1898 New South Wales colonial election

The 1898 New South Wales colonial election was held on 27 July 1898 for all of the 125 seats in the 18th New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in single-member constituencies with a first past the post voting system. Section 23 (1) of the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act of 1893 conferred a right to vote on 'every male person, being a natural born [British] subject, who shall have resided or had his principal place of abode in New South Wales for a continuous period of one year'. The 18th parliament of New South Wales was dissolved on 8 July 1898 by the Governor, Lord Hampden, on the advice of the Premier, George Reid.^[3][4]

1898 New South Wales colonial election

← 1895 27 July 1898 (1898-07-27) 1901 →
All 125 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 63 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader William Lyne George Reid James McGowen Party National Federal Free Trade Labor Leader since 1895 September 1891 August 1894 Leader's seat Hume Sydney-King Redfern Last election 42 seats 58 seats 18 seats Seats before 46[a] 57[b] 19[c] Seats won 52 45 19 Seat change 6 12 Popular vote 76,161 58,214 21,556 Percentage 43.03% 32.89% 12.18% Swing 9.60 4.26 1.02
Results of the election, showing the winning vote share of the elected member.
Premier before election George Reid Free Trade Premier after election George Reid Free Trade

The Protectionist Party, the main Opposition, contested this election under the name "National Federal Party", reflecting the party's focus on Federation as an issue at the election.

Key dates

Date	Event
8 July 1898	The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election.
18 – 22 July 1898	Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon.
27 July 1898	Polling day.
16 August 1898	Opening of 18th Parliament.

Results

Main article: Results of the 1898 New South Wales colonial election

New South Wales colonial election, 27 July 1898 [5] Legislative Assembly << 1895–1901 >>
Enrolled voters		301,989
Votes cast		176,998		Turnout	58.61	−1.31
Informal votes		1,638		Informal	0.92	+0.04
Summary of votes by party
Party		Primary votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	National Federal	76,161	43.03	+9.60	52	+10
	Free Trade	58,214	32.89	−4.26	45	−13
	Labour	21,556	12.18	−1.02	19	+1
	Independent Federalist	12,443	7.03	+2.71	4	+2
	Independent	5,290	2.99	−0.38	4	+4
	Ind. Free Trade	3,325	1.88	−5.44	1	−3
	Independent Labour	9	0.01	−1.21	0	−1
Total		176,998			125

Popular vote Nat. Federal   43.03% Free Trade   32.89% Labor   12.18% Ind. Federalist   7.03% Independent   2.99% Ind. Free Trade   1.88% Ind. Labor   0.01% Parliamentary seats Nat. Federal   52 Free Trade   45 Labor   19 Ind. Federalist   4 Independent   4 Ind. Free Trade   1

Retiring members

This section is an excerpt from Candidates of the 1898 New South Wales colonial election § Retiring members.[edit]

National Federal

• Michael Phillips MLA (Cowra)

Free Trade

• George Greene MLA (Grenfell)
• Leslie Hollis MLA (Goulburn)
• Adrian Knox MLA (Woollahra)

Labor

• Thomas Davis MLA (Sydney-Pyrmont)
• George Smailes MLA (Granville)

