Kaipara (electorate)

The Representation Act 1900 had increased the membership of the House of Representatives from general electorates 70 to 76, and this was implemented through the 1902 electoral redistribution. In 1902, changes to the country quota affected the three-member electorates in the four main centres. The tolerance between electorates was increased to ±1,250 so that the Representation Commissions (since 1896, there had been separate commissions for the North and South Islands) could take greater account of communities of interest. These changes proved very disruptive to existing boundaries, and six electorates were established for the first time, including Kaipara, and two electorates that previously existed were re-established.^[1]

The electorate was rural and located north of Auckland city, in the North Auckland region.

The electorate was created for the 1902 election, and abolished in 1946.^[2] The first representative was the independent conservative Alfred Harding.^[3] In the 1905 election, Harding stood for the breakaway New Liberal Party, but was beaten by John Stallworthy of the Liberal Party.^[4]

In the 1911 election, Stallworthy was beaten by Gordon Coates, who was Prime Minister from 1925 to 1928, and who held the electorate until he died in May 1943.^[5] As a (belated) wartime general election was to be held shortly, a by-election was postponed through the By-elections Postponement Act 1943,^[6] and Clifton Webb succeeded Coates at the general election in September 1943.^[7] When the Kaipara electorate was abolished in 1946, Webb successfully stood in the Rodney electorate.^[8]

Kaipara was recreated in 1978,^[2] and again replaced by Rodney in 1996. Lockwood Smith then transferred to Rodney, and later became the Speaker of the House.