Egmont is a former New Zealand electorate, in south

Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...

. It existed from 1871 to 1978.

Geographic coverage

Egmont is the old name of the mountain that is the Taranaki landmark of

Mount Taranaki Mount Taranaki (), also known as Mount Egmont, is a dormant stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is the second highest point in the North Island, after Mount Ruapehu. The mountain has a secon ...

. A village north of the mountain is also called Egmont.

History

This rural electorate was formed in 1871. Mount Egmont, after which it is named, was

confiscated Confiscation (from the Latin ''confiscatio'' "to consign to the ''fiscus'', i.e. transfer to the treasury") is a legal form of seizure by a government or other public authority. The word is also used, popularly, of spoliation under legal forms, o ...

from

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

by the New Zealand Government under the powers of th
New Zealand Settlements Act 1863
following the

Second Taranaki War The Second Taranaki War is a term used by some historians for the period of hostilities between Māori and the New Zealand Government in the Taranaki district of New Zealand between 1863 and 1866. The term is avoided by some historians, who eit ...

William Gisborne William Gisborne (13 August 1825 – 7 January 1898) was the first New Zealand Cabinet Secretary from 1864 to 1869, Colonial Secretary of New Zealand from 1869 to 1872, and Minister of Public Works between 1870 and 1871. The city of Gisborne in ...

was the first elected representative in

1871 Events January–March * January 3 – Franco-Prussian War – Battle of Bapaume: Prussians win a strategic victory. * January 18 – Proclamation of the German Empire: The member states of the North German Confederation and the sout ...

, elected unopposed. He was a minister in the third Fox Ministry and resigned from Parliament when the government fell on 10 September 1872.

Harry Atkinson Sir Harry Albert Atkinson (1 November 1831 – 28 June 1892) served as the tenth premier of New Zealand on four separate occasions in the late 19th century, and was Colonial Treasurer for a total of ten years. He was responsible for guiding t ...

won the resulting 1872 by-election. He held the electorate until 1891, when he resigned. During this time, he was

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

on four occasions. Atkinson's resignation caused the 1891 by-election, which was won by Felix McGuire. He held the electorate until 1896, when he (successfully) stood for the Hawera electorate instead. He was succeeded by

Walter Symes Walter Symes (1852 – 14 October 1914) was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand. Biography Early life Walter Symes was born in Taranaki in 1852. He came from a rural background, with his parents (who were English immigrants) fa ...

from

1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that Wil ...

until 1902, when he (successfully) stood for

Patea Patea ( ) is the third-largest town in South Taranaki District, New Zealand. It is on the western bank of the Pātea River, 61 kilometres north-west of Whanganui on . Hāwera is 27 km to the north-west, and Waverley 17 km to the east ...

. The next representative was

William Thomas Jennings William Thomas Jennings (1854 – 6 February 1923) was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand. Early life He was born in Auckland, where he attended St. Paul's school and subsequently became an apprentice printer in the offices of ...

from 1902 until 1908, when he (successfully) stood for

Taumarunui Taumarunui is a small town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on an alluvial plain set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River, 65 km south of Te Kuiti and 55 km west of ...

. Bradshaw Dive was elected in 1908 and held the electorate for one term. He was defeated in

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

Thomas Mackenzie Sir Thomas Mackenzie (10 March 1853 – 14 February 1930) was a Scotland, Scottish-born New Zealand politician and explorer who briefly served as the List of Prime Ministers of New Zealand, 18th prime minister of New Zealand in 1912, and ...

, who resigned in 1912.

Charles Wilkinson Charles Wilkinson may refer to: * Charles Wilkinson (MP) (1725–1782), English Member of Parliament *Charles Edmund Wilkinson (1807–1870), acting Governor of British Ceylon * Charles Wilkinson (cricketer) (1813–1889), English cricketer and cle ...

won the resulting 1912 by-election and retired in 1919. He was succeeded by

Oswald Hawken Oswald James Hawken (1870–1957) was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand, and was a cabinet minister 1926–1928 in the Reform Government. He was elected to the Egmont electorate in the 1919 general election, but was de ...

, who won the 1919 election, but was defeated in 1928 by Wilkinson coming out of his retirement. This time, Wilkinson held the electorate until 1943, when he retired for good. The electorate was then held by three members of the National Party;

Ernest Corbett Ernest Bowyer Corbett (7 May 1898 – 15 June 1968) was a New Zealand National Party politician. Early life and family Corbett was born in Ōkato in 1898; his father was William Corbett. His mother was descended from Thomas Hansen, who had co ...

(1943–57),

William Sheat William Alfred Sheat (23 May 1899 – 24 May 1982) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for two Taranaki electorates. Early life Sheat was born at Pihama, Taranaki, in 1899. He was the son of Joseph Sheat and his wife Susannah (). He received ...

(1957–66) and

Venn Young Venn Spearman Young (16 February 1929 – 14 January 1993) was a New Zealand politician. He was a member of the National Party, and served as a Cabinet Minister in the government of Robert Muldoon. He is known for his failed attempt to legalise ...

(1966–78). Egmont was abolished in 1978, and was replaced by the Waitotara electorate.

Members of Parliament

Egmont was represented by twelve Members of Parliament: Key

Election results

1931 election

1928 election

1912 by-election

1905 election

1899 election

1893 election

1891 by-election

1890 election

Notes

References

* * * {{Historic electorates of New Zealand , state=collapsed Historical electorates of New Zealand Politics of Taranaki 1870 establishments in New Zealand 1978 disestablishments in New Zealand