The Auckland East electorate was established for the1860–1861 election, when theCity of Auckland electorate was split in half. It consisted of most of modern Auckland's central business district. Its boundaries remained largely static until1875–1876 election, when the focus of the electorate shifted eastwards, making room forAuckland North electorate. It was abolished in the1887 election, with most of its territory being absorbed by the neighbouringParnell electorate.
At the1905 election, a new electorate of the same name was created, again by abolishing a multi-member seat calledCity of Auckland. The boundaries of the new Auckland East were similar to those of the original, although its borders often shifted. By the1938 election, it had lost most of the central business district, and was more focused onParnell,Newmarket, andGrafton. It was abolished in the1946 election, with most of its territory becoming part of a re-establishedParnell electorate.
The first seat called Auckland East existed before political parties. The second seat was initially held by theLiberals, but later swung to the risingLabour Party, with theUnited Party (the Liberals' successor) capturing it only once after its initial loss. The seat also briefly belonged to theReform Party, which captured it in a by-election but was unable to keep it.
John A. Lee failed to win the seat for Labour in the1921 by-election, but won it in the1922 election and the1925 election. However he lost the seat in the1928 election (by 37 votes), which he later blamed on boundary changes. In 1927 the Representation Commission proposed altering the boundaries of theParnell electorate; which if confirmed would have made the electorate "dry" or no-licence, and without an authority which could issue temporary licences for the Ellerslie and Alexandra Park raceways. Following objections, the boundary between the Parnell and Auckland East electorates was adjusted to include a hotel in the Parnell electorate (so retaining the licensing committee).[1]
