Clutha (New Zealand electorate)

Clutha was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate from 1866 to 1996.

Population centres

In the 1865 electoral redistribution, the House of Representatives focussed its review of electorates to South Island electorates only, as the Central Otago Gold Rush had caused significant population growth, and a redistribution of the existing population. Fifteen additional South Island electorates were created, including Clutha, and the number of Members of Parliament was increased by 13 to 70.

This electorate covered South Otago and contained the settlements of Balclutha, Kaitangata, and Owaka.

History

The electorate was established in 1865 for the 1866 election. The first representative was James Macandrew, who had served on all previous parliaments. At the 1871 election, Macandrew successfully stood in the Port Chalmers, and Clutha was won by James Thomson. In the 1887 election, Thomson was defeated by Thomas Mackenzie. Mackenzie retired from Parliament at the end of the third term for Clutha in 1996.

The 1896 election was won by James Thomson, who thus started his second period of service. Thomson retired after three terms in 1905, and this was also the end of his political career.

• Alexander Malcolm 1905–22
• John Edie 1922–25
• Fred Waite 1925–31
• Peter McSkimming 1931–35

In the 1996 election, the first MMP election, the electorate was combined with the adjacent Wallace electorate into the Clutha-Southland electorate.

Members of Parliament

The electorate was represented by ten Members of Parliament:

Key

  Independent     Liberal     Reform     National  

Election	Winner
1866 election		James Macandrew
1871 election		James Thomson
1876 election
1879 election
1881 election
1884 election
1887 election		Thomas Mackenzie
1890 election
1893 election
1896 election		James Thomson
1899 election
1902 election
1905 election		Alexander Malcolm
1908 election
1911 election
1914 election
1919 election
1922 election		John Edie
1925 election		Fred Waite
1928 election
1931 election		Peter McSkimming
1935 election		James Roy
1938 election
1943 election
1946 election
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1958 election
1960 election		Peter Gordon
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election
1972 election
1975 election
1978 election		Robin Gray
1981 election
1984 election
1987 election
1990 election
1993 election
(Electorate abolished 1996)

Election results

1931 election

General election, 1931: Clutha

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Peter McSkimming (Ind. United)	4,751	59.60
	Reform	Fred Waite	3,221	40.40	-12.82
Majority			1,530	19.19	+12.75
Informal votes			145	1.79
Turnout			8,117	86.68	-2.82
Registered electors			9,364

1928 election

General election, 1928: Clutha

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Fred Waite	4,318	53.22	+1.84
	Independent	Joseph Stephens (Liberal-Labour)	3,795	46.78
Majority			523	6.45	-15.04
Turnout			8,175	89.50	+6.92
Registered electors			9,134

1925 election

General election, 1925: Clutha

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Fred Waite	3,604	51.38
	Liberal	John Edie	2,097	29.90
	Labour	John W Fenton	1,313	18.72
Majority			1,507	21.49

1899 election

General election, 1899: Clutha

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Opposition	James William Thomson	1,809	48.55
	Liberal	Finlay McLeod	1,312	35.21
	Independent	Alexander Malcolm	605	16.24
Majority			497	13.34
Turnout			3,726	75.65
Registered electors			4,925