The previous electoral redistribution was undertaken in 1875 for the1875–1876 election. In the six years since, New Zealand's European population had increased by 65%. In the 1881 electoral redistribution, theHouse of Representatives increased the number of European representatives to 91 (up from 84 since the 1875–1876 election). The number of Māori electorates was held at four. The House further decided that electorates should not have more than one representative, which led to 35 new electorates being formed, including Dunedin Central, and two electorates that had previously been abolished to be recreated. This necessitated a major disruption to existing boundaries.[2][1]
Thomas Bracken, who at the1879 election had unsuccessfully contested theCity of Dunedin electorate, was the first representative.[3] At the1884 election, Bracken was defeated byJames Benn Bradshaw, but Bradshaw died during the term (on 1 September 1886) and Bracken won the resulting by-election. He served for the rest of the term and then retired.[3]
When the electorate was recreated for the1905 election, the election was won byJohn A. Millar of theLiberal Party, who had represented various Dunedin electorates since1893. At the next election in1908, Millar successfully stood in theDunedin West electorate.[7]
The Dunedin Central electorate was won byJames Arnold in that year, who was also of the Liberal Party.[8] At the1911 election, Arnold was beaten byCharles Statham.[9] Statham was a representative of theReform Party, but became anIndependent in 1919. Statham resigned after the1914 election, after irregularities in the counting of the vote turned a 12-vote lead for his competitorJim Munro into a 12-vote loss. Munro, who represented theUnited Labour Party, and Statham contested the resulting1915 by-election, which was narrowly won by Statham. He continued to represent the electorate until his retirement in 1935.[10]
McRobie, Alan (1989).Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books.ISBN0-477-01384-8.
Wilson, Jim (1985) [First published in 1913].New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer.OCLC154283103.
Norton, Clifford (1988).New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington.ISBN0-475-11200-8.
