1891 New South Wales colonial election: Difference between revisions

1891 New South Wales colonial election
All 141 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly; 71 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
	Results of the election, showing winners in each seat. Seats without circles indicate the electorate returned one member.
Premier before election; Sir Henry Parkes; Free Trade	Elected Premier ; Sir Henry Parkes; Free Trade

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The 1891 New South Wales colonial election was held in the then colony of New South Wales between 17 June to 3 July 1891. This election was for all of the 141 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in 35 single-member constituencies, 20 2-member constituencies, 10 3-member constituencies and nine 4-member constituencies, all with a first past the post system. Part 1 (section 10) of the Electoral Act of 1880 set the qualification for election on "every male subject of Her Majesty of the full age of twenty-one years and absolutely free being a natural born or naturalized subject".^[1] Seven seats were uncontested. The previous parliament of New South Wales was dissolved on 6 June 1891 by the Governor, The Earl of Jersey, on the advice of the Premier, Sir Henry Parkes.

The election saw the first appearance of the Labor Party (then known as the Labour Electoral League of New South Wales), which won 35 seats, taking a significant number of votes and seats from both of the previous two major parties in the Assembly, and giving Labour the balance of power.^[2] The main political parties in New South Wales, the Protectionist Party and the Free Trade Party both lost seats to Labour. Parkes held on as Premier until October 1891 when he again lost a vote in the Legislative Assembly, causing Parkes to resign as Premier and leader of the Free Trade Party.^[3] George Dibbs (Protectionist) became Premier after he arranged for support for his government from Labour.^[4]

Key dates

Date	Event
6 June 1891	The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election.
15 to 24 June 1891	Nominations for candidates for the election closed.
17 June to 3 July 1891	Polling days.
14 July 1891	Opening of new Parliament.

Results

New South Wales colonial election, 3 July 1891 ^[5] Legislative Assembly << 1889–1894 >>
Enrolled voters
Votes cast		180,449		Turnout	64.40	+4.87
Informal votes		3,680		Informal	2.00	+0.28
Summary of votes by party
Party		Primary votes	%	Swing	Seats	Ändern Sie
	Protectionist	65,866	36.5	-18.8	52	−14
	Free Trade	65,850	36.5	−16.0	44	−27
	Labor	37,216	20.6	+20.6	35	+35
	Ind. Free Trade	6,684	3.7	+3.7	4	+4
	Ind. Protectionist	3,627	2.0	+2.0	4	+4
	Independent Labor	759	0.4	+0.4	1	+1
	Independent	445	0.25	+0.25	1	+1
Total		202,042			141

Popular vote

Protectionist			36.50%
Free Trade			36.49%
Labor			20.62%
Ind. Free Trade			3.70%
Ind. Protectionist			2.01%
Ind. Labor			0.42%
Independent			0.25%
Parliamentary seats
Protectionist			52
Free Trade			44
Labor			35
Ind. Free Trade			4
Ind. Protectionist			4
Ind. Labor			1
Independent			1

Retiring members

Protectionist

Free Trade

Independent

Adolphus Taylor MLA (West Sydney)
Cecil Teece MLA (Goulburn)

Notes

^ The members of the Labour steering committee were George Black, Joseph Cook, Jack FitzGerald, Thomas Houghton and William Sharp.^[6]^[7]

References

^ Electoral Act of 1880, s.10
^ So Monstrous a Travesty, Ross McMullen. Scribe Publications 2004. p.4.
^ Martin, A W. "Parkes, Sir Henry (1815–96)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
^ Mansfield, Bruce E. "Dibbs, Sir George Richard (1834–1904)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
^ Green, Antony. "1891 election totals". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
^ "The Labor Caucus". The Evening News. 14 July 1891. p. 5. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via Trove.
^ "The Labour representatives in Parliament". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 July 1891. p. 5. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via Trove.

Bibliography

"Former members of the New South Wales Parliament, 1856-2006". New South Wales Parliament.

[Committee-1] The members of the Labour steering committee were George Black, Joseph Cook, Jack FitzGerald, Thomas Houghton and William Sharp.^[6]^[7]

[2] Electoral Act of 1880, s.10

[3] So Monstrous a Travesty, Ross McMullen. Scribe Publications 2004. p.4.

