Avon (New Zealand electorate)
Avon is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It was created for the 1861 general election and existed until 1996. It was represented by 13 Members of Parliament and was held by Independents, Liberal Party or Labour Party representatives. Population centres The electorate was in Christchurch, New Zealand, named after the Avon River. For the 1887 by-election, polling booths were in Riccarton and Papanui. For the 1887 general election, polling booths were in Papanui, Bright's Road, Spreydon and New Brighton. For the , polling booths were in Papanui, Richmond, Belfast, Ohoka and Clarkville. History The electorate was created in 1861, and existed continuously until 1996, when with MMP it was absorbed into the new Christchurch East electorate. Alfred Richard Creyke stood in the 1861 general election (held on 1 February) in the Avon electorate for Parliament, whilst William Thomson stood in the same electorate for the Canterbury Provincial Council. Thomson proposed Creyke and vice versa; both were elected unopposed. Creyke thus became the first representative. Creyke resigned from Parliament on 21 April 1862. Creyke was succeeded by William Thomson, who was elected in the 11 June and took his oath on 30 July 1862. He retired on 27 January 1866.