labour prime minister Michael Joseph Savage. The next holder Peter Carr 1940-46 also died while holding the seat.