Birkenhead (New Zealand electorate)

Birkenhead was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, from 1969 to 1996.

Through an amendment in the Electoral Act in 1965, the number of electorates in the South Island was fixed at 25, an increase of one since the 1962 electoral redistribution. It was accepted that through the more rapid population growth in the North Island, the number of its electorates would continue to increase, and to keep proportionality, three new electorates were allowed for in the 1967 electoral redistribution for the next election. In the North Island, five electorates were newly created (including Birkenhead) and one electorate was reconstituted while three electorates were abolished. In the South Island, three electorates were newly created and one electorate was reconstituted while three electorates were abolished. The overall effect of the required changes was highly disruptive to existing electorates, with all but three electorates having their boundaries altered. These changes came into effect with the 1969 election.

This suburban electorate was on the North Shore of Auckland. Most of its original area had previously been with the Waitemata electorate. It was absorbed into the Northcote electorate.

Norman King of the Labour Party had first been elected to the Waitemata electorate in the 1954 election. He was the first representatives for the Birkenhead electorate when it was created for the 1969 election. King was defeated in the 1975 election by Jim McLay of the National Party.

The electorate was abolished in the 1996 election, the first mixed-member proportional (MMP) election.

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