South Canterbury (New Zealand electorate)

South Canterbury is a former parliamentary electorate, in South Canterbury, New Zealand. It existed for three parliamentary terms from 1969 to 1978.

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 and one electorate was reconstituted while three electorates were abolished. In the South Island, three electorates were newly created (including South Canterbury) 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.

In the 1967 electoral redistribution, the Ashburton electorate move significantly north, and most of that electorates area came to the South Canterbury electorate. In the south, some area was gained from the Waitaki electorate. Rural land that was previously with the Timaru electorate was also absorbed. The electorate was rural and settlements included Mount Somers, Mount Cook Village, Albury, Burkes Pass, Fairlie, Kimbell, Lake Tekapo, Twizel, Geraldine, Pleasant Point, Kurow, and Waimate.

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