Sydenham (New Zealand electorate)
Encyclopedia
Sydenham was a New Zealand
parliamentary electorate
, from 1881 to 1890 and again from 1946 to 1996. It had notable politicians representing it like Mabel Howard
(the first female cabinet minister in New Zealand), Norman Kirk
(who became Prime Minister while holding Sydenham) and Jim Anderton
(the current Father of the House, who started his parliamentary career in Sydenham).
This suburban electorate is in the southern suburbs of Christchurch
including Sydenham
.
to the 1996 election
, the first MMP
election.
The first MP for Sydenham was William White
from 1881
to 1886. He resigned upon receiving medical advice.
From 1886
to 1890, it was represented by Richard Molesworth Taylor
.
From 1946 to 1996, the electorate was always left leaning. In 1946, Mabel Howard
was elected. She held the electorate until 1969, when the Labour Party introduced rules that forced her to retire. In 1947 she became New Zealand's first woman cabinet minister when she was made Minister of Health and Minister in charge of Child Welfare. She is remembered for waving two large pairs of bloomers in parliament in support of her successful campaign to have clothing sizes standardised.
Howard was succeeded by Norman Kirk
, who in 1969
shifted from the Lyttelton electorate
to the safer Labour electorate of Sydenham. During his representation of Sydenham, he became Prime Minister
. He died in office on 31 August 1974.
John Kirk
succeeded his father in a 1974 by-election. Kirk Jr. held the electorate for ten years until 1984. In July 1983, John Kirk announced that he would not seek the Labour Party's nomination for Sydenham in the 1984 election. In his place Labour selected Jim Anderton
, the party president, whereupon Kirk (a strong David Lange
supporter) declared that he would stand against the official Labour candidate as an independent
. His continuing opposition to Anderton's selection resulted in the Labour Party's New Zealand Council suspending him from membership of the Labour Party. Kirk served out the remainder of his parliamentary career as an Independent
MP. John Kirk left New Zealand in 1984 while still an MP for Sydenham, as he owed more than $280,000. He was arrested in the US and imprisoned, and then extradited to New Zealand, where he was charged under the Insolvency Act 1985. He was sentenced to four months' periodic detention.
Anderton was successful in Sydenham in 1969 and started his long parliamentary career. He held the seat until the abolition the electorate in 1996 and, as of 2010, is still in Parliament (for Wigram
) and is, since 29 April 2009, Father of the House. While holding Sydenham, Anderton defected from the Labour Party to found the NewLabour Party
in 1989, and was re-elected in the electorate in 1990
. In 1991, NewLabour and several other parties formed the Alliance
, a broad left-wing coalition. Anderton was elected for the Alliance in 1993
.
Sydenham was abolished in 1996 and replaced by the Wigram electorate.
1 John Kirk became an independent in 1983.
2 Jim Anderton defected to New Labour
in 1989.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
parliamentary electorate
New Zealand electorates
An electorate is a voting district for elections to the Parliament of New Zealand. In informal discussion, electorates are often called seats. The most formal description, electoral district, is rarely seen outside of electoral legislation. Before 1996, all Members of Parliament were directly...
, from 1881 to 1890 and again from 1946 to 1996. It had notable politicians representing it like Mabel Howard
Mabel Howard
|-...
(the first female cabinet minister in New Zealand), Norman Kirk
Norman Kirk
Norman Eric Kirk was the 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974. He led the Parliamentary wing of the New Zealand Labour Party from 1965 to 1974. He was the fourth Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand, but the first to be born in New Zealand...
(who became Prime Minister while holding Sydenham) and Jim Anderton
Jim Anderton
James Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton , is the leader of the Progressive Party, a New Zealand political party. He has served in Parliament since 1984. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 and is currently also the sitting Father of the House, the longest...
(the current Father of the House, who started his parliamentary career in Sydenham).
This suburban electorate is in the southern suburbs of Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
including Sydenham
Sydenham, New Zealand
Sydenham is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located two kilometres south of the city centre, on and around the city’s main street, Colombo Street...
.