[Parkes_ADB-4] Martin, A W. "Parkes, Sir Henry (1815–96)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 26 February 2021.

[Dibbs_ADB-5] Mansfield, Bruce E. "Dibbs, Sir George Richard (1834–1904)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 20 August 2019.

[Green_1891-6] Green, Antony. "1891 election totals". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 September 2019.

[7] "The Labor Caucus". The Evening News. 14 July 1891. p. 5. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via Trove.

[8] "The Labour representatives in Parliament". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 July 1891. p. 5. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via Trove.

[a]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|Colonial election for New South Wales, Australia in 1891}}
-{{Infobox Election
+{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
-| election_name = New South Wales colonial election, 1891
+{{Use Australian English|date=September 2019}}
+{{Infobox election
+| election_name = 1891 New South Wales colonial election
 | country = New South Wales
 | type = parliamentary
 | ongoing = no
-| previous_election = New South Wales colonial election, 1889
+| previous_election = 1889 New South Wales colonial election
 | previous_year = 1889
-| next_election = New South Wales colonial election, 1894
+| next_election = 1894 New South Wales colonial election
 | next_year = 1894
-| seats_for_election = All 141 seats in the [[New South Wales Legislative Assembly]].
+| seats_for_election = All 141 seats in the [[New South Wales Legislative Assembly]]<br />71 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
 | election_date     =  17 June 1891 – 3 July 1891
@@ Line 34: / Line 37: @@
 | image3 =
-| leader3 = Steering Committee of 5
+| leader3 = Steering Committee of 5{{hsp}}{{efn|name=Committee}}
 | leader_since3 = July 1891
-| party3 = Australian Labor Party
+| party3 = Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch)
 | leaders_seat3 =
 | percentage3 = 20.62%
@@ Line 46: / Line 49: @@
 | before_election = [[Henry Parkes|Sir Henry Parkes]]
 | before_party = Free Trade Party
-| after_election = [[George Dibbs]]
+| after_election = [[Henry Parkes|Sir Henry Parkes]]
-| after_party = Protectionist Party
+| after_party = Free Trade Party
-| map_image = New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1891.svg
+| map_image = 1891 New South Wales colonial election.svg
 | map_size = 300px
+| map_caption = Results of the election, showing winners in each seat. Seats without circles indicate the electorate returned one member.
-| map_caption = Legislative Assembly after the election
 }}
-The '''1891 New South Wales colonial election''' was held between 17 June to 3 July 1891. This election was for all of the 141 seats in the [[New South Wales Legislative Assembly]] and it was conducted in 35 single-member constituencies, 20 2-member constituencies, 10 3-member constituencies and nine 4-member constituencies, all with a [[first past the post]] system. The previous parliament of [[New South Wales]] was dissolved on 6 June 1891 by the [[Governor of New South Wales|Governor]], [[Victor Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey|The Earl of Jersey]], on the advice of the [[Premier of New South Wales|Premier]], [[Henry Parkes|Sir Henry Parkes]].
+The '''1891 New South Wales colonial election''' was held in the then [[colony of New South Wales]] between 17 June to 3 July 1891. This election was for all of the 141 seats in the [[New South Wales Legislative Assembly]] and it was conducted in 35 single-member constituencies, 20 2-member constituencies, 10 3-member constituencies and nine 4-member constituencies, all with a [[first past the post]] system. Part 1 (section 10) of the ''Electoral Act of 1880'' set the qualification for election on "every male subject of Her Majesty of the full age of twenty-one years and absolutely free being a natural born or naturalized subject".<ref>[https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/acts/1880-34a.pdf ''Electoral Act of 1880'', s.10]</ref> Seven seats were uncontested. The previous [[parliament of New South Wales]] was dissolved on 6 June 1891 by the [[Governor of New South Wales|Governor]], [[Victor Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey|The Earl of Jersey]], on the advice of the [[Premier of New South Wales|Premier]], [[Henry Parkes|Sir Henry Parkes]].
