1901 New South Wales state election

The 1901 New South Wales state election was held on 3 July 1901 for all of the 125 seats in the 19th New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in single-member constituencies with a first past the post voting system. The Parliamentary Electorates Act of 1893 had conferred the right to vote on every male British subject over 21 years of age who was resident in New South Wales for a year or more. The 19th parliament of New South Wales was dissolved on 11 June 1901 by the Governor, Lord Beauchamp, on the advice of the Premier, John See.

1901 New South Wales state election

← 1898 3 July 1901 (1901-07-03) 1904 →
All 125 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 63 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader John See Charles Lee James McGowen Party Progressive Liberal Reform Labor Leader since 28 March 1901 April 1901 August 1894 Leader's seat Grafton Tenterfield Redfern Last election 52 seats 45 seats 19 seats Seats won 42 seats 37 seats 24 seats Seat change 10 8 5 Percentage 22.99% 33.55% 18.44% Swing 20.04 0.66 6.26
Results of the election, showing the winning vote share of the elected member.
Premier before election John See Progressive Premier after election John See Progressive

Federation had seen a re-evaluation of priorities among the main political parties in New South Wales, with the Protectionist Party and the Free Trade Party becoming the Progressive Party and the Liberal Reform Party respectively.

Key dates

Date	Event
11 June 1901	The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election.
22 June 1901	Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon.
3 July 1901	Polling day.
23 July 1901	Opening of 19th Parliament.

Results

Main article: Results of the 1901 New South Wales state election

New South Wales state election, 3 July 1901 [1] Legislative Assembly << 1898–1904 >>
Enrolled voters		345,500
Votes cast		194,980		Turnout	62.84	+2.23
Informal votes		1,534		Informal	0.78	−0.14
Summary of votes by party
Party		Primary votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Liberal Reform	65,420	33.55	+0.66	37	−8
	Progressive	44,817	22.99	−20.04	42	−10
	Labour	35,952	18.44	+6.26	24	+5
	Independent	21,595	11.08	+8.09	12	+8
	Independent Liberal	16,770	8.60	+6.72	4	+3
	Ind. Progressive	6,533	3.35	−3.68	2	−2
	Independent Labor	3,565	1.83	+1.82	4	+4
	Socialist Labor	328	0.17	+0.17	0	±0
Total		194,980			125

Popular vote Liberal Reform   33.55% Progressive   22.99% Labor   18.44% Independent   11.08% Ind. Liberal   8.60% Ind. Progressive   3.35% Ind. Labor   1.83% Socialist Labor   0.17% Parliamentary seats Progressive   42 Liberal Reform   37 Labor   24 Independent   12 Ind. Liberal   4 Ind. Labor   4 Ind. Progressive   2

Retiring members

This section is an excerpt from Candidates of the 1901 New South Wales state election § Retiring members.[edit]

Progressive

• Joseph Abbott MLA (Wentworth)
• John Chanter MLA (Deniliquin) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• Austin Chapman MLA (Braidwood) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• Francis Clarke MLA (Hastings and Macleay) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• George Cruickshank MLA (Inverell) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• Thomas Ewing MLA (Lismore) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• Thomas Goodwin MLA (Gunnedah)
• Thomas Hassall MLA (Moree)
• William Sawers MLA (Tamworth) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• Dugald Thomson MLA (Warringah) — elected to the federal House of Representatives.^[a]

Liberal

• Joseph Cook MLA (Hartley) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• Francis Cotton MLA (Newtown-Camperdown)
• Sir Matthew Harris MLA (Sydney-Denison)
• Francis McLean MLA (Marrickville) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• John Neild MLA (Paddington) — elected to the federal Senate
• George Reid MLA (Sydney-King) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• Bill Wilks MLA (Balmain North) — elected to the federal House of Representatives

Labor

• Thomas Brown MLA (Condoublin) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• Billy Hughes MLA (Sydney-King) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• William Spence MLA (Cobar) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• Josiah Thomas MLA (Alma) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• James Thomson MLA (Newcastle West)
• David Watkins MLA (Wallsend) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
• Chris Watson MLA (Young) — elected to the federal House of Representatives

Independent

• John McLaughlin MLA (Raleigh)

