Christchurch was a parliamentary electorate

New Zealand electorates

An electorate is a voting district for elections to the Parliament of New Zealand. In informal discussion, electorates are often called seats. The most formal description, electoral district, is rarely seen outside of electoral legislation. Before 1996, all Members of Parliament were directly...

 in Christchurch

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

, New Zealand. It existed three times. Originally it was the Town of Christchurch from 1853 to 1860. From the 1860–61 election to the 1871 election, it existed as City of Christchurch. It then existed from the 1875–76 election until the 1881 election

New Zealand general election, 1881

The New Zealand general election of 1881 was held 9 December to elect a total of 95 MPs to the 8th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 8 December...

. The last period was from the 1890 election

New Zealand general election, 1890

The New Zealand general election of 1890 was one of New Zealand's most significant. It marked the beginning of party politics in New Zealand with the formation of the First Liberal government, which was to enact major welfare, labour and electoral reforms, including giving the vote to women.It was...

 to the 1905 election

New Zealand general election, 1905

The New Zealand general election of 1905 was held on Wednesday, 6 December in the general electorates, and on Wednesday, 20 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 16th session of the New Zealand Parliament...

. Since the 1946 election

New Zealand general election, 1946

The 1946 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 28th term. It saw the governing Labour Party re-elected, but by a substantially narrower margin than in the three previous elections...

, a similarly named electorate called Christchurch Central

Christchurch Central

Christchurch Central is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate in the South Island city of Christchurch. The electorate was established for the 1946 election and has always been won by the Labour Party. Since 2008, the incumbent is Brendon Burns...

 has been in existence.

The historic electorate was represented by 21 Members of Parliament. For some of the time, it was represented by one member at a time. During other periods, it was one of the few three-member electorates in New Zealand.

1853 to 1871

From 1853 to 1871, the electorate was represented by one member at a time. Prior to the 1860-61 election, it was known as Town of Christchurch:

Election	Winner
		Henry Sewell Henry Sewell Henry Sewell was a prominent 19th century New Zealand politician. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand self-government, and is generally regarded as having been the country's first Premier, having led the Sewell Ministry in 1856.-Early life:Sewell was born on 7 September 1807 in the town of...
		Richard Packer Richard Packer (politician) Richard Packer was a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament from 1856–1859 representing the Town of Christchurch electorate. He was also a member of the Canterbury Provincial Council, including its treasurer.-Early life:...
		Henry Sewell
		John Cracroft Wilson
		James FitzGerald James FitzGerald James Edward FitzGerald was a New Zealand politician. According to some historians, he should be considered the country's first Prime Minister, although a more conventional view is that neither he nor his successor should properly be given that title. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand...
		William Travers
		William Sefton Moorhouse William Sefton Moorhouse William Sefton Moorhouse was a New Zealand politician. He was the second Superintendent of Canterbury Province.-Early life:...

1875 to 1881

The electorate was recreated for the 1875–76 election and existed for two terms until the 1881 election as a three-member electorate.

George Grey

George Grey

George Grey may refer to:*Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet , British politician*George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent *Sir George Grey , Governor of Cape Colony, South Australia and New Zealand...

 was elected in both the Thames

Thames (New Zealand electorate)

Thames is a former New Zealand electorate, in the Thames-Coromandel District. It existed from 1871 to 1946.-Geographic coverage:The electorate is based on the town of Thames. At times, it covered the Coromandel Peninsula.-History:...

 and the City of Christchurch electorates in September 1879. Grey came first in the three-member Christchurch electorate (Samuel Paull Andrews

Samuel Paull Andrews

Samuel Paull Andrews was a 19th century politician in Christchurch, New Zealand. Originally from the Isle of Wight, he was the first working class man to become a Member of Parliament in his chosen country.-Early life:...

 and Edward Stevens

Edward Cephas John Stevens

Edward Cephas John Stevens MLC was a New Zealand politician in provincial government in Canterbury, and a member of both the lower and upper houses of parliament. A businessman, he controlled the Christchurch Press for many decades...

 came second with equal numbers of votes, and only 23 votes ahead of Edward Richardson

Edward Richardson

The Hon Edward Richardson, CMG, MLC was a civil and mechanical engineer, and Member of Parliament in New Zealand. Born in England, he emigrated to Australia and continued there as a railway engineer...

). Richardson petitioned against Grey's return on technical grounds, as Grey had already been elected in the Thames electorate. The electoral commission unseated Grey on 24 October, with Richardson offered to fill this vacancy a few days later. Grey kept the Thames seat and remained a member of parliament through that constituency.