-The election saw the first appearance of the [[Australian Labor Party]] (then known as the Labour Electoral League of New South Wales), who took a significant number of votes and seats from the previous two major parties in the assembly. The main political parties in New South Wales, the [[Protectionist Party]] and the [[Free Trade Party]] both lost seats to Labour, with Parkes' Free Trade government losing office to [[George Dibbs]]' Protectionists after Dibbs arranged for support for his government from Labour. The election included seven seats that were uncontested.
+The election saw the first appearance of the [[Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch)|Labor Party]] (then known as the Labour Electoral League of New South Wales), which won 35 seats, taking a significant number of votes and seats from both of the previous two major parties in the Assembly, and giving Labour the [[Balance of power (parliament)|balance of power]].<ref>''So Monstrous a Travesty'', Ross McMullen. Scribe Publications 2004. p.4.</ref> The main political parties in New South Wales, the [[Protectionist Party]] and the [[Free Trade Party]] both lost seats to Labour. Parkes held on as Premier until October 1891 when he again lost a vote in the Legislative Assembly, causing Parkes to resign as Premier and leader of the Free Trade Party.<ref name="Parkes ADB">{{Australian Dictionary of Biography |first=A W |last=Martin |title=Parkes, Sir Henry (1815–96) |id2=parkes-sir-henry-4366 |access-date=2021-02-26}}</ref> [[George Dibbs]] (Protectionist) became Premier after he arranged for support for his government from Labour.<ref name="Dibbs ADB">{{Australian Dictionary of Biography |first=Bruce E |last=Mansfield |title=Dibbs, Sir George Richard (1834–1904) |id2=dibbs-sir-george-richard-3408 |access-date=20 August 2019}}</ref>
 ==Key dates==
@@ Line 76: / Line 79: @@
 ==Results==
+[[File:1891_NSW_Seats.svg|thumb|300px|The Legislative Assembly after the election.]]
-{{Australian elections/Title row
+<section begin=Results />{{Australian elections/Title row
-| title        = New South Wales colonial election, 3 July 1891
+<includeonly>| table style = float:right;clear:right;margin-left:1em;</includeonly>
+| title        = New South Wales colonial election, 3 July 1891{{hsp}}<ref name="Green 1891">{{cite web |first=Antony |last=Green |author-link=Antony Green |title=1891 election totals |url=https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/electionresults18562007/1891/Totals.htm |work=New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007 |publisher=[[Parliament of New South Wales]] |access-date=19 September 2019}}</ref>
 | house        = [[New South Wales Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]]
 | series       = New South Wales colonial election
@@ Line 90: / Line 95: @@
 | informal chg = +0.28
 }}
-{{Australian elections/Party summary|
+{{Australian elections/Party summary
   |government  = yes
   |party_id    = Protectionist
   |votes       = 65,866
-  |votes %     = 36.50
+  |votes %     = 36.5
-  |votes chg   = -14.87
+  |votes chg   = -18.8
   |seats       = 52
   |seats chg   = −14
 }}
-{{Australian elections/Party summary|
+{{Australian elections/Party summary
   |party_id    = Free Trade
   |votes       = 65,850
-  |votes %     = 36.49
+  |votes %     = 36.5
-  |votes chg   = −12.14
+  |votes chg   = −16.0
   |seats       = 44
   |seats chg   = −27
 }}
-{{Australian elections/Party summary|
+{{Australian elections/Party summary
-  |party_id      = Labor
+  |party_id      = Labor NSW
   |votes       = 37,216
-  |votes %     = 20.62
+  |votes %     = 20.6
-  |votes chg   = +20.62
+  |votes chg   = +20.6
   |seats       = 35
   |seats chg   = +35
 }}
-{{Australian elections/Party summary|
+{{Australian elections/Party summary
-  |party_id    = Independent
-  |votes       = 21,595
-  |votes %     = 11.08
-  |votes chg   = +8.09
-  |seats       = 12
-  |seats chg   = +8
-}}
-{{Australian elections/Party summary|
   |party_id    = Independent Free Trade
   |votes       = 6,684
-  |votes %     = 3.70
+  |votes %     = 3.7
-  |votes chg   = +3.70
+  |votes chg   = +3.7
   |seats       = 4
   |seats chg   = +4
 }}