Changing seats

Seats changing hands [b]
Seat	1898			1901
	Party		Member	Party		Member
Alma		Labour	Josiah Thomas [c]		Independent Labour	William Williams
Armidale		Progressive	Charles Wilson		Liberal Reform	Edmund Lonsdale
Balmain North		Liberal Reform	Bill Wilks [c]		Labour	John Storey
Boorowa		Progressive	Kenneth Mackay [d]		Labour	Niels Nielsen
Darlington		Liberal Reform	Thomas Clarke		Labour	Phillip Sullivan
Deniliquin		Progressive	John Chanter [c]		Ind. Progressive	Joseph Evans
Gunnedah		Progressive	Thomas Goodwin [e]		Labour	David Hall
Hartley		Liberal Reform	Joseph Cook [c]		Independent	John Hurley
The Hastings and The Macleay		Progressive	Francis Clarke [c]		Liberal Reform	Robert Davidson
The Hawkesbury		Liberal Reform	William Morgan		Progressive	Brinsley Hall
Lismore		Progressive	Thomas Ewing [c]		Independent Liberal	John Coleman
Manning		Liberal Reform	James Young		Progressive	John Thomson
Moree		Progressive	Thomas Hassall [e]		Labour	William Webster
Narrabri		Labour	Hugh Ross [f]		Liberal Reform	Albert Collins
Nepean		Liberal Reform	Samuel Lees		Progressive	Thomas Smith
Newcastle West		Labour	James Thomson [e]		Liberal Reform	Owen Gilbert
Newtown-Camperdown		Liberal Reform	Francis Cotton [e]		Ind. Progressive	James Smith
Newtown-Erskine		Liberal Reform	Edmund Molesworth		Labour	Robert Hollis
Newtown-St Peters		Liberal Reform	William Rigg		Independent Liberal	James Fallick
Northumberland		Progressive	Richard Stevenson [g]		Independent Liberal	John Norton [g]
Parramatta		Ind. Progressive	William Ferris		Liberal Reform	Tom Moxham
Raleigh		Independent	John McLaughlin [e]		Progressive	George Briner
Robertson		Progressive	Robert Fitzgerald		Liberal Reform	William Fleming
Ryde		Ind. Progressive	Edward Terry		Independent Liberal	Frank Farnell
Shoalhaven		Ind. Progressive	David Davis		Liberal Reform	Mark Morton
Sydney-Belmore		Liberal Reform	Sir James Graham		Progressive	Eden George
Sydney-Denison		Liberal Reform	Sir Matthew Harris [e]		Labour	Andrew Kelly
Sydney-Gipps		Progressive	Wilfred Spruson		Labour	William Daley
Sydney-King		Liberal Reform	George Reid [c]		Progressive	Ernest Broughton
Tamworth		Progressive	William Sawers [c]		Independent	Raymond Walsh
Warringah		Progressive	Dugald Thomson [c]		Independent	Ellison Quirk
Wentworth		Progressive	Joseph Abbott [e]		Labour	Robert Scobie
Woollahra		Liberal Reform	John Garland		Independent Liberal	William Latimer
Members changing party
Seat	1898			1901
	Party		Member	Party		Member
Albury		Progressive	Thomas Griffith		Independent	Thomas Griffith
Eden-Bombala		Progressive	William Wood		Independent	William Wood
Gloucester		Progressive	Richard Price		Independent	Richard Price
Hay		Liberal Reform	Frank Byrne		Independent	Frank Byrne
Manaro		Progressive	Gus Miller		Labour	Gus Miller
Petersham		Progressive	John Cohen		Liberal Reform	John Cohen
Quirindi		Independent	Robert Levien		Progressive	Robert Levien
Sherbrooke		Progressive	Broughton O'Conor		Independent	Broughton O'Conor
Sturt		Labour	William Ferguson		Independent Labour	William Ferguson
Tumut		Independent	Robert Donaldson		Progressive	Robert Donaldson
West Maitland		Liberal Reform	John Gillies		Independent	John Gillies
Wickham		Liberal Reform	John Fegan		Progressive	John Fegan
Wilcannia		Labour	Richard Sleath		Independent Labour	Richard Sleath
Woronora		Liberal Reform	John Nicholson		Independent Labour	John Nicholson

Notes

1. Dugald Thomson had been elected as member of the Progressive party in 1898, then known as the National Federal party, described as a free trade federationist.^[2]
2. Compares members at the 1898 election and the 1901 election and does not include the seats of Canterbury where the seat was won by an independent at a by-election but was regained by the Liberal Reform Party at the 1901 election.
3. Elected to the federal parliament.
4. Kenneth Mackay was appointed to the Legislative Council and Niels Nielsen won the seat at the by-election.
5. Did not contest the election.
6. Unsuccessfully contested Quirindi.
7. Richard Stevenson died in 1899 and John Norton won the seat in a by-election, retaining it uncontested at the 1901 election.

See also

• Candidates of the 1901 New South Wales state election
• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1901–1904