Elections on 6 December 1905
1905 general election Turnout 83.3%
Results of the election.
The 1905 New Zealand general election was held on Wednesday, 6 December in the general electorates, and on Wednesday, 20 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 16th session of the New Zealand Parliament . A total number of 412,702 voters turned out, with 396,657 (83.25% of the electoral roll) voting in the European electorates.[1] [2] [3]
Changes to the electoral law
The 1903 City Single Electorates Act declared that at the dissolution of the 15th Parliament, the four multi-member electorates would be abolished and replaced each with three single-member electorates. It was also the year absentee voting was introduced for all electors unable to be in their own electorate on election day. The first Chief Electoral Officer was appointed.
Accordingly, the multi-member urban electorates of
City of Wellington
were abolished and replaced with the following single-member seats:
Nine of these twelve electorates had existed before. Wellington Central, Wellington North, and Dunedin North were established for the first time.
Historic context
In 1905 a progressive faction within the Liberal Party started to form in opposition to Liberal leader
) that stood in the election only Laurenson and Fisher were returned.
The freshly created
Trade Union support by appointing union representatives to the party's governing body. The IPLL did not perform well, gaining only 3,478 votes nationwide with no candidates elected.
The Rev Frank Isitt was the Prohibition candidate for several South Island electorates, and came second in two.
Results
A cartoon depicting the infamous "Voucher incident" showing New Liberals distancing themselves from Fisher.
Party totals
The following table gives party strengths and vote distribution.
Election results
Party
Candidates
Total votes
Percentage
Seats won
Change
Liberal
94
219,144
53.1
58
+11
Conservative
63
122,572
29.7
16
-3
New Liberal
7
15,721
3.8
2
+2
Ind. Labour League
9
3,478
0.8
0
±0
Independent
63
51,785
12.5
4
-10
Votes summary
Popular Vote
Liberal
53.1%
Conservative
29.7%
New Liberal
3.8%
Ind. Labour League
0.8%
Independents
12.5%
Parliament seats
Liberal
72.5%
Conservative
20.0%
New Liberal
2.5%
Independents
5.0%
Electorate results
The following are the results of the 1905 general election:
Key
Liberal
Conservative
New Liberal
Liberal–Labour
Independent Liberal
Independent
Electorate results for the 1905 New Zealand general election[8] [9]
Electorate
Incumbent
Winner
Majority
Runner up
General electorates
Ashburton
John McLachlan
244
John Studholme
Auckland Central
New electorate
Alfred Kidd
939
Lemuel Bagnall
Auckland East
New electorate
Frederick Baume
871
Harry Bamford
Auckland West
New electorate
Charles Poole
340
James Parr
Avon
William Tanner
725
John Russell Brunt
Awarua
Joseph Ward
2,848
Henry Woodnorth
Bay of Islands
Robert Houston
470
John Charles Johnson
Bay of Plenty
William Herries
211
Joseph Foster
Bruce
James Allen
435
William Darcy Mason
Buller
James Colvin
2,798
Frank Isitt
Caversham
Thomas Sidey
1,760
William Earnshaw
Chalmers
Edmund Allen
1,437
William Pryor
Christchurch East
New electorate
Thomas Davey
565
Henry Featherston Toogood
Christchurch North
New electorate
Charles Gray
1,084
Tommy Taylor
Christchurch South
New electorate
Harry Ell
2,511
Charles Henry Winny
Clutha
James Thomson
Alexander Malcolm
272
Daniel Stewart
Courtenay
