Marlborough (New Zealand electorate)

Marlborough is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate, in the Marlborough region at the top of the South Island. It existed from 1938 to 1996, and was represented by five Members of Parliament.

Population centres
The 1931 New Zealand census had been cancelled due to the Great Depression, so the 1937 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth into account. The increasing population imbalance between the North and South Islands had slowed, and only one electorate seat was transferred from south to north. Five electorates were abolished, one former electorate was re-established, and four electorates were created for the first time, including Marlborough. The Marlborough electorate replaced the electorate, which had more or less the same shape as Wairau had had since the 1927 electoral redistribution. For the purposes of the country quota, the 1936 census had determined that some 27% of the population lived in urban areas, and the balance in rural areas.

Settlements that were covered by the original electorate included Havelock, Picton, Blenheim, and Kaikōura. The area is noted for growing grapes for white wine.

History
The electorate was created in 1938, replacing the Wairau electorate. Ted Meachen of the Labour Party, who had previously represented Wairau, was the first representative. In the, Meachen was defeated by National's Tom Shand.

In 1996 with the advent of mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation the electorate was included into the Kaikōura electorate. The then MP Doug Kidd was the first MP for Kaikōura.

Members of Parliament
Key