Population centres

The electorate was in the south-western suburbs of 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, and was based on the suburb of Riccarton

Riccarton, New Zealand

Riccarton is a suburb of Christchurch. It is due west of the city centre, separated from it by Hagley Park. Upper Riccarton is to the west of Riccarton.-History:...

.

History

The electorate was created in 1893, and existed to 1978 when it was abolished.

The first representative of the electorate was George Warren Russell, who started his parliamentary career with his 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...

. Russell was beaten 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...

 by William Rolleston

William Rolleston

William Rolleston was a New Zealand politician, public administrator, educationalist and Canterbury provincial superintendent.-Early life:...

, who had distinguished himself through his contribution to education and his support for Canterbury Museum. Rolleston was the last Superintendent

Superintendent (politics)

Superintendent was the elected head of each Provincial Council in New Zealand from 1853 to 1876.-Historical context:Provinces existed in New Zealand from 1841 until 1876 as a form of sub-national government. After the initial provinces pre-1853, new provinces were formed by the New Zealand...

 of Canterbury Province

Canterbury Province

The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. On the east coast the province was bounded by the Hurunui River in the north and the Waitaki River in the south...

. Russell regained the electorate in the 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...

 with a majority of one vote over Rolleston, which brought an end to that political career. Russell lost the Riccarton electorate again in the 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...

, this time to George Witty

George Witty

George Witty was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Riccarton, in the South Island.-Early life:He was born in North Ferriby, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England and came to New Zealand in 1875 with two shillings in his pocket...

, who held the electorate for 23 years until 1925.

Election results

Key

Election	Winner
		George Warren Russell
		William Rolleston William Rolleston William Rolleston was a New Zealand politician, public administrator, educationalist and Canterbury provincial superintendent.-Early life:...
		George Warren Russell
		George Witty George Witty George Witty was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Riccarton, in the South Island.-Early life:He was born in North Ferriby, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England and came to New Zealand in 1875 with two shillings in his pocket...
		Herbert Kyle Herbert Kyle Herbert Seton Stewart Kyle was a Reform Party and from 1935 National Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand. He was born in Brunswick, Victoria, Australia.-Member of Parliament:...
		Jack Watts
		Angus McLagan Angus McLagan Angus McLagan was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.-Political career:McLagan represented the Riccarton electorate from 1946 to 1956, when he died...
		Mick Connelly Mick Connelly Michael Anysley Connelly was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party, and a Cabinet Minister from 1972 to 1975 in the Third Labour Government...
		Eric Holland Eric Holland (politician) Eric Sidney Fostyn Holland is a New Zealand politician who served as cabinet minister and was an elected member of the Parliament of New Zealand from 1967 to 1981....