Waimea by-election, 1885

Waimea was a parliamentary electorate in the Nelson Province of New Zealand, from 1853 to 1887.

Waimea was located in the northern part of the South Island, facing the Tasman Bay. It is the area around the town (and since 1874 city) of Nelson, but excluded Nelson itself. It includes Wakefield, Brightwater, Richmond and smaller settlements north of Nelson. It was named after the Waimea River.

Waimea was represented by eleven Members of Parliament.

William Travers, MP for Nelson, and William Cautley, MP for Waimea, both resigned on 26 May 1854 – the third day that the new Parliament was sitting. Travers subsequently contested the seat that Cautley had vacated, being elected in the 21 June 1854 Waimea by-election.

Alfred Saunders was elected on 1 February 1861 and resigned on 31 October 1864. He was succeeded by John George Miles, who was elected in the 1864 by-election, which was held on 20 November.

Arthur Robert Oliver was elected on 23 February 1866 and resigned on 9 January 1867. He was succeeded by Edward Baigent, who was elected in the 1867 by-election, which was held on 28 June.

Joseph Shephard was elected on 13 February 1871, and re-elected on 8 December 1979, 9 December 1881 and 22 July 1884. He resigned on 15 April 1885 when he was appointed to the Legislative Council. The resulting 1885 by-election, which was held on 3 June, was contested by six candidates: John Kerr (253 votes), W. N. Franklyn (250 votes), William White (94 votes), Christian Dencker (91 votes), W. Wastney (59 votes) and Jesse Piper (32 votes). Kerr was thus elected.

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