Waiapu was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate in the Gisborne – East Coast Region of New Zealand, from 1893 (when it took over the eastern part of the

East Cape East Cape is the easternmost point of the main islands of New Zealand. It is at the northern end of the Gisborne District of the North Island. East Cape was originally named "Cape East" by British explorer James Cook during his 1769–1779 voy ...

electorate) to 1908.

Population centres

In the 1892 electoral redistribution, population shift to the

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

required the transfer of one seat from the

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

to the north. The resulting ripple effect saw every electorate established in 1890 have its boundaries altered, and eight electorates were established for the first time, including Waiapu. By area, it was a large electorate. It comprised areas that had previously belonged to the electorate (which was abolished) and to the electorate (which shifted south). Its southern boundary was at the electorate and it extended north to Cape Runaway. Settlements that were covered by the original electorate include Tokomaru Bay,

Tolaga Bay Tolaga Bay () is both a bay and small town on the East Coast, New Zealand, East Coast of New Zealand's North Island located 45 kilometres northeast of Gisborne, New Zealand, Gisborne and 30 kilometres south of Tokomaru Bay. The region around th ...

Te Karaka Te Karaka is a small settlement inland from Gisborne, in the northeast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located in the valley of the Waipaoa River close to its junction with its tributary, the Waihora River. Te Karaka is located on State H ...

Matawai Matawai can refer to: *Matawai people, an ethnic group of Suriname *Matawai language Saramaccan () is a creole language spoken by about 58,000 people of West African descent near the Saramacca and the upper Suriname River, as well as in Paramar ...

, Gisborne,

Wairoa Wairoa is the largest town in the Wairoa District and the northernmost town in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the northern shore of Hawke Bay at the mouth of the Wairoa River and to the west of Mā ...

, and Bay View. In the 1896 electoral redistribution, the Waiapu electorate lost its southern area to the Hawke's Bay electorate, with the

Mohaka River The Mohaka river is on the North Island of New Zealand in the east central region of Hawke’s Bay. Mohaka is a Māori language, Maori word, roughly translated it means “place for dancing”. The iwi (Māori tribes) associated with the Mohaka R ...

used as the new boundary. The settlement of Bay View transferred to the Hawke's Bay electorate. In the 1902 electoral redistribution, the southern boundary of the Waiapu electorate moved further north again, and

Lake Waikaremoana Lake Waikaremoana is located in Te Urewera in the North Island of New Zealand, northwest of Wairoa and west-southwest of Gisborne. It covers an area of . From the Māori Waikaremoana translates as 'sea of rippling waters'. The lake lies wi ...

, the settlement of Wairoa, and the

Māhia Peninsula Māhia Peninsula () is located on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, in the Hawke's Bay region, between the towns of Wairoa and Gisborne. It includes Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1, located near Ahuriri Point at the southern tip ...

transferred to the Hawke's Bay electorate. In the 1907 electoral redistribution, the Waiapu electorate was abolished, and the majority of its area became part of the electorate, with the balance going to the new electorate.

History

Waiapu was represented by one MP, Sir James Carroll, for all fifteen years. He had previously been the MP for

Eastern Maori Eastern Maori was one of New Zealand's four original parliamentary Māori electorates established in 1868, along with Northern Maori, Western Maori and Southern Maori. In 1996, with the introduction of MMP, the Maori electorates were updated, ...

, and in 1908 he became the MP for the Gisborne electorate.

Members of Parliament

Key

Election results

1899 election

Notes

References

* * {{Historic electorates of New Zealand , state=collapsed Historical electorates of New Zealand Gisborne District 1893 establishments in New Zealand 1908 disestablishments in New Zealand