Otago Central

Otago Central or Central Otago was a parliamentary electorate in the Otago region of New Zealand, from 1911 to 1919 as Otago Central; from 1928 to 1957 as Central Otago; and from 1957 to 1978 as Otago Central. It was replaced by the Otago electorate. The electorate was represented by six Members of Parliament.

Population centres

In the 1911 electoral redistribution, the North Island gained a further seat from the South Island due to faster population growth. In addition, there were substantial population movements within each island, and significant changes resulted from this. Only four electorates were unaltered, five electorates were abolished, one former electorate was re-established, and four electorates, including Otago Central, were created for the first time.[1] The Otago Central electorate mostly covered areas that previously belonged to the Tuapeka and Taieri electorates, which were both abolished through the 1911 electoral redistribution.[2] Settlements that fell within the original Otago Central electorate included Roxburgh, Alexandra, and Ranfurly.[3]

In the 1918 electoral redistribution, the Otago Central electorate was abolished. Most of its area went to an enlarged Wakatipu electorate, but smaller areas went to the Clutha, Bruce, and Waitaki electorates.[4]

In the 1927 electoral redistribution, the North Island gained a further electorate from the South Island due to faster population growth. Five electorates were abolished, two former electorates, including Central Otago, were re-established, and three electorates were created for the first time.[5]

History

The first representative of the Otago Central electorate was Robert Scott, who was the incumbent from the Tuapeka electorate.[6]

Members of Parliament

The Otago Central electorate was represented by six Members of Parliament:[7]

Key

  Reform     United     National     Labour  

Election	Winner
1911 election		Robert Scott
1914 election
Abolished 1919, re-established as Central Otago 1928
1928 election		William Bodkin
1931 election
1935 election
1938 election
1943 election
1946 election
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election		John George
Renamed as Otago Central 1957
1957 election		John George
1960 election
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election		Murray Rose
1972 election		Ian Quigley
1975 election		Warren Cooper
(Electorate abolished in 1978; see Otago)

Election results

1975 election

1975 general election: Otago Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National	Warren Cooper	10,354	52.3	+10.1
	Labour	Ian Quigley	7,983	40.4	-10.7
	Social Credit	R S Moodie	910	4.6	+0.3
	Values	J R Perkins	542	2.7	+1.1
Majority			2,371	11.9
Turnout				87.9
Registered electors			22,572

1972 election

1972 general election: Otago Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ian Quigley	8,544	51.1	+15.6
	National	Murray Rose	7,061	42.2	-0.8
	Social Credit	J Woodhall	721	4.3	-11.2
	Values	A J Klap	258	1.6	+1.6
	New Democratic	P J J McMullan	140	0.8	+0.8
Majority			1,483	8.9
Turnout				92.7
Registered electors			18,099

1969 election

1969 general election: Otago Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National	Murray Rose	6,345	42.8	-6.3
	Labour	B O Griffiths	5,259	35.5	+2.5
	Social Credit	P J J McMullan	2,297	15.5	-2.4
	Country Party	J R Perkins	793	5.4	+5.4
	Democratic Labour	Jamie Wedderspoon	118	0.8	+0.8
Majority			1,086	8.9
Turnout				89.4
Registered electors			16,709

1966 election

1966 general election: Otago Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National	John George	7,060	49.1	-10.4
	Labour	B O Griffiths	4,755	33.0	-7.5
	Social Credit	G I Jones	2,571	17.9	+17.9
Majority			2,305	16.1
Turnout				88.0
Registered electors			16,460

1963 election

1963 general election: Otago Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National	John George	8,388	59.5	-3.2
	Labour	Stan Rodger	5,713	40.5	+15.0
Majority			2,675	19.0
Turnout				88.5
Registered electors			16,141

1960 election

1960 general election: Otago Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National	John George	7,320	62.7	+5.8
	Labour	Brian MacDonell	2,976	25.5	-9.6
	Social Credit	G I Jones	1,372	11.8	+3.6
Majority			4,344	37.2
Turnout				91.2
Registered electors			12,840

1957 election

1957 general election: Otago Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National	John George	7,196	56.9	+8.9
	Labour	J H Rapson	4,408	34.9	+1.3
	Social Credit	J D F Sloan	1,033	8.2	-10.2
Majority			2,788	22.0
Turnout				94.0
Registered electors			13,489

1954 election

1954 general election: Central Otago

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National	John George	6,895	48.0	-15.7
	Labour	P J Scott	4,821	33.6	-2.7
	Social Credit	A G Newland	2,638	18.4	+18.4
Majority			2,074	14.4
Turnout				90.2
Registered electors			16,064

1951 election

1951 general election: Central Otago

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National	William Bodkin	8,429	63.7	-1.3
	Labour	T A Rodgers	4,809	36.3	+1.3
Majority			3,620	27.4
Turnout				87.9
Registered electors			15,109

1949 election

1949 general election: Central Otago

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National	William Bodkin	8,457	65.0	+3.7
	Labour	T A Rodgers	4,551	35.0	-3.7
Majority			3,906	30.0
Turnout				91.6
Registered electors			14,297

1946 election

1949 general election: Central Otago

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National	William Bodkin	7,874	61.3
	Labour	Claude Charles Capell	4,965	38.7
Majority			2,909	22.6
Turnout				92.4
Registered electors			13,894

1943 election

There were three candidates in 1943, with the election won by William Bodkin over James McIndoe Mackay.[8]

1931 election

1931 general election: Central Otago[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	United	William Bodkin	5,156	66.14
	Independent	Charles Todd	2,640	33.86
Majority			2,516	32.27
Informal votes			147	1.85
Turnout			7,943	82.10
Registered electors			9,675

1928 election

1928 general election: Central Otago[10][11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	United	William Bodkin	4,684	53.75
	Reform	James Ritchie	4,031	46.25
Majority			653	7.49
Informal votes			58	0.66
Turnout			8,773	89.34
Registered electors			9,820

Notes

1. McRobie 1989, pp. 71–76.
2. McRobie 1989, pp. 73–77.
3. McRobie 1989, p. 77.
4. McRobie 1989, pp. 77–81.
5. McRobie 1989, pp. 83–88.
6. Wilson 1985, p. 233.
7. Wilson 1985, pp. 260, 269.
8. "Declaration of Result of Poll for the Electoral District of Central Otago". Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette. 13 October 1943. p. 4. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
9. The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 2. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
10. Skinner, W. A. G. (1929). The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. p. 2. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
11. "Notice of nominations received and polling places appointed". Dunstan Times (3395). 5 November 1928. p. 6. Retrieved 17 February 2020.

References

• McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.