Changing seats

Seats changing hands [d]
Seat	1895			1898
	Party		Member	Party		Member
Albury		Free Trade	Richard Ball		National Federal	Thomas Griffith
Armidale		Free Trade	Edmund Lonsdale		National Federal	Charles Wilson
Ashfield		Free Trade	Thomas Bavister		National Federal	Bernhard Wise
Bathurst		Free Trade	Sydney Smith		National Federal	Francis Suttor
Bourke		Free Trade	Edward Millen		National Federal	William Davis
Burwood		Free Trade	William McMillan		Ind. Free Trade	William Archer
Camden		Free Trade	Charles Bull		National Federal	John Kidd
Cobar		National Federal	Thomas Waddell [e]		Labour	William Spence
Darlington		National Federal	William Schey		Free Trade	Thomas Clarke
Durham		National Federal	Herbert Brown		Independent Federalist	Walter Bennett
Granville		Labour	George Smailes [f]		Free Trade	John Nobbs
Grenfell		Ind. Free Trade	George Greene [f]		Labour	William Holman
Mudgee		Free Trade	Robert Jones		National Federal	Edwin Richards
Narrabri		Free Trade	Charles Collins [g]		Labour	Hugh Ross
The Nepean		National Federal	Thomas Smith		Free Trade	Samuel Lees
Northumberland		Free Trade	Henry Wheeler		National Federal	Richard Stevenson
Parramatta		Free Trade	Dowell O'Reilly		Independent Federalist	William Ferris
Petersham		Free Trade	Llewellyn Jones		National Federal	John Cohen
Ryde		Free Trade	Frank Farnell		Independent Federalist	Edward Terry
Sherbrooke		Free Trade	Jacob Garrard		National Federal	Broughton O'Conor
The Shoalhaven		Ind. Free Trade	Philip Morton [h]		Independent Federalist	David Davis
Singleton		Free Trade	Albert Gould		National Federal	Charles Dight
Sydney-Bligh		Free Trade	James Harvey		National Federal	Patrick Quinn
Sydney-Fitzroy		Ind. Free Trade	John McElhone [i]		Free Trade	Henry Chapman
Sydney-Gipps		Labour	George Black		National Federal	Wilfred Spruson
Tamworth		Free Trade	Albert Piddington		National Federal	William Sawers
Tumut		National Federal	Travers Jones		Independent	Robert Donaldson
The Tweed		National Federal	Joseph Kelly		Independent	Richard Meagher
Members changing party
Seat	1895			1898
	Party		Member	Party		Member
Bega		Independent Federalist	Henry Clarke		National Federal	Henry Clarke
Paddington		Ind. Free Trade	John Neild		Free Trade	John Neild
Quirindi		National Federal	Robert Levien		Independent	Robert Levien
Raleigh		Independent Federalist	John McLaughlin		Independent	John McLaughlin
Uralla-Walcha		Free Trade	William Piddington		National Federal	William Piddington
Warringah		Free Trade	Dugald Thomson		National Federal	Dugald Thomson
Woronora		Independent Labour	John Nicholson		Free Trade	John Nicholson

See also

• Candidates of the 1898 New South Wales colonial election
• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1898–1901

Notes

1. Four MPs − Henry Clarke (Bega), Philip Morton (The Shoalhaven), William Piddington (Uralla-Walcha) and Dugald Thomson (Warringah) − joined the National Federal Party prior to the 1898 election. Additionally, the party gained Sydney-Fitzroy at a by-election in June 1898. However, Harry Levien (Quirindi) left the party to sit as an independent.^[1]
2. Two MPs − John Neild (Paddington) and John Nicholson (Woronora) − joined the Free Trade Party prior to the 1898 election, although this was the only election at which Nicholson was listed as a Free Trade member and Antony Green has suggested he may have been better classified as Independent Labour.^[2] William Piddington (Uralla-Walcha) and Dugald Thomson (Warringah) left the FTP and joined the National Federal Party. Additionally, the FTP lost Narrabri at a by-election in June 1898 after the death of Charles Collins.
3. Labor gained Narrabri from the Free Trade Party at a by-election in June 1898.
4. Compares members at the 1895 election and the 1898 election and does not include seats that changed party as a result of a by-election.
5. Thomas Waddell successfully contested Cowra.
6. Did not contest the election.
7. Charles Collins (Free Trade) died in 1898 and Hugh Ross (Labour) had won the seat in a by-election.
8. Philip Morton had been elected as an Independent Free Trader but changed to National Federal.
9. John McElhone (Independent Free Trade) died in 1898 and John Norton (National Federal) had won the seat in a by-election.