1859 New South Wales colonial election
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All 80 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 41 Assembly seats were needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||
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 Results of the election, showing winners in each seat. Seats without member charts indicate the electorate returned one member. | ||||||||||||||||
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The 1859 New South Wales colonial election was held between 9 June and 7 July 1859. This election was for all of the 80 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in 58 single-member constituencies, seven 2-member constituencies and two 4-member constituencies, all with a first past the post system.[3] Suffrage was limited to adult white males. The previous parliament of New South Wales was dissolved on 11 April 1859 by the Governor, Sir William Denison, on the advice of the Premier, Charles Cowper.
There was no recognisable party structure at this election; instead the government was determined by a loose, shifting factional system. Reporters from the Maitland Mercury recognised 22 members as being part of the government, while 17 members were part of the opposition. Other members were either not sitting, not recognised by the reporters, or a member of the crossbench.[1]
Key dates[edit]
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 11 April 1859 | The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. |
| 7 June to 26 June 1859 | Nominations for candidates for the election closed. |
| 9 June to 7 July 1859 | Polling days. |
| 30 August 1859 | Opening of new Parliament. |
Results[edit]
| New South Wales colonial election, 9 June 1859 – 7 July 1859 [3] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrolled voters | 78,231 | |||||
| Votes cast | 52,153 | Turnout | 52.54 [a] | +9.45 | ||
| Informal votes | 26 | Informal | 0.08 | +0.08 | ||
| Summary of votes by party | ||||||
| Party | Primary votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | |
| Total | 52,153 | 80 | ||||
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "OPENING OF PARLIAMENT". The Maitland Mercury And Hunter River General Advertiser. Vol. XVII, no. 1760. New South Wales, Australia. 1 September 1859. p. 2. Retrieved 27 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "The Sydney Morning Herald". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. XL, no. 6623. New South Wales, Australia. 30 August 1859. p. 4. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b c Green, Antony. "1859 election totals". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
- "Former members of the New South Wales Parliament, 1856-2006". New South Wales Parliament.
See also[edit]
- Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1859–1860
- Candidates of the 1859 New South Wales colonial election
