Electoral district of County of Durham
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| County of Durham New South Wales—Legislative Council | |
|---|---|
 Durham county in modern New South Wales | |
| State | New South Wales |
| Created | 1843 |
| Abolished | 1856 |
| Namesake | Durham County |
| Coordinates | 32°S 151°E / 32°S 151°E |
The Electoral district of County of Durham was an electorate of the New South Wales Legislative Council at a time when some of its members were elected and the balance were appointed by the Governor.[1] It was named after Durham County, which lies on the north side of the Hunter River.
It was created by the 1843 Electoral Districts Act and initially returned one member.[1] It returned two members with the expansion of the Council in 1851 to 54, 18 to be appointed and 36 elected.[2] In 1856 the unicameral Legislative Council was abolished and replaced with an elected Legislative Assembly and an appointed Legislative Council. The district was represented by the Legislative Assembly electorate of Durham
| Election | Member | Term |
|---|---|---|
| 1843 | Richard Windeyer [3] | Jun 1843 – Dec 1847 |
| 1848 by | Stuart Donaldson [4] | Feb 1848 – Jan 1853 |
| 1848 | ||
| 1849 by | Member | Term |
| 1851 | Charles Cowper [5] | Sep 1851 – Feb 1856 |
| 1853 by | Alexander Park [6] | Feb 1853 – Feb 1856 |
Election results
1843
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Windeyer | 122 | 49.19 | |
| William Ogilvie | 71 | 28.63 | |
| Andrew Lang | 55 | 22.18 | |
| Total votes | 248 | 100.00 | |
1848 by-election
Richard Windeyer died in December 1847.[3]
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Donaldson (elected) | 113 | 59.47 | |
| Alexander Park | 77 | 40.53 | |
| Total votes | 190 | 100 | |
1848
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Donaldson (elected) | Show of Hands | ||
| Andrew Lang | |||
1849 by-election
On 26 July 1848, the day prescribed for nominations, Stuart Donaldson and Andrew Lang were nominated. A show of hands was in favour of Donaldson and Lang demanded a poll. The returning officer had neglected to make any preparations for a poll and so declared Donaldson elected.[12] Donaldson attempted to resign on 16 August.[13] The election was declared void by the court of disputed returns and a new writ issued.[14]
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Donaldson (elected) | Unopposed | ||
1851
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Donaldson | 239 | 34.94 | |
| Charles Cowper | 231 | 33.77 | |
| Adolphus Young | 169 | 24.71 | |
| Edward Hunt | 45 | 6.58 | |
| Total votes | 684 | 100 | |
1853 by-election
Stuart Donaldson resigned in January 1853.
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Park (elected) | unopposed | ||