Thames (NZ): Electorate History

As Aotearoa New Zealand awaits the results of the 2020 Election it is timely to revisit the names of our past parliamentary representatives and the electorate names. The majority of this post is from a blog dated 19 September 2014.

     Over the years the boundary lines have varied as population fluctuations cause changes to all New Zealand Electorates. The present Coromandel Electorate has had boundary changes for the 2020 election: "The electorate includes many townships encompassing Coromandel, Whitianga, Thames, Whangamatā and Waihī among others. Recent boundary changes saw the electorate grow east to take in Ōmokoroa, and lose Te Aroha, which is now in the Waikato electorate." (NZ Herald)  NB.The Maori electorates are not recorded.

EARLY HISTORY

     Once the goldfields were established, the first Thames eligible males, were on the 1869 Franklin Election Roll.

The Thames Electorate existed 1871 to 1946. The Members of Parliament were:

• 1871: Charles Gordon O'Neill (Independent) - Results
• 1876: William Rowe and George Grey
• 1879: John Sheehan and George Grey
• 1881: John Sheehan (Independent)
• 1884 & !887: William Fraser (Independent)
• 1890: Alfred Cadman (Liberal)
• 1893 (By-election), 1893, 1896, 1899, 1905, 1908: James McGowan (Liberal)
• 1909 (By-election): Edmund Taylor (Liberal)
• 1911, 1914, 1919, 1922, 1925: Thomas William Rhodes (Liberal then Reform)
• 1928, 1931: Albert Samuel (Reform)
• 1935, 1938, 1943: Jim Thorn (Labour)
• The Electorate was abolished in 1946

     

   Left to Right: Sir George Grey - Alfred Cadman - James McGowan

     Then the people of Thames were included in the Hauraki Electorate. This existed 1928 to 1987 and 1993 to 1996. The Members of Parliament were:

• 1946, 1949, 1951: Andrew Sutherland (National)
• 1954, 1957, 1960, 1963, 1966: Arthur Kinsella (National)
• 1969: Leo Schultz (National)
• Seat abolished 1972-1981
• 1981, 1984: Graeme Lee (National)
• Seat abolished 1987-1993
• 1993: Warren Kyd (National)
• Seat abolished 1996

     The Coromandel Electorate was in existence 1881 to 1890, 1972 - 1978, 1987-1993, 1996-present day. NB. Thames may not always have been included. The Members of Parliament were:

• 1881, 1884, 1887: Alfred Cadman (Independent)
• Seat abolished 1890-1972
• 1972, 1975, 1978: Leo Schultz (National)
• Seat abolished 1978-1987
• 1987, 1990: Graeme Lee (National)
• Seat abolished 1993-1996
• 1996: Murray McLean (National)
• 1999: Jeanette Fitzsimons (Green)
• 2002, 2055,2008: Sandra Goudie (National)
• 2011, 2014, 2017-: Scott Simpson (National) Incumbent.

    

  First Thames Election result of 1871  and the first MP Charles Gordon O'Neill