1884 New Zealand general election

The New Zealand general election of 1884 was held on 22 July to elect a total of 95 MPs to the 9th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 21 July.[1] A total number of 137,686 (60.6%) voters turned out to vote.[2] In 11 seats there was only one candidate.[3]

1884 general election

21 (Māori) & 22 (general) July 1884
All 95 seats in the New Zealand House of Representatives
Turnout	60.6%
Leader Robert Stout Harry Atkinson Party Stout–Vogelites Conservatives Leader since 1884 1883 Leader's seat Dunedin East Egmont Seats won 57 32 Seat change 18 13 Popular vote N/A N/A Percentage N/A N/A Swing N/A N/A
Prime Minister before election Harry Atkinson Independent Subsequent Prime Minister Robert Stout Independent

1881 electoral redistribution

The same 95 electorates that were defined through the 1881 electoral redistribution were used for the 1884 election. The next electoral redistribution was held in 1887 in preparation for the 1887 election.[4]

Government formation

Prior to the election Harry Atkinson had served as Premier since 1883. His government was unpopular at the time and the polls went against him. Only 32 of the returned Members supported him whilst 57 opposed his government as well as 6 independents.[5] Soon after the election his government fell in August 1884 after Robert Stout successfully passed a vote of no confidence and assumed the premiership with the support of Julius Vogel. A strong counter-offensive by Atkinson enabled him to unseat Stout again after only twelve days. Stout, however, was not so easily defeated, and took the Premiership again after seven days. This time, Stout held his position for three years, defeating Atkinson's attempts to oust him.

Results

The following table shows the results of the 1884 general election.[6]

