1915 Clarence state by-election
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The 1915 Clarence state by-election was held on 14 August 1915 to elect the member for Clarence in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, following the death of Liberal Reform Party MP John McFarlane.[1][2]
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14 August 1915
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Electoral district of Clarence in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Registered | 9,768[a] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 53.15% ( 8.40)[a] | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The seat was expected to be retained for Liberal Reform by its candidate, Thomas Henry, but he withdrew during the campaign because he held an office of profit under the Crown.[3][4] William Zuill, who ran as an Independent Liberal, won the seat with 56.7% of the vote, defeating Farmers and Settlers candidate George Morrison.[5][6]
Key events
- 9 July 1915 â John McFarlane dies[7][8]
- 22 July 1915 â Writ of election issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
- 29 July 1915 â Candidate nominations[9][10]
- 4 August 1915 â Thomas Henry withdraws as candidate[11][12]
- 14 August 1915 â Polling day (8am to 7pm)[13][14]
- 26 August 1915 â Return of writ[15][16]
Candidates
| Party | Candidate | Background | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Liberal[b] | William Zuill | Auctioneer[21][22] | |
| Farmers and Settlers | George Morrison | Farmer[21] | |
| Liberal Reform | Thomas Henry | Medical practitioner[21] | |
Three other candidates mentioned in newspaper reports â Hugh McKinnon, W. R. Baker (unaligned) and T. M. Lobban (Liberal-affiliated) â withdrew prior to the close of candidate nominations and did not appear on the ballot.[23][24]
Farmers and Settlers
At the time of the by-election, the Farmers and Settlers Association was in the process of establishing the Progressive Party.[25] George Morrison attempted to receive an official endorsement from the Association, but it chose not to support any candidate.[26] He was still recognised as a Farmers and Settlers candidate and publicly advertised himself as "the farmers' candidate", but was not endorsed by the Progressive Party (although some sources did label him as a Progressive candidate).[21][27][28]
Labor
The Labor Party, which had 27.8% of the vote in Clarence at the 1913 state election, did not contest the seat, although it publicly expressed interest in nominating a candidate.[23][29]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Liberal | William Zuill | 2,904 | 56.69 | +56.69 | |
| Farmers and Settlers | George Morrison | 2,212 | 43.18 | +43.18 | |
| Liberal Reform | Thomas Henry (withdrawn) | 7 | 0.14 | â72.06 | |
| Total formal votes | 5,123 | 98.67 | +2.11 | ||
| Informal votes | 69 | 1.33 | â2.11 | ||
| Turnout | 5,192 | 53.15[a] | â8.40 | ||
| Independent Liberal gain from Liberal Reform | Swing | N/A | |||
See also
Notes
- Estimate based on a roll of 9,768 at the 1913 election.[32]
- Although he was a member of the Farmers and Settlers Association, William Zuill contested the election as an Independent Liberal.[17][18][19][20]