Waipa (New Zealand electorate)

Waipa is a former parliamentary electorate in the Waikato region of New Zealand, which existed for various periods between 1876 and 1996.

In the 1875 electoral redistribution, the House of Representatives increased representation by 10 seats, but this was mostly achieved through adding more members to existing electorates. Only two new electorates were created, and the Waipa electorate was one of them. It was created by splitting the area of the Waikato electorate. For the first election in 1876, polling booths were in Hamilton West (the Waikato River was the electorate's boundary), Ngaruawahia, Alexandra (since renamed to Pirongia), Raglan, and Ohaupo.

In the 1881 electoral redistribution, the Waipa electorate was not altered. In the 1887 electoral redistribution, the Waipa electorate lost some area in the south and east, and Awakino went to the Taranaki electorate, whilst Turangi went to the Tauranga electorate. In the 1890 electoral redistribution, Waipa was abolished and the vast majority of its area went to the Waikato electorate, which shifted west.

In the 1892 electoral redistribution, Waikato electorate moved east again and the Waipa electorate was re-created. For the first time, it extended as far north as the Firth of Thames.

The First Labour Government was defeated in the 1949 election and the incoming National Government changed the Electoral Act, with the electoral quota once again based on total population as opposed to qualified electors, and the tolerance was increased to 7.5% of the electoral quota. There was no adjustments in the number of electorates between the South and North Islands, but the law changes resulted in boundary adjustments to almost every electorate through the 1952 electoral redistribution; only five electorates were unaltered. Five electorates were reconstituted (including Waipa) and one was newly created, and a corresponding six electorates were abolished; all of these in the North Island. These changes took effect with the 1954 election.

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