History
The electorate was created as Christchurch City East for the 1871 election. Edward Jerningham Wakefield was elected and represented the electorate until the end of the electoral term in 1875, when Christchurch City East was abolished again, replaced by the three-member electorate City of Christchurch.
Christchurch East was re-created again for the 1905 election. The first representative, Thomas Davey, held the electorate for three parliamentary terms until 1914, when he retired. Davey was an Independent sympathetic to the Liberal Party.
Davey was succeeded by Henry Thacker of the Liberal Party. Thacker served for two terms and was elected Mayor of Christchurch in 1919.
Thacker was defeated in the 1922 election by Tim Armstrong of the Labour Party. Since his 1922 win, the electorate (for as long as it existed) has been held by Labour. Armstrong was re-elected in the five subsequent general elections and died in office on 8 November 1942.
Armstrong's death triggered the 1943 by-election, which was held on 6 February. The by-election was contested by five candidates, including representatives from the Labour Party, the Labour breakaway party Democratic Labour Party and the National Party. The election was won by the Labour candidate, Mabel Howard, and started her long parliamentary career, which included her becoming the first female cabinet minister in 1947.
Christchurch East was abolished in 1946 and re-created in 1996 for the MMP-era.
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