Election	Winners
1875-76 election		William Sefton Moorhouse		Edward Richardson Edward Richardson The Hon Edward Richardson, CMG, MLC was a civil and mechanical engineer, and Member of Parliament in New Zealand. Born in England, he emigrated to Australia and continued there as a railway engineer...		Edward Cephas John Stevens Edward Cephas John Stevens Edward Cephas John Stevens MLC was a New Zealand politician in provincial government in Canterbury, and a member of both the lower and upper houses of parliament. A businessman, he controlled the Christchurch Press for many decades...
1879 election New Zealand general election, 1879 The New Zealand general election of 1879 was held between 28 August and 15 September to elect a total of 88 MPs to the 7th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 1 and 8 September. A total number of 82,271 voters turned out to vote.The election came about when George...		Samuel Paull Andrews Samuel Paull Andrews Samuel Paull Andrews was a 19th century politician in Christchurch, New Zealand. Originally from the Isle of Wight, he was the first working class man to become a Member of Parliament in his chosen country.-Early life:...

1890 to 1905

From 1890 until the 1905 election, it was a three-member electorate again. The 1896 by-election was caused by the appointment of William Pember Reeves

William Pember Reeves

The Hon. William Pember Reeves was a New Zealand statesman, historian and poet, who promoted social reform.-Biography:...

 as Agent-General.

Election	Winners
1890 election New Zealand general election, 1890 The New Zealand general election of 1890 was one of New Zealand's most significant. It marked the beginning of party politics in New Zealand with the formation of the First Liberal government, which was to enact major welfare, labour and electoral reforms, including giving the vote to women.It was...		Westby Brook Perceval Westby Brook Perceval Sir Westby Brook Perceval was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party.-Biography:Perceval was born in Launceston, Tasmania, and educated at Christ's College, and at Stonyhurst College in England. He married Jessie Johnston in 1880...		William Pember Reeves William Pember Reeves The Hon. William Pember Reeves was a New Zealand statesman, historian and poet, who promoted social reform.-Biography:...		Richard Molesworth Taylor Richard Molesworth Taylor Richard Molesworth Taylor was a three-term New Zealand Member of Parliament. Born in London in 1835, he moved to Auckland on the Heather Bell in 1846. He travelled to Victoria in 1851, and later to New South Wales and participated in the gold rush before returning to Auckland in 1857...
1891 by-election		Ebenezer Sandford Ebenezer Sandford Ebenezer Sandford was a New Zealand member of parliament, representing the City of Christchurch electorate in 1891–1893....
1893 election New Zealand general election, 1893 The New Zealand general election of 1893 was held on Tuesday, 28 November in the general electorates, and on Wednesday, 20 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 12th session of the New Zealand Parliament...		George John Smith George John Smith George John Smith CBE was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for the City of Christchurch electorate in the South Island, and later a member of the Legislative Council.-Early life:...				William Whitehouse Collins William Whitehouse Collins William Whitehouse Collins was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Christchurch in the South Island.-Early life:Collins was born on 4 September 1853 in Harborne, Staffordshire, England and came to New Zealand in 1890...
1896 by-election				Charles Lewis Charles Lewis (New Zealand) Charles Lewis was an independent conservative Member of Parliament in New Zealand.-Early life:Lewis was born in Christchurch and attended Christ's College in his home city, and Clifton and Malvern Colleges in England. He inherited his father's farm in Halswell. Lewis retired to Waipukurau, in the...
1896 election New Zealand general election, 1896 The New Zealand general election of 1896 was held on Wednesday, 4 December in the general electorates, and on Thursday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 13th session of the New Zealand Parliament...						Tommy Taylor
1899 election New Zealand general election, 1899 The New Zealand general election of 1899 was held on Wednesday, 6 December in the general electorates, and on Tuesday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 14th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of 373,744 voters turned out to...		Harry Ell				William Whitehouse Collins (2nd period)
1901 by-election				George John Smith (2nd period)
1902 election New Zealand general election, 1902 The New Zealand general election of 1902 was held on Tuesday, 25 November in the general electorates, and on Monday, 22 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 15th session of the New Zealand Parliament...				Thomas Henry Davey Thomas Davey (New Zealand) Thomas Henry Davey was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for the electorates of City of Christchurch and Christchurch East.-Early life:Davey was born in Liskeard in south east Cornwall, England. He learned the trade of printing....		Tommy Taylor (2nd period)