History
The electorate existed from 1881 to 1890 and then from the 1946 electionNew Zealand general election, 1946
The 1946 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 28th term. It saw the governing Labour Party re-elected, but by a substantially narrower margin than in the three previous elections...
to the 1996 election
New Zealand general election, 1996
The 1996 New Zealand general election was held on 12 October 1996 to determine the composition of the 45th New Zealand Parliament. It was notable for being the first election to be held under the new Mixed Member Proportional electoral system, and produced a parliament considerably more diverse...
, the first MMP
Mixed member proportional representation
Mixed-member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system originally used to elect representatives to the German Bundestag, and nowadays adopted by numerous legislatures around the world...
election.
The first MP for Sydenham was William White
William White (New Zealand politician)
William White was a 19th century New Zealand Member of Parliament in the Sydenham electorate, and Mayor of Sydenham.-Early life:...
from 1881
New Zealand general election, 1881
The New Zealand general election of 1881 was held 9 December to elect a total of 95 MPs to the 8th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 8 December...
to 1886. He resigned upon receiving medical advice.
From 1886
Sydenham by-election, 1886
The by-election for Sydenham in 1886 was a by-election held during the 9th Parliament of New Zealand, on 12 May 1886. It was held because William White resigned his seat in March 1886 on medical advice. Richard Molesworth Taylor won the by-election against John Lee Scott, Samuel Paull Andrews and...
to 1890, it was represented by Richard Molesworth Taylor
Richard Molesworth Taylor
Richard Molesworth Taylor was a three-term New Zealand Member of Parliament. Born in London in 1835, he moved to Auckland on the Heather Bell in 1846. He travelled to Victoria in 1851, and later to New South Wales and participated in the gold rush before returning to Auckland in 1857...
.
From 1946 to 1996, the electorate was always left leaning. In 1946, Mabel Howard
Mabel Howard
|-...
was elected. She held the electorate until 1969, when the Labour Party introduced rules that forced her to retire. In 1947 she became New Zealand's first woman cabinet minister when she was made Minister of Health and Minister in charge of Child Welfare. She is remembered for waving two large pairs of bloomers in parliament in support of her successful campaign to have clothing sizes standardised.
Howard was succeeded by Norman Kirk
Norman Kirk
Norman Eric Kirk was the 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974. He led the Parliamentary wing of the New Zealand Labour Party from 1965 to 1974. He was the fourth Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand, but the first to be born in New Zealand...
, who in 1969
New Zealand general election, 1969
The 1969 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 36th term. It saw the governing National Party win a fourth consecutive term, under Prime Minister Keith Holyoake.-The Election:...
shifted from the Lyttelton electorate
Lyttelton (New Zealand electorate)
Lyttelton is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate. It existed from 1853–90, and again from 1893–1996, when it was replaced by the Banks Peninsula electorate.-Population Centres:...
to the safer Labour electorate of Sydenham. During his representation of Sydenham, he became Prime Minister
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
. He died in office on 31 August 1974.
John Kirk
John Kirk (New Zealand politician)
Norman John Kirk, generally called John Kirk, , is a former New Zealand Member of Parliament for Sydenham, in the South Island.-Early life:...
succeeded his father in a 1974 by-election. Kirk Jr. held the electorate for ten years until 1984. In July 1983, John Kirk announced that he would not seek the Labour Party's nomination for Sydenham in the 1984 election. In his place Labour selected Jim Anderton
Jim Anderton
James Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton , is the leader of the Progressive Party, a New Zealand political party. He has served in Parliament since 1984. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 and is currently also the sitting Father of the House, the longest...
, the party president, whereupon Kirk (a strong David Lange
David Lange
David Russell Lange, ONZ, CH , served as the 32nd Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. He headed New Zealand's fourth Labour Government, one of the most reforming administrations in his country's history, but one which did not always conform to traditional expectations of a...
supporter) declared that he would stand against the official Labour candidate as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
. His continuing opposition to Anderton's selection resulted in the Labour Party's New Zealand Council suspending him from membership of the Labour Party. Kirk served out the remainder of his parliamentary career as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
MP. John Kirk left New Zealand in 1984 while still an MP for Sydenham, as he owed more than $280,000. He was arrested in the US and imprisoned, and then extradited to New Zealand, where he was charged under the Insolvency Act 1985. He was sentenced to four months' periodic detention.
