The 1977 electoral redistribution was the most overtly political since the Representation Commission had been established through an amendment to the Representation Act in 1886, initiated by Muldoon's National Government. As part of the 1976 census, a large number of people failed to fill in an electoral re-registration card, and census staff had not been given the authority to insist on the card being completed. This had little practical effect for people on the general roll, but it transferred Māori to the general roll if the card was not handed in. Together with a northward shift of New Zealand's population, this resulted in five new electorates having to be created in the upper part of the North Island. The electoral redistribution was very disruptive, and 22 electorates were abolished, while 27 electorates were newly created or re-established. These changes came into effect for the. In the 1983 electoral redistribution, the Helensville electorate was abolished, and its area went to and. The electorate was re-established in time for the 2002 election in reaction to continued high population growth in and around Auckland. It was made by cutting off the northern flank of the electorate of Waitakere and adding in areas from the electorate of Rodney around its southern boundary. Helensville covered an area of the rapidly growing northern Auckland urban fringe, drawing Helensville and Kumeu from Rodney District, moving south to take in Paremoremo, Greenhithe and Albany from North Shore City, and finally tacking west to include Whenuapai, Hobsonville and West Harbour from Waitakere City. The electorate was abolished as part of the 2019/20 boundary review, with the southern section around the Waitakere Ranges being merged into, an area around Coatesville was shed to, and the rest of the seat was merged into the new electorate of Kaipara ki Mahurangi.
History
In the 1978 election, the Helensville electorate was won by Dail Jones, who had been MP for the electorate since the. After the Helensville electorate was abolished, Jones stood in the West Auckland electorate in the but was defeated by the Labour Party candidate, Jack Elder. The Helensville electorate was re-established for the. Newcomer John Key beat sitting Waitakere MP Brian Neeson to the National Party nomination, and in a tight year for his party, won the electorate by 1,705 votes in a split field when a disgruntled Neeson chose to stand as an independent. At the same election, the former Helensville MP Dail Jones contested the electorate for the New Zealand First Party. Helensville was partly rural and wealthy beyond the national average, making it a safe National electorate, and Key was returned easily in 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2014 with large majorities. Key became National Party leader in 2006 and prime minister in 2008. In December 2016, he announced that he would retire from politics before the 2017 general election. He was succeeded as Helensville MP by Chris Penk.
Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Helensville electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections. 1 Garrett resigned in September 2010, and his list position was taken by Hilary Calvert 2 Clendon entered Parliament in October 2009 following the resignation of Sue Bradford