Electorate incumbent	Elected member defeated candidates	MP's term
Bay of Islands Held by R Hobbs	Richard Hobbs	Third
	2nd: M Gannon 3rd: F MacKenzie
Marsden Held by E Mitchelson	Edwin Mitchelson	Second
	Unopposed
Rodney Held by S George	William Moat	First
	2nd: N Wilson
Waitemata Held by W Hurst	William Hurst	Third
	2nd: A Farnell
Auckland North Held by T Peacock	Thomas Thompson	First
	2nd:J Newman[7]
Auckland West Held by J McM Dargaville	Joseph Dargaville	Second
	2nd:W Swanson
Auckland East Held by G Grey	George Grey	Fifth
	Unopposed
Newton Held by W Swanson	Thomas Peacock	Second
	2nd: C de Lautour[8]
Parnell Held by FJ Moss	Frederick Moss	Fourth
	2nd:ST George
Eden Held by J Tole	Joseph Tole	Fourth
	2nd: J O'Neil
Manukau Held by M O'Rorke	Maurice O'Rorke	Seventh
	2nd: F Lawry
Franklin North Held by B Harris	Frank Buckland	First
	2nd: J Harris
Franklin South Held by E Hamlin	Ebenezer Hamlin	Fourth
	Unopposed
Coromandel Held by A Cadman	Alfred Cadman	Second
	2nd: A Brodie
Thames Held by J Sheehan	William Fraser	First
	2nd: WJ Speight
Waikato Held by JB Whyte	John Whyte	Third
	Unopposed
Waipa Held by FA Whitaker	Edward Lake	First
	2nd: W Jackson
Tauranga Held by George Morris	GB Morris	Third
	2nd: W Kelly
East Coast Held by S Locke	Samuel Locke	Second
	2nd: WL Rees
Napier Held by J Buchanan	John Ormond	Sixth
	2nd: J Sheehan
Hawkes Bay Held by F Sutton	William Russell	Third
	2nd: F Sutton 3rd: A Desmond[9][10]
Waipawa Held by WC Smith	William Smith	Second
	2nd:T Tanner
Rangitikei Held by J Stevens	Robert Bruce	First
	2nd: J Stevens
Manawatu Held by WW Johnston	Douglas Macarthur	First
	2nd: D Frazer 3rd: A Burr
Waitotara Held by J Bryce	John Bryce	Sixth
	2nd: T McDonnell
Wanganui Held by WH Watt	John Ballance	Fourth
	2nd: J Hutchinson 3rd: WH Watt
New Plymouth Held by T Kelly	Oliver Samuel	First
	2nd: EM Smith 3rd: T Kelly 4th: C Brown
Taranaki Held by R Trimble	Robert Trimble	Third
	2nd: T Bayly 3rd: J Colesby
Egmont Held by HA Atkinson	Harry Atkinson	Seventh
	2nd: AA Fantham
Foxton Held by J Wilson	James Wilson	Second
	2nd: CB Izard 3rd: JR Browne
Hutt Held by T Mason	Henry Fitzherbert	First
	2nd: T Mason
Wairarapa North Held by G Beetham	George Beetham	Fourth
	2nd: William Wilson McCardle
Wairarapa South Held by WC Buchanan	Walter Buchanan	Second
	2nd: H Bunny
Thorndon Held by W Levin	Alfred Newman	Second
	Unopposed
Te Aro Held by CJ Johnston	Charles Johnston	Second
	2nd: FH Fraser 3rd: E Shaw 4th: JH Shaw 5th: J O'Shea
Wellington South Held by W Hutchinson	George Fisher	First
	2nd: W Hutchinson
Picton Held by E Connolly	Edward Connolly	Second
	2nd: WH Eyes
Nelson Held by H Levestam	Henry Levestam	Third
	2nd: J Piper
Motueka Held by R Hursthouse	Richmond Hursthouse	Fourth
	2nd: J Kerr
Waimea Held by J Shephard	Joseph Shephard	Fourth
	2nd: W Wastney
Wairau Held by H Dodson	Henry Dodson	Second
	2nd: J Ward
Buller Held by J Munro	Eugene O'Conor	Second
	2nd: J Munro
Inangahua Held by E Shaw	Andrew Menteath	First
	2nd: RHJ Reeves
Greymouth Held by J Petrie	Arthur Guinness	First
	2nd: J Petrie
Cheviot Held by H McIlraith	James Lance	First
	2nd: W Gibson 3rd: GM Adams
Kumara Held by R Seddon	Richard Seddon	Third
	2nd: E Blake
Hokitika Held by GG Fitzgerald	John Bevan	First
	2nd: GG Fitzgerald 3rd: J Clarke
Ashley Held by WF Pearson	William Pearson	Second
	2nd: P Duncan
Kaiapoi Held by E Richardson	Edward Richardson	Fifth
	Unopposed
Avon Held by W Rolleston	Leonard Harper	Second
	2nd: W Dunlop 3rd: Williams
St Albans Held By JE Brown	Francis Garrick	First
	2nd: J Jebson 3rd: T Cooper
Stanmore Held by WH Pilliet	Daniel Reese	First
	2nd: G Rudenklau 3rd: G Dorney 4th: WH Pilliet 5th: O Wansey
Sydenham Held by W White	William White	Second
	2nd: John Lee Scott
Christchurch North Held by H Thomson	Julius Vogel	Fifth
	2nd: John Crewes
Christchurch South Held by J Holmes	John Holmes	Second
	2nd: Thomas Joynt
Heathcote Held by W Wynn-Williams	John Coster	First
	2nd: Henry Wynn-Williams 3rd: James Temple Fisher
Lyttelton Held by H Allwright	Harry Allwright	Third
	2nd: SR Webb 3rd: EM Clissold
Akaroa Held by W Montgomery	William Montgomery	Fifth
	2nd: FA Anson[11]
Lincoln Held by AP O'Callaghan	Arthur O'Callaghan	Second
	2nd: A Saunders
Coleridge Held by D McMillan	David McMillan	Second
	2nd: J Jebson 3rd: R Tosswill 4th: C Frazer
Selwyn Held by E Wakefield	Edward Wakefield	Fourth
