Pahiatua is a former New Zealand parliamentary
electorate in the
Wairarapa region. It existed from 1896 to 1996, and was represented by nine
Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister
Keith Holyoake for 34 years.
Population centres
In the 1896 electoral redistribution, rapid population growth in the
North Island required the transfer of three seats from the
South Island to the north. Four electorates that previously existed were re-established, and three electorates were established for the first time, including Pahiatua.[1] The original area of the Pahiatua electorate included the towns of
Pahiatua and
Woodville.[2] Over time, the electorate shifted slightly north, until the town of
Dannevirke was covered following the 1918 electoral redistribution.[3]
The 1946 electoral redistribution took the abolition of the
country quota into account, and as a rural electorate, the area covered by the Pahiatua electorate increased significantly.[4] The
Masterton electorate to the south was abolished, and its area distributed to the
Wairarapa and Pahiatua electorate.
Eketāhuna and
Castlepoint were gained by the electorate in that process.[5]
The seat was held by Prime Minister
Keith Holyoake for 34 years, until he resigned to become Governor-General.[7] In 1996
John Falloon, who had been the MP for Pahiatua for 19 years, chose to retire.
McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books.
ISBN0-477-01384-8.
Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington.
ISBN0-475-11200-8.
Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer.
OCLC154283103.