The
1859 New South Wales colonial election was for 80 members representing 67
electoral districts
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...
. The election was conducted on the basis of a simple majority or
first-past-the-post voting
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast their ...
system. In this election there were 9 multi-member districts returning 22 members and 58 single member districts. In the multi-member districts each elector could vote for as many candidates as there were vacancies. 15 districts were uncontested.
The electoral districts and boundaries were established under the ''Electoral Act'' 1858 (NSW), The changes included an increase in the number of members from 54 to 80 and an increase in the number of districts from 54 to 67, with 62 new districts and only five of the former districts remained. The 62 new districts were based on the established Police districts.
The new districts included three districts for people with a mining or business licence in the goldfields,
Goldfields North,
Goldfields South and
Goldfields West, which did not have a residential or property qualification. The average number of enrolled voters per seat in the other districts was 1,394 ranging from
The Paterson (536) to
The Lachlan (3,592).
in December 1859 and the 10 members elected for the 9 Queensland seats ceased to sit.
Election results
Argyle
Balranald
Bathurst
The Bogan
Braidwood
Brisbane
The Burnett
Camden
Canterbury
Carcoar
The Clarence
Central Cumberland
Darling Downs
East Macquarie
East Maitland
East Moreton
East Sydney
Eden
Daniel Egan was defeated as the sitting member for
Monara.
The Glebe
Goldfields North
Goldfields South
Goldfields West
Goulburn
The Gwydir
Hartley
The Hastings
The Hawkesbury
The Hume
The Hunter
Illawarra
John Hargrave
John Gordon Hargrave (6 June 1894 – 21 November 1982), (woodcraft name 'White Fox'), was a prominent youth leader in Britain during the 1920s and 1930s, Head Man of the Kibbo Kift, described in his obituary as an 'author, cartoonist, inve ...
was a member for
East Camden.
Ipswich
Kiama
The Lachlan
Leichhardt
Liverpool Plains
The Lower Hunter
Monara
Daniel Egan was elected for
Eden.
Morpeth
Mudgee
The Murray
The Murrumbidgee
Narellan
The Nepean
New England
Four people were charged with impersonating electors and a petition was lodged against the election.
The Elections and Qualifications Committee conducted a re-count.
Newcastle
Newtown
Northumberland
Orange
Paddington
Parramatta
The Paterson
Patrick's Plains
Queanbeyan
Shoalhaven
St Leonards
Tenterfield
The Tumut
The Upper Hunter
Wellington
West Macquarie
West Maitland
West Moreton
West Sydney
The Williams
Samuel Gordon was the member for the abolished
district of Durham.
Windsor
Wollombi
Yass Plains
See also
*
Candidates of the 1859 New South Wales colonial election
This is a list of candidates for the 1859 New South Wales colonial election. The election was held from 9 June to 7 July 1859.
There was no recognisable party structure at this election.
Retiring Members
*Andrew Aldcorn MLA ( St Vincent)
* Richa ...
*
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Results of the 1859 New South Wales colonial election
1859