	Unopposed
Ashburton Held by EG Wright	William Walker	First
	2nd: JC Wason 3rd: SC Jolly 4th: JRCC Graham
Wakanui Held by J Ivess	John Grigg	First
	2nd: J Ivess 3rd: P McQuire
Geraldine Held by W Postlethwaite	William Rolleston	Sixth
	2nd: Alfred Cox 3rd: Francis Franks
Timaru Held by R Turnbull	Richard Turnbull	Fourth
	2nd: EG Kerr
Gladstone Held by JH Sutter	James Sutter	Second
	2nd: D Anderson 3rd: JM Twomey 4th: G Morris
Waimate Held by WJ Steward	William Steward	Third
	2nd: A Haynes 3rd: WJ Black
Waitaki Held by TY Duncan	Thomas Duncan	Second
	2nd: D Sutherland 3rd: T Ferens
Oamaru Held by SE Shrimski	Samuel Shrimski	Fourth
	2nd: Viscount Reidhaven[12]
Moeraki Held by J McKenzie	John McKenzie	Second
	2nd: Charles Haynes[13]
Waikouaiti Held by J Green	John Buckland	First
	2nd: J Green 3rd: J Arkle
Port Chalmers Held by J Macandrew	James Macandrew	Ninth
	Unopposed
Roslyn Held by J Bathgate	Archibald Ross	First
	2nd: J Bathgate
Dunedin West Held by T Dick	William Stewart	Third
	2nd: T Dick
Dunedin East Held by MW Green	Robert Stout	Third
	2nd: MW Green
Dunedin Central Held by T Bracken	James Bradsheigh-Bradshaw	Third
	2nd: T Bracken 3rd: JGS Grant
Dunedin South Held by HS Fish	James Gore	First
	2nd: Henry Fish
Peninsula Held by WJM Larnach	William Larnach	Third
	2nd: Owen James Hodge 3rd: John Wells[14]
Caversham Held by W Barron	William Barron	Third
	Unopposed
Taieri Held by J Fulton	James Fulton	Third
	2nd: WCF Carncross 3rd: WAW Wathen
Mount Ida Held by CA de Lautour	Scobie Mackenzie	First
	2nd: J Ewing
Dunstan Held by V Pyke	Vincent Pyke	Fifth
	Unopposed
Bruce Held by J McDonald	Robert Gillies	First
	2nd: H Driver 3rd: J McDonald
Tuapeka Held by JC Brown	James Brown	Sixth
	2nd: F Oudaille
Clutha Held by JW Thomson	James Thomson	Fifth
	Unopposed
Mataura Held by FW Mackenzie	George Richardson	First
	2nd: FW Mackenzie
Awarua Held by JP Joyce	James Joyce	Third
	2nd: JL McDonald 3rd: A Kinross 4th: JW Mitchell 5th: T Hodgkinson
Invercargill Held by H Feldwick	Joseph Hatch	First
	2nd: H Feldwick 3rd: G Lumsden
Wakatipu Held by T Fergus	Thomas Fergus	Second
	2nd: JT Hornsby 3rd: SN Brown
Hokonui Held by H Driver	Cuthbert Cowan	Second
	2nd: Frank Stephen Canning 3rd: Justus Hobbs 4th: Thomas James Lumsden
Wallace Held by T Daniel	Henry Hirst	Second
	2nd: S Hodgkinson 3rd: T Daniel 4th: M Hayes
Northern Maori Held by H Tawhai	Ihaka Hakuene	First
Eastern Maori Held by H Tomana	Wi Pere	First
Western Maori Held by W Te Wheoro	Te Puke Te Ao	First
	2nd: Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui see results for six more candidates
Southern Maori Held by HK Taiaroa	Hōri Kerei Taiaroa	Fifth

Notes

1. Wilson 1985, p. 137.
2. "General elections 1853-2005 - dates & turnout". Elections New Zealand. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
3. Wilson 1985, p. 286.
4. McRobie 1989, pp. 47, 51.
5. "Election News" (5062). Star. 24 July 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
6. Cooper, G. S. (1884). The General Election, 1884. National Library. pp. 1–3. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
7. "City North". Auckland Star. XXVI (4422). 16 July 1884. p. 2. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
8. "Ponsonby". Auckland Star. XXVI (4430). 26 July 1884. p. 7. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
9. "The Hawke's Bay Election". Hawke's Bay Herald. XXI (6912). 16 July 1884. p. 4. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
10. "Hawke's Bay Election". Hawke's Bay Herald. XXI (6915). 19 July 1884. p. 4. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
11. "The Nomination". Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser. XIV (1166). 20 September 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
12. Cyclopedia Company Limited (1905). "The Hon. S. E. Shrimski". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Otago & Southland Provincial Districts. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
13. Cyclopedia Company Limited (1905). "Mr. Charles Haynes, J. P". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Otago & Southland Provincial Districts. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
14. "Peninsula". Otago Witness (1704). 19 July 1884. p. 9. Retrieved 28 June 2012.

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.