1961 Hurunui by-election

The Hurunui by-election 1961 was a by-election held in the electorate in North Canterbury during the term of the 33rd New Zealand Parliament, on 10 June 1961.

The by-election was caused by the death of incumbent MP William Gillespie of the National Party on 23 April 1961.

Candidates
The Labour Party selected Arthur Alexander Adcock as its candidate. Adcock, a railway worker, was secretary of the local Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants branch and a member of the Waimairi County Council. He had contested the seat in 1960 against Gillespie.
 * Labour

There were several names put forward as potential nominees for the National Party candidacy:
 * National


 * Frederick Ashe, a farmer in Flaxton and Okuku, former member of the Eyre County Council who had contested the National nomination for in 1938
 * William Murray Dailey, a farmer at Oxford and chairman of the Oxford County Council
 * J. A. G. Fulton, a farmer at Loburn and former chairman of the Sefton and districts branch of Federated Farmers
 * Clutha N. McKenzie, a farmer at Motunau and chairman of Waipara County Council (grandson of Sir Thomas Mackenzie)
 * Lorrie Pickering, a farmer at Motunau and radio broadcaster who was National's candidate for in 1960
 * Derek Quigley, a farmer at Waipara who was National's candidate for in 1960
 * W. W. Wood, a land agent and bookshop proprietor at Rangiora who was a committee member of the Rangiora National Party

Ultimately Pickering was chosen to contest the seat.

The Social Credit Party selected Malcolm Jack Clark, an engineer from Waikari, as its candidate for the seat.
 * Social Credit

Results
The following table gives the election results:

The by-election was won by Lorrie Pickering.