Wellington North (New Zealand electorate)

1905 to 1946

From 1890 until 1905, the four main centres of New Zealand (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin) were represented by three-member electorates. The City Single Electorates Act 1903 divided those electorates, effective from the end of the 15th Parliament. The City of Wellington electorate was split into the Wellington East, Wellington Central, and Wellington North electorates.^[2]

At its establishment, Wellington North covered areas north of the central city including the modern suburbs of Thorndon, Pipitea, Wadestown, Northland, Kelburn, Te Aro, Wilton and Kaiwharawhara, as well as Somes Island.^[3] For the purpose of the country quota, the electorate was always regarded as fully urban.^[4] In the boundary review before the 1946 general election, Wellington North was one of 26 electorates to be abolished. Suburbs in Wellington North were redistributed between Wellington Central, Karori and Onslow.

From 2026

The 2025 boundary review required a reduction in North Island electorates by one to reflect nationwide population shifts. The three Wellington City electorates (Rongotai, Wellington Central and Ōhāriu) were all underpopulated. All were abolished. The suburbs of Ngaio, Khandallah, Broadmeadows, Kaiwharawhara, Crofton Downs and Wadestown were combined with most of the former Wellington Central electorate (including Thorndon, Wellington CBD, Aro Valley, Kelburn and Mount Victoria) and the new electorate was named Wellington North.^[5][6]

Members of Parliament

Until its abolition in 1946, the electorate was represented by four members of parliament.^[7]

Charles Hayward Izard of the Liberal Party was the electorate's first representative from 1905 to 1908,^[8] when he was defeated by Alexander Herdman.^[9] Herdman had previously represented the Mount Ida electorate. He joined the Reform Party but resigned from Parliament in February 1918.^[10]

Herdman was succeeded by John Luke of the Reform Party in the resulting 1918 by-election.^[11] In the 1928 election, Luke was defeated by Charles Chapman of the Labour Party. Chapman represented the electorate from 1928 to 1946, and moved to the Wellington Central electorate when Wellington North was abolished.^[12]

Key

  Liberal   Conservative   Reform   Labour

2026 election

The next election will be held on 7 November 2026. Candidates for Wellington North are listed at Candidates in the 2026 New Zealand general election by electorate § Wellington North. Official results will be available after 27 November 2026.^[13]

1943 election

1938 election

1935 election

1931 election

1928 election

1925 election

1922 election

1919 election

1918 by-election

1914 election

1911 election

1908 election

1905 election