Charles Lewis
232
Thomas Jones McBride
Dunedin Central
New electorate
John A. Millar
1,919
Alexander Samuel Adam
Dunedin North
New electorate
Alfred Richard Barclay
514
Harry Bedford
Dunedin South
New electorate
James Arnold
780
William Downie Stewart
Eden
John Bollard
2,760
Robert French
Egmont
William Thomas Jennings
651
Charles Leech
Ellesmere
Heaton Rhodes
283
George Rennie
Franklin
William Massey
935
William Wilson McCardle
Geraldine
Frederick Flatman
1,233
William Jeffries
Grey
Arthur Guinness
377
Joseph Petrie
Grey Lynn
George Fowlds
230
John Farrell
Hawera
Charles E. Major
449
Felix McGuire
Hawke's Bay
William Russell
Alfred Dillon
1,043
William Russell
Hurunui
Andrew Rutherford
1,186
Obed Frederick Clothier
Hutt
Thomas Wilford
1,912
George Yerex
Invercargill
Josiah Hanan
1,721
Irvin Willis Raymond
Kaiapoi
David Buddo
45
Richard Moore
Kaipara
Alfred Harding
John Stallworthy
9
Alfred Harding
Lyttelton
George Laurenson
1,108
William Radcliffe
Manawatu
Job Vile
John Stevens
359
Job Vile
Manukau
Matthew Kirkbride
663
Ralph Duncan Stewart
Marsden
Francis Mander
348
Robert Thompson
Masterton
Alexander Hogg
859
James Christopher Cooper
Mataura
Robert McNab
435
Thomas MacGibbon
Motueka
Roderick McKenzie
2,733
Frank Isitt
Mount Ida
Alexander Herdman
John MacPherson
394
Alexander Herdman
Napier
Alfred Fraser
1,469
Montague W. P. Lascelles[10] [11]
Nelson
John Graham
29
Harry Atmore
Newtown
William Henry Peter Barber
1,213
Thomas William Hislop
Oamaru
Thomas Young Duncan
2,009
James Mitchell
Ohinemuri
Edward Moss
Hugh Poland
351
Edward Moss
Oroua
Frank Lethbridge
986
Owen Carlin Pleasants
Otaki
William Hughes Field
1,394
Byron Paul Brown
Pahiatua
Bill Hawkins
Robert Beatson Ross
206
Bill Hawkins
Palmerston
William Wood
480
Frederick Pirani
Parnell
Frank Lawry
122
Murdoch McLean
Patea
Walter Symes
143
John Hine
Rangitikei
Arthur Remington
1,710
Joe Reginald Sommerville
Riccarton
George Witty
1,240
Thomas Caverhill
Selwyn
Charles Hardy
322
Joseph Ivess
Taieri
Donald Reid
535
Alexander Marshall
Taranaki
Edward Smith
236
Henry Okey
Thames
James McGowan
1,229
Malcolm Fleming
Timaru
William Hall-Jones
1,063
Frank Rolleston
Tuapeka
James Bennet
977
Robert Gilkison
Waiapu
James Carroll
1,798
Lissant Clayton
Waikato
Frederic Lang
Henry Greenslade
78
Frederic Lang
Waikouaiti
Thomas Mackenzie
702
Edward Henry Clark
Waipawa
Charles Hall
1,254
George Hunter
Wairarapa
Walter Clarke Buchanan
J. T. Marryat Hornsby
531
Walter Clarke Buchanan
Wairau
Charles H. Mills
977
John Duncan
Waitaki
William Steward
1,643
George Dash
Waitemata
Ewen Alison
971
Cecil Clinkard
Wakatipu
William Fraser
423
Michael Gilfedder
Wallace
John Charles Thomson
461
Dugald Macpherson
Wanganui
Archibald Willis
James Thomas Hogan
924
Archibald Willis
Wellington Central
New electorate
Francis Fisher
445
Patrick O'Regan
Wellington East
New electorate
John Aitken
19
William McLean
Wellington North
New electorate
Charles Hayward Izard
660
John Duthie
Westland
Richard Seddon
3,180
Harry Cowin
Māori electorates
Eastern Maori
Wi Pere
Āpirana Ngata
757
Wi Pere
Northern Maori
Hone Heke
627
Ru Reweti
Southern Maori
Tame Parata
160
Hopere Uru
Western Maori
Henare Kaihau
1,688
Tureiti Te Heuheu Tukino V
Notes
References
McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand . Wellington: GP Books. .
Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. .
Paul, J.T. (1946). Humanism in Politics . Wellington: NZ Working Printing & Publishing.