Anderton was successful in Sydenham in 1969 and started his long parliamentary career. He held the seat until the abolition the electorate in 1996 and, as of 2010, is still in Parliament (for Wigram
Wigram (New Zealand electorate)
Wigram is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Wigram is Megan Woods. She takes over this position from the retiring Jim Anderton, who held this position from 1996 until 2011.-Population...
) and is, since 29 April 2009, Father of the House. While holding Sydenham, Anderton defected from the Labour Party to found the NewLabour Party
NewLabour Party (New Zealand)
NewLabour was a left-of-centre party founded in 1989 by Jim Anderton, an MP and former President of the New Zealand Labour Party.NewLabour was established by a number of Labour Party members who left the party in reaction to "Rogernomics", the economic policies implemented by the Labour Party's...
in 1989, and was re-elected in the electorate in 1990
New Zealand general election, 1990
The 1990 New Zealand general election was held on 27 October to determine the composition of the 43rd New Zealand parliament. The governing Labour Party was defeated, ending its controversial two terms in office...
. In 1991, NewLabour and several other parties formed the Alliance
Alliance (New Zealand political party)
The Alliance is a left-wing political party in New Zealand. It was formed in 1991, and was influential in the 1990s, but has since declined and has no representation in parliament. It suffered a major setback after Jim Anderton, the party's leader, left the party in 2002, taking several of the...
, a broad left-wing coalition. Anderton was elected for the Alliance in 1993
New Zealand general election, 1993
The 1993 New Zealand general election was held on 6 November 1993 to determine the composition of the 44th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Jim Bolger, win a second term in office, despite a major swing back towards the Labour Party. The new Alliance and New...
.
Sydenham was abolished in 1996 and replaced by the Wigram electorate.
1881 to 1890
During its first period, the electorate had two representatives:| Election | Winner | |
| 1881 election New Zealand general election, 1881 The New Zealand general election of 1881 was held 9 December to elect a total of 95 MPs to the 8th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 8 December... |
William White William White (New Zealand politician) William White was a 19th century New Zealand Member of Parliament in the Sydenham electorate, and Mayor of Sydenham.-Early life:... (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) |
|
| 1884 election New Zealand general election, 1884 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. A total number of 137,686 voters turned out to vote.-References:... |
||
| 1886 by-election Sydenham by-election, 1886 The by-election for Sydenham in 1886 was a by-election held during the 9th Parliament of New Zealand, on 12 May 1886. It was held because William White resigned his seat in March 1886 on medical advice. Richard Molesworth Taylor won the by-election against John Lee Scott, Samuel Paull Andrews and... |
Richard Molesworth Taylor Richard Molesworth Taylor Richard Molesworth Taylor was a three-term New Zealand Member of Parliament. Born in London in 1835, he moved to Auckland on the Heather Bell in 1846. He travelled to Victoria in 1851, and later to New South Wales and participated in the gold rush before returning to Auckland in 1857... (Independent) |
|
| 1887 election New Zealand general election, 1887 The New Zealand general election of 1887 was held on 26 September to elect 95 MPs to the tenth session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 7 September. 175,410 votes were cast.... |
1946 to 1996
During its second period, the electorate had four representatives:| Election | Winner | |
| 1946 election New Zealand general election, 1946 The 1946 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 28th term. It saw the governing Labour Party re-elected, but by a substantially narrower margin than in the three previous elections... |
Mabel Howard Mabel Howard |-... (Labour New Zealand Labour Party The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935.... ) |
|
| 1949 election New Zealand general election, 1949 The 1949 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 29th term. It saw the governing Labour Party defeated by the opposition National Party... |
||
| 1951 election New Zealand general election, 1951 The 1951 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 30th term. It saw the governing National Party remain in office, increasing its lead over the opposition Labour Party.-Background:... |
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| 1954 election New Zealand general election, 1954 The 1954 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 31st term. It saw the governing National Party remain in office, but with a slightly reduced majority... |
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| 1957 election New Zealand general election, 1957 The 1957 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 32nd term. It saw the governing National Party narrowly defeated by the Labour Party... |
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| 1960 election New Zealand general election, 1960 The 1960 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 33rd term. It saw the governing Labour Party defeated by the National Party, putting an end to the short second Labour government.-Background:... |
