1866 New Zealand general election
The 1866 New Zealand general election ran from 12 February to 6 April 1866. It elected 70 Members of Parliament to the fourth New Zealand Parliament. The Independent party, led by Edward Stafford, won all 70 seats, and Stafford remained Premier.
In 1867, four Māori electorates were created as a temporary measure for five years: Eastern Maori, Northern Maori, Southern Maori and Western Maori. The first Māori elections for these seats were held in 1868, with universal suffrage for Māori males over 21.
The first four Māori MPs were Tareha Te Moananui (Eastern Maori), Frederick Nene Russell (Northern Maori), John Patterson (Southern Maori) who all retired by 1870, and Mete Kīngi Paetahi (Western Maori), who was defeated in 1871.
A Moorhouse was elected in both the Mount Herbert and Westland electorates, and he chose to represent Westland.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:26 (CET).