Omata (New Zealand electorate)
Omata was a New Zealand electorate. It was located in Taranaki and based on the township of Omata. One of the original 24 electorates, it existed from 1853 to 1870.
Population centres
[edit]The Omata electorate was named after Omata in Taranaki, a locality just south-west of New Plymouth. The electorate's boundary was a straight line that started at the coast between Omata and New Plymouth, and it proceeded in a south-east direction to near where Patea is located.[1] Population centres located in the electorate included Ōpunake, Manaia, Hāwera, and Eltham.[1] In the 1870 electoral redistribution, the Omata electorate was abolished. The electorate's area was effectively increased towards the east (the easternmost boundary reached the Whanganui River), gaining a large area from the Grey and Bell electorate, and the name changed to Egmont after Mount Egmont, the original European name of Mount Taranaki.[2]
History
[edit]The Omata electorate was one of the twenty-four original electorates, used in New Zealand's first general election.[3] In 1853, William Crompton was returned elected unopposed.[4] In the 1855 election, Alfred William East beat the incumbent by a six-vote margin.[5] East resigned in March 1860 before the end of his term when he accepted a government appointment.[6] In the resulting by-election on 16 April 1860, James Crowe Richmond was returned unopposed.[7]
Members of Parliament
[edit]The following Members of Parliament represented the Omata electorate:[3]
Election results
[edit]1853 election
[edit]William Crompton was returned unopposed.[4]
1855 election
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Alfred William East | ? | |||
| Independent | William Crompton | ? | |||
| Majority | 6 | ||||
| Registered electors | 105[9] | ||||
1860 by-election
[edit]James Crowe Richmond was returned unopposed.[7]
1868 by-election
[edit]Charles Brown was returned unopposed.(see 1868 by-election).
1870 by-election
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Frederic Carrington | 42 | 54.55 | ||
| Independent | Captain E. Carthew | 35 | 45.45 | ||
| Majority | 7 | 9.09 | |||
| Turnout | 77 | ||||
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b McRobie 1989, pp. 28, 32.
- ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 38f.
- ^ a b Wilson 1985, p. 269.
- ^ a b "The Southern Cross". Daily Southern Cross. Vol. X, no. 650. 20 September 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
- ^ a b "The Elections". Taranaki Herald. Vol. IV, no. 173. 21 November 1855. p. 3. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ Scholefield 1940, p. 226.
- ^ a b "Election". Taranaki Herald. Vol. VIII, no. 403. 21 April 1860. p. 2. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ Cyclopedia Company Limited (1908). "Former Members Of The House Of Representatives". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Taranaki, Hawke's Bay & Wellington Provincial Districts. Christchurch. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ McRobie 1989, p. 29.
- ^ "Election". Taranaki Herald. 27 April 1870.
- ^ "Election". Taranaki Herald. 23 April 1870.
References
[edit]- McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
- Scholefield, Guy, ed. (1940). A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : A–L (PDF). Vol. I. Wellington: Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.