Wellington Suburbs (New Zealand electorate)
# Wellington Suburbs (New Zealand electorate)

Wellington Suburbs was a parliamentary electorate in Wellington, New Zealand. It existed from 1893 to 1902, then from 1908 to 1911, and from 1919 to 1946. The electorate was represented by six Members of Parliament.

## Population centres

In the 1892 electoral redistribution, population shift to the North Island required the transfer of one seat from the South Island to the north. The resulting ripple effect saw every electorate established in 1890 have its boundaries altered, and eight electorates were established for the first time, including Wellington Suburbs.

## History

Suburbs of Wellington was formed for the 1893 election. The first representative was Alfred Newman, who had been in Parliament since a 1884 by-election. At the next election in 1896, Newman stood in Otaki and was defeated.

Thomas Wilford of the Liberal Party won the 1896 election, but the result was declared void after an election petition on the grounds of corrupt and illegal practices. Charles Wilson, also of the Liberal Party, was elected MP for Wellington Suburbs following a by-election on 23 April 1897, but retired at the end of the term in 1899. Wilford then won the electorate in the 1899 election. Wellington Suburbs was abolished in 1902, and Wilford successfully contested the Hutt electorate instead.

The electorate was recreated as Wellington Suburbs in 1908 for one parliamentary term, i.e. until 1911. John Luke of the Liberal Party won the 1908 election. He was defeated for Wellington Suburbs and Country in the 1911 election.

The electorate was recreated in 1919. Robert Wright, who was first elected to Parliament in 1908 and was most recently representing the Wellington Suburbs and Country electorate, won the 1919 election representing the Reform Party. He continued to represent the electorate until he unsuccessfully stood in the Wellington West electorate in the 1938 election.

Wright was succeeded by Harry Combs in 1938. He was a member of the Labour Party and represented the electorate for two parliamentary terms until 1946, when it was abolished again. Combs successfully contested Onslow in 1946.

### Members of Parliament

The electorate was represented by six Members of Parliament.

Key

Conservative  Liberal  Reform  Independent  Labour

| Elections | Winner |
| - | - |
| (originally as Suburbs of Wellington) |||
| 1893 election | Alfred Newman |
| 1896 election | Thomas Wilford |
| 1897 by-election | Charles Wilson |
| 1899 election | Thomas Wilford (2nd period) |
| (Electorate abolished 1902–1908, renamed as Wellington Suburbs) |||
| 1908 election | John Luke |
| (Electorate abolished 1911–1919; see Wellington Suburbs and Country) |||
| 1919 election | Robert Wright |
| 1922 election | Robert Wright |
| 1925 election | Robert Wright |
| 1928 election | Robert Wright |
| 1931 election | Robert Wright |
| 1935 election | Robert Wright |
| 1938 election | Harry Combs |
| 1943 election | Harry Combs |
| (electorate abolished 1946; see Onslow) |||

## Election results

### 1943 election

1943 general election: Wellington Suburbs :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Harry Combs | 9,927 | 50.37 | -10.25 |
| | National | Bill Veitch | 7,346 | 37.28 | |
| | Democratic Labour | Les Frame | 2,207 | 11.20 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,581 | 13.10 | -8.47 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,707 | 91.45 | -1.65 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,549 | | |

### 1938 election

1938 general election: Wellington Suburbs :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Harry Combs | 8,887 | 60.62 | |
| | National | Ossie Mazengarb | 5,724 | 39.04 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 51 | 0.34 | -0.30 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,163 | 21.57 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,662 | 93.10 | +5.81 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,748 | | |

### 1935 election

1935 general election: Wellington Suburbs :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Independent | Robert Wright | 8,947 | 55.78 | +0.17 |
| | Labour | Peter Butler | 7,091 | 44.21 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 104 | 0.64 | -0.16 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,856 | 11.57 | -7.03 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,038 | 87.29 | +5.09 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,372 | | |

### 1931 election

1931 general election: Wellington Suburbs :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Reform | Robert Wright | 7,682 | 55.61 | +10.60 |
| | Labour | Tom Brindle | 5,112 | 37.01 | +7.54 |
| | Independent | Kenneth McLennan | 1,020 | 7.38 | -18.14 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 111 | 0.80 | -0.44 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,570 | 18.60 | +3.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,925 | 82.20 | -5.46 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,940 | | |

### 1928 election

1928 general election: Wellington Suburbs :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Reform | Robert Wright | 5,748 | 45.01 | -10.50 |
| | Labour | Tom Brindle | 3,763 | 29.47 | |
| | United | Kenneth McLennan | 3,260 | 25.53 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 160 | 1.24 | -0.16 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,985 | 15.54 | +3.10 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,931 | 87.66 | -3.19 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,751 | | |

### 1925 election

1925 general election: Wellington Suburbs :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Reform | Robert Wright | 6,881 | 55.51 | +4.67 |
| | Labour | Charles Chapman | 5,339 | 43.07 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 174 | 1.40 | +0.12 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,542 | 12.44 | +9.48 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,394 | 90.85 | -0.13 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,641 | | |

### 1922 election

1922 general election: Wellington Suburbs :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Reform | Robert Wright | 4,992 | 50.84 | +6.54 |
| | Labour | Alec Croskery | 4,701 | 47.87 | +15.77 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 126 | 1.28 | +0.15 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 291 | 2.96 | -9.24 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,819 | 90.98 | +11.36 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,792 | | |

### 1919 election

1919 general election: Wellington Suburbs :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Reform | Robert Wright | 4,091 | 44.30 |
| | Labour | Alec Croskery | 2,964 | 32.10 |
| | Liberal | Dunbar Sloane | 2,073 | 22.45 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 105 | 1.13 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,127 | 12.20 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,233 | 79.62 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,595 | |

### 1908 election

1908 general election: Wellington Suburbs, first ballot :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | John Luke | 2,204 | 32.46 |
| | Independent | John Edward Fitzgerald | 1,908 | 28.10 |
| | Conservative | Robert Bradford Williams | 1,367 | 20.13 |
| | Ind. Labour League | Frank Moore | 644 | 9.48 |
| | Independent Labour | Tom Young | 613 | 9.03 |
| | Liberal | James Walter Braithwaite | 54 | 0.80 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 296 | 4.36 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,790 | 78.67 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,631 | |

1908 general election: Wellington Suburbs, second ballot :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | John Luke | 3,884 | 58.67 |
| | Independent | John Edward Fitzgerald | 2,736 | 41.33 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,148 | 16.91 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,620 | 76.70 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,631 | |

### 1899 election

1899 general election: Suburbs of Wellington :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Thomas Wilford | 2,298 | 50.39 |
| | Conservative | Alfred Newman | 1,762 | 38.64 |
| | Independent Liberal | Richard Clement Kirk | 491 | 10.77 |
| | Independent | Richard Giles Knight | 9 | 0.20 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 536 | 11.75 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,560 | 74.44 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,126 | |

### 1897 by-election

1897 Wellington Suburbs by-election :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Charles Wilson | 2,036 | 51.76 |
| | Conservative | Arthur Atkinson | 1,897 | 48.23 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 139 | 3.53 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,933 | |

### 1896 election

1896 general election: Suburbs of Wellington :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Thomas Wilford | 2,194 | 53.05 | +4.80 |
| | Conservative | Thomas William Hislop | 1,942 | 46.95 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 252 | 6.09 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,136 | | |

### 1893 election

1893 general election: Suburbs of Wellington :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Alfred Newman | 1,839 | 51.74 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Wilford | 1,715 | 48.25 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 124 | 3.48 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,554 | 78.21 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,544 | |
