Waitomo was a parliamentaryelectorate in theWaikato region and theKing Country of New Zealand, from 1919 to 1972. The electorate was represented by fourMembers of Parliament.
In the 1918 electoral redistribution, theNorth Island gained a further three electorates from theSouth Island due to faster population growth. Only two existing electorates were unaltered, five electorates were abolished, two former electorate were re-established, and three electorates, including Waitomo, were created for the first time.[1] TheTaumarunui electorate was abolished through the 1918 electoral redistribution, and the vast majority of the Waitomo electorate's area had previously been in the Taumarunui electorate.[2] Settlements that fell within the initial area of the Waitomo electorate wereŌtorohanga,Te Kūiti,Ōhura,Awakino,Mōkau, andWaitara.[3]
The Waitomo electorate was first established for the1919 election.[4] The first representative wasWilliam Thomas Jennings of theLiberal Party.[4]John Rolleston of theReform Party defeated the incumbent by 3447 to 3441 votes, a majority of only six votes.[5] Rolleston in turn was defeated in1928 byWalter Broadfoot of theUnited Party.[6] Broadfoot joined theNational Party in 1936 when it formed through the amalgamation of the United and Reform Parties.[6] He remained the electorate's representative until the1954 election, when he retired.[6]
Broadfoot was succeeded byDavid Seath of the National Party, who represented the electorate until the1972 election, when he retired.[7] In the same year, the Waitomo electorate was abolished.[4]
The Waitomo electorate was represented by four Members of Parliament:[8]
Key
| Liberal | Reform | United | National |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United | Walter Broadfoot | 4,521 | 45.86 | ||
| Labour | Jack Jones | 2,995 | 30.38 | ||
| Country Party | J H Penniket | 2,341 | 23.74 | ||
| Informal votes | 65 | 0.65 | |||
| Majority | 1,526 | 15.49 | |||
| Turnout | 9,857 | 91.08 | |||
| Registered electors | 10,822 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United | Walter Broadfoot | 3,797 | 48.99 | ||
| Reform | John Rolleston | 3,265 | 42.13 | ||
| Labour | Charles Croall | 688 | 8.88 | ||
| Majority | 532 | 6.86 | |||
| Informal votes | 52 | 0.67 | |||
| Turnout | 7,802 | 87.28 | |||
| Registered electors | 8,939 | ||||