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| 1963 election New Zealand general election, 1963 The 1963 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 34th term. The results were almost identical to those for the previous election, and the governing National Party remained in office.... |
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| 1966 election New Zealand general election, 1966 The 1966 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 35th term. It saw the governing National Party win a third consecutive term in office... |
||
| 1969 election New Zealand general election, 1969 The 1969 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 36th term. It saw the governing National Party win a fourth consecutive term, under Prime Minister Keith Holyoake.-The Election:... |
Norman Kirk Norman Kirk Norman Eric Kirk was the 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974. He led the Parliamentary wing of the New Zealand Labour Party from 1965 to 1974. He was the fourth Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand, but the first to be born in New Zealand... (Labour) |
|
| 1972 election New Zealand general election, 1972 The New Zealand general election of 1972 was held to elect MPs to the 37th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Labour Party, led by Norman Kirk, defeated the governing National Party.-Background:... |
||
| 1974 by-election | John Kirk John Kirk (New Zealand politician) Norman John Kirk, generally called John Kirk, , is a former New Zealand Member of Parliament for Sydenham, in the South Island.-Early life:... (Labour, then Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... 1) |
|
| 1975 election New Zealand general election, 1975 The 1975 New Zealand general election was held to elect MPs to the 38th session of the New Zealand Parliament. It was the first election in New Zealand where 18-20 year olds and all permanent residents of New Zealand were eligible to vote, although only citizens were able to be... |
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| 1978 election New Zealand general election, 1978 The 1978 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to elect the 39th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Robert Muldoon, retain office, although the opposition Labour Party managed to win the largest share of the vote... |
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| 1981 election New Zealand general election, 1981 The 1981 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 40th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Robert Muldoon, win a third term in office, although the opposition Labour Party, led by Bill Rowling, actually won the largest share of... |
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| 1984 election New Zealand general election, 1984 The 1984 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 41st New Zealand Parliament. It marked the beginning of the Fourth Labour Government, with David Lange's Labour Party defeating long-serving Prime Minister Robert Muldoon of the National Party. It was also the... |
Jim Anderton Jim Anderton James Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton , is the leader of the Progressive Party, a New Zealand political party. He has served in Parliament since 1984. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 and is currently also the sitting Father of the House, the longest... (Labour, then New Labour NewLabour Party (New Zealand) NewLabour was a left-of-centre party founded in 1989 by Jim Anderton, an MP and former President of the New Zealand Labour Party.NewLabour was established by a number of Labour Party members who left the party in reaction to "Rogernomics", the economic policies implemented by the Labour Party's... 2, then Alliance Alliance (New Zealand political party) The Alliance is a left-wing political party in New Zealand. It was formed in 1991, and was influential in the 1990s, but has since declined and has no representation in parliament. It suffered a major setback after Jim Anderton, the party's leader, left the party in 2002, taking several of the... ) |
|
| 1987 election New Zealand general election, 1987 The 1987 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 43rd sitting of the New Zealand Parliament. The governing New Zealand Labour Party, led by Prime Minister David Lange, was re-elected for a second term, although the Opposition National Party made gains... |
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| 1990 election New Zealand general election, 1990 The 1990 New Zealand general election was held on 27 October to determine the composition of the 43rd New Zealand parliament. The governing Labour Party was defeated, ending its controversial two terms in office... |
||
| 1993 election New Zealand general election, 1993 The 1993 New Zealand general election was held on 6 November 1993 to determine the composition of the 44th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Jim Bolger, win a second term in office, despite a major swing back towards the Labour Party. The new Alliance and New... |
1 John Kirk became an independent in 1983.
2 Jim Anderton defected to New Labour
NewLabour Party (New Zealand)
NewLabour was a left-of-centre party founded in 1989 by Jim Anderton, an MP and former President of the New Zealand Labour Party.NewLabour was established by a number of Labour Party members who left the party in reaction to "Rogernomics", the economic policies implemented by the Labour Party's...
in 1989.