-{{Australian elections/Party summary|
+{{Australian elections/Party summary
   |party_id    = Independent Protectionist
   |votes       = 3,627
-  |votes %     = 2.01
+  |votes %     = 2.0
-  |votes chg   = +2.01
+  |votes chg   = +2.0
   |seats       = 4
   |seats chg   = +4
 }}
 {{Australian elections/Party summary|
-  |party_id    = Independent Labor
+  |party_id    = Independent Labor NSW
   |votes       = 759
-  |votes %     = 0.42
+  |votes %     = 0.4
-  |votes chg   = +0.42
+  |votes chg   = +0.4
   |seats       = 1
   |seats chg   = +1
 }}
-{{Australian elections/Party summary|
+{{Australian elections/Party summary
   |party_id    = Independent
   |votes       = 445
@@ Line 155: / Line 152: @@
   |seats chg   = +1
 }}
-{{Australian elections/Total row |
+{{Australian elections/Total row
-  |total_votes = 426,612
+  |total_votes = 202,042
   |total_seats = 141
 }}
+|}<section end=Results />{{bar box|title=Popular vote|titlebar=#ddd|width=466px|barwidth=650px|bars={{bar percent|Protectionist|{{party color|Protectionist Party}}|36.50}}
-|}
+{{bar percent|Free Trade|{{party color|Free Trade Party}}|36.49}}
+{{bar percent|Labor|{{party color|Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch)}}|20.62}}
+{{bar percent|Ind. Free Trade|#888888|3.70}}
+{{bar percent|Ind. Protectionist|#888888|2.01}}
+{{bar percent|Ind. Labor|#888888|0.42}}
+{{bar percent|Independent|#888888|0.25}}
+{{ bar box break | titlebar=#ddd | title=Parliamentary seats }}
+{{bar percent|Protectionist|{{party color|Protectionist Party}}|36.88|52}}
+{{bar percent|Free Trade|{{party color|Free Trade Party}}|31.21|44}}
+{{bar percent|Labor|{{party color|Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch)}}|24.82|35}}
+{{bar percent|Ind. Free Trade|#888888|2.84|4}}
+{{bar percent|Ind. Protectionist|#888888|2.84|4}}
+{{bar percent|Ind. Labor|#888888|0.71|1}}
+{{bar percent|Independent|#888888|0.71|1}}}}
+==Retiring members==
-==References==
+{{Excerpt|Candidates of the 1891 New South Wales colonial election|section=Retiring Members|subsections=yes}}
-*{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/V3ListFormerMembers|title=Former members of the New South Wales Parliament, 1856-2006|publisher=New South Wales Parliament}}
-*{{Cite web |url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/resources/nswelectionsanalysis/HomePage.htm |title=NSW Elections Analysis |accessdate=2015-04-06 |author=Antony Green |date= |work= |publisher=New South Wales Parliament}}
 ==See also==
 * [[Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1891–1894]]
-* [[Candidates of the New South Wales colonial election, 1891]]
+* [[Candidates of the 1891 New South Wales colonial election]]
+==Notes==
+{{Notelist|refs=
+{{efn|name=Committee|The members of the Labour steering committee were [[George Black (Australian politician)|George Black]], [[Joseph Cook]], [[John Daniel FitzGerald|Jack FitzGerald]], [[Thomas Houghton (politician)|Thomas Houghton]] and [[William Sharp (Australian politician)|William Sharp]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article111984539 |title=The Labor Caucus |newspaper=[[The Evening News (Sydney)|The Evening News]] |date=14 July 1891 |access-date=6 October 2021 |page=5 |via=Trove}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13831435 |title=The Labour representatives in Parliament |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=16 July 1891 |access-date=6 October 2021 |page=5 |via=Trove}}</ref>}}
+}}
+==References==
+{{reflist}}
+==Bibliography==
+*{{Cite web|url=https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/formermembers/pages/former-members-index.aspx|title=Former members of the New South Wales Parliament, 1856-2006|publisher=New South Wales Parliament}}
 {{New South Wales elections}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:New South Wales Colonial Election, 1891}}
-[[Category:Elections in New South Wales]]
+[[Category:Elections in New South Wales|1891]]
 [[Category:1891 elections in Australia]]
-[[Category:19th century in New South Wales]]
+[[Category:June 1891 events]]
+[[Category:July 1891 events]]
+[[Category:1890s in New South Wales]]

v t e Elections and referendums in New South Wales
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See also: Legislative Assembly by-elections Legislative Council by-elections