1874 Waitemata by-elections

{{short description|Two New Zealand by-elections}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

The 1874 Waitemata by-elections were two by-elections held on 28 July and 8 September 1874 in the {{NZ electorate link|Waitemata}} electorate during the 5th New Zealand Parliament.

The first (28 July) by-election was caused by the resignation of the incumbent MP Thomas Henderson on 24 April 1874.

The first by-election was won by Gustav von der Heyde. William Lee Rees had been nominated but subsequently decided not to stand.{{cite news |title=Waitemata Election |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DSC18740717.2.29 |access-date=18 January 2019 |work=Daily Southern Cross | volume=XXX |issue=5273 |date=17 July 1874 |page=5}} This by-election was challenged by petition, as von der Heyde had not yet been naturalised.{{cite news |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18740908.2.2.2 |title= Waitemata Election | work = The New Zealand Herald |date= 8 September 1874 }}{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS18740821.2.12.2 |title= Waitemata Election | work = Auckland Star |date= 23 August 1874 }}{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS18740821.2.12.4 |title= Waitemata Election | work = Auckland Star |date= 21 August 1874 }}

However the second (8 September) by-election confirmed von der Heyde as the MP.{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher=V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103 |page=242}}

In both by-elections he was challenged by John Sangster Macfarlane, who subsequently won the seat in the 1876 general election. Macfarlane favoured abolition of the provinces, and said that the Provincial government was against him.{{cite news |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS18740716.2.10 |title= Waitemata Election | work = Auckland Star |date= 16 July 1874 }}