The 1954 Patea by election was held on 31 July during the 30th New Zealand Parliament, and was caused by the resignation of incumbent National MP, William Sheat. Background William Sheat represented the electorate between and 1954 as a National MP, but after a 1953 redistricting much of the Patea seat (including his residence) shifted to the electorate. The seat of had been recreated and the home of the incumbent MP for Egmont, Ernest Corbett, was now situated in Stratford. Sheat did not wish to represent the enlarged, mostly rural, Patea and thought it appropriate that he instead contest Egmont and Corbett contest Stratford. However Corbett was selected again in Egmont instead of Sheat, leading Sheat to accuse the local party electorate organiser of predetermining the candidacy. On 14 May 1954 he resigned his seat with the intention of winning it back at a by-election as an Independent. The writ for the by-election was originally issued on 3 June, but on 12 June Harry Combs (MP for ) died, necessitating a second by-election. The government preferred both by-elections to be held at the same time so in order to postpone the Patea poll the government passed the Patea By-election Act 1954. However, as the Labour candidate in Onslow (Henry May) was unopposed he was declared elected when the writs closed, on 7 July. Candidates Three candidates were nominated for the by-election: Independent William Sheat, a farmer from Hawera. Sheat resigned from Parliament and as a National Party member on the question of party organisation in his electorate, subsequently labelling himself as "unofficial" National. Labour Benjamin Donald Winchcombe, the Town Clerk of the Ohakune Borough Council was selected as the Labour Party candidate. Prior to starting his employment as Ohakune's town clerk in 1949 he served in the Royal Navy during World War II. Liberal John Duggan, a Raetihi farmer (formerly of Hawera), who was a member of what he called a "completely new party, the policy of which is based on the original Liberal ideals of Richard John Seddon." He was formerly a Raetihi Borough Councillor, who did not seek re-election in 1953, but at the time was contesting a council by-election at Raetihi. National The National Party decided not to contest the by-election after holding a specially-convened meeting of the old Patea electorate committee at Waverley on 29 June. After a discussion lasting for an hour and a half