1941 Waitemata by-election

1941 Waitemata by-election
Turnout	9,794
MP before election; Jack Lyon; Labour	Elected MP ; Mary Dreaver; Labour

The Waitemata by-election was held on 19 July 1941 was caused by the death of Jack Lyon during the term of the 26th New Zealand Parliament. Mary Dreaver of the Labour Party won the by-election; she was the third woman elected to the House of Representatives.

Background and candidates[edit]

Mary Dreaver was chosen as the Labour Party candidate. Previously, she had unsuccessfully sought Labour nomination for the 1930 by-election in the Parnell electorate and Grey Lynn electorate in 1931.^[1] In the 1938 election she stood for Labour in Remuera, coming second.^[2] Lyon's widow Alison considered but, after receiving medical advice, opted not to accept nomination to stand for the seat.^[3]

The National Party chose not to stand an official candidate for the by-election. However, William Brockway Darlow entered the contest as an "independent" National candidate. He was subsequently endorsed by the National Party for the next general election scheduled to take place later that year, but was postponed until 1943 due to World War II.^[4] Darlow had previously contested the seat in 1931 for the United Party, one of National's predecessors.^[5]

Former Auckland City Councilor Norman Douglas stood for the Labour splinter group, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP). As was predicted, the inclusion of a Democratic Labour candidate split Labour's vote. He was president of the DLP's Grey Lynn branch, secretary of the district council and a member of the DLP national executive.^[6]

Results[edit]

The following table contains the election results:

1941 Waitemata by-election^[7]^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Mary Dreaver	4,396	44.88
	Independent National	William Brockway Darlow	3,884	39.65
	Democratic Labour	Norman Douglas	940	9.59
	Independent	Peter Robertson Gardner	414	4.22
	Independent	Henry Thomas Head	88	0.89
Informal votes			72	0.73	-0.14
Majority			512	5.22
Turnout			9,794

Dreaver became the third woman to enter New Zealand's House of Representatives. She was defeated in the next (1943) general election, by the National Party candidate, Henry Thorne Morton.^[9]

Notes[edit]

^ "Labour Candidate". The Evening Post. Vol. CIX, no. 79. 3 April 1930. p. 10. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
^ Laracy, Hugh. "Dreaver, Mary Manson". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
^ "Mrs. Lyon Will Not Contest Waitemata". Northern Advocate. 20 June 1941. p. 3. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
^ "General Election". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXXII, no. 59. 6 September 1941. p. 11. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
^ "Parliamentary Elections". Auckland Star. Vol. LXII, no. 275. 20 November 1931. p. 5. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
^ Hudson, Switzer. "Douglas, Norman Vazey". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
^ "Electoral". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXVIII, no. 24027. 26 July 1941. p. 5. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
^ "Notice of Nominations Received and Polling Places Appointed". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXVIII, no. 24011. 8 July 1941. p. 12. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
^ Wilson 1985, pp. 193, 221.

References[edit]

Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

[1] "Labour Candidate". The Evening Post. Vol. CIX, no. 79. 3 April 1930. p. 10. Retrieved 11 August 2013.

[DNZB_Dreaver-2] Laracy, Hugh. "Dreaver, Mary Manson". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 22 July 2012.

[3] "Mrs. Lyon Will Not Contest Waitemata". Northern Advocate. 20 June 1941. p. 3. Retrieved 25 January 2022.

[General_Election-4] "General Election". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXXII, no. 59. 6 September 1941. p. 11. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

[AS_5_Dec-5] "Parliamentary Elections". Auckland Star. Vol. LXII, no. 275. 20 November 1931. p. 5. Retrieved 5 December 2014.

[DNZB_Douglas-6] Hudson, Switzer. "Douglas, Norman Vazey". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 4 April 2011.

[Waitemata_Election-7] "Electoral". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXVIII, no. 24027. 26 July 1941. p. 5. Retrieved 22 January 2022.

[8] "Notice of Nominations Received and Polling Places Appointed". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXVIII, no. 24011. 8 July 1941. p. 12. Retrieved 24 April 2016.

[FOOTNOTEWilson1985193,_221-9] Wilson 1985, pp. 193, 221.

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26th Parliament	Christchurch South, 1939 Auckland West, 1940 Waipawa, 1940 Waitemata, 1941 Bay of Plenty, 1941 Mid-Canterbury, 1942 Temuka, 1942 Hauraki, 1942 Christchurch East, 1943 Northern Maori, 1943
27th Parliament	Awarua, 1944 Western Maori, 1945 Hamilton, 1945 Dunedin North, 1945 Raglan, 1946
28th Parliament	Avon, 1947 Mount Albert, 1947 Westland, 1947
29th Parliament	Brooklyn, 1951
30th Parliament	Dunedin North, 1953 Onehunga, 1953 Onslow, 1954 Patea, 1954
31st Parliament	Riccarton, 1956 Bay of Plenty, 1957
32nd Parliament	Hamilton, 1959
33rd Parliament	Hurunui, 1961 Waitaki, 1962 Buller, 1962 Timaru, 1962 Otahuhu, 1963 Northern Maori, 1963 Grey Lynn, 1963
34th Parliament	There were no by-elections during the term of the 34th Parliament.
35th Parliament	Southern Maori, 1967 Fendalton, 1967 Petone, 1967 Palmerston North, 1967 Eastern Maori, 1967 Hutt, 1968
36th Parliament	Marlborough, 1970
37th Parliament	Sydenham, 1974
38th Parliament	Nelson, 1976 Mangere, 1977 Pahiatua, 1977 Rangitikei, 1978
39th Parliament	Christchurch Central, 1979 Northern Maori, 1980 Onehunga, 1980 East Coast Bays, 1980
40th Parliament	There were no by-elections during the term of the 40th Parliament.
41st Parliament	Timaru, 1985
42nd Parliament	There were no by-elections during the term of the 42nd Parliament.
43rd Parliament	Tamaki, 1992 Wellington Central, 1992 Tauranga, 1993
44th Parliament	Selwyn, 1994