1931 East Sydney by-election

A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of East Sydney on 7 March 1931. This was triggered by the death of Labor MP John West.

1931 East Sydney by-election

7 March 1931

First party Second party   Candidate Eddie Ward Lionel Courtenay Party Labor Nationalist Popular vote 19,975 16,333 Percentage 54.1% 44.2% Swing 14.3pp 12.6pp TPP 55.7% 44.3% TPP swing 14.3pp 14.3pp

MP before election John West Labor Elected MP Eddie Ward Labor

The by-election was won by Labor candidate Eddie Ward, who was associated with New South Wales Premier Jack Lang's wing of the party.

This was the last by-election contested by the Nationalist Party as it would be replaced by the United Australia Party later that year.

Candidate selection

Businessman and Sydney alderman Lionel Courtenay won Nationalist preselection for the by-election in February 1931, defeating fourteen other candidates including barrister Norman Cowper, former MLA's James Morrish and Thomas Morrow, former Australian cricket captain Monty Noble, and aviator Keith Smith.^[1]

Results

East Sydney by-election, 1931^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Eddie Ward	19,975	54.1	−14.3
	Nationalist	Lionel Courtenay	16,333	44.2	+12.6
	Communist	Bill Mountjoy	611	1.7	+1.7
Total formal votes			36,919	97.2
Informal votes			1,068	2.8
Turnout			37,987	81.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Eddie Ward		55.7	−14.3
	Nationalist	Lionel Courtenay		44.3	+14.3
	Labor hold		Swing	−14.3