Hawke's Bay politics, 1890-1914: a study in the development of party politics

Abstract

This thesis is a three-cornered study in the development of party politics in the area covered by the old Hawke's Bay Province. This area will be described as the 'region' throughout the thesis, and discussion will be confined to developments in the Hawke's Bay, Napier and Waipawa electorates. At times, parts of the region were included in the Waiapu and Pahiatua electorates, but the politics of these electorates will not be discussed in detail. First, the thesis is a study in the development of party organizations: the motives behind the selection of the candidates and the means by which they were selected, the management of the campaigns, and the relationship between local and national organizations. Brief biographies of the candidates have been included. The discussion has relied on newspaper sources and on some private correspondence. Unfortunately, it appears that no minute books of party meetings have survived, a frustrating loss, as newspapers did not provide detailed information about party membership and finance.