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1898 New South Wales colonial election

← 1895 27 July 1898 (1898-07-27) 1901 →
All 125 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 63 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader William Lyne George Reid James McGowen Party National Federal Free Trade Labor Leader since 1895 September 1891 August 1894 Leader's seat Hume Sydney-King Redfern Last election 42 seats 58 seats 18 seats Seats before 46 57 19 Seats won 52 45 19 Seat change 6 12 Popular vote 76,161 58,214 21,556 Percentage 43.03% 32.89% 12.18% Swing 9.60 4.26 1.02
Results of the election, showing the winning vote share of the elected member.
Premier before election George Reid Free Trade Premier after election George Reid Free Trade

The 1898 New South Wales colonial election was held on 27 July 1898 for all of the 125 seats in the 18th New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in single-member constituencies with a first past the post voting system. Section 23 (1) of the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act of 1893 conferred a right to vote on 'every male person, being a natural born subject, who shall have resided or had his principal place of abode in New South Wales for a continuous period of one year'. The 18th parliament of New South Wales was dissolved on 8 July 1898 by the Governor, Lord Hampden, on the advice of the Premier, George Reid.

The Protectionist Party, the main Opposition, contested this election under the name "National Federal Party", reflecting the party's focus on Federation as an issue at the election.

Key dates

Results

Retiring members

National Federal

• Michael Phillips MLA (Cowra)

Free Trade

• George Greene MLA (Grenfell)
• Leslie Hollis MLA (Goulburn)
• Adrian Knox MLA (Woollahra)

Labor

• Thomas Davis MLA (Sydney-Pyrmont)
• George Smailes MLA (Granville)

Changing seats

See also

• Candidates of the 1898 New South Wales colonial election
• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1898–1901

Notes

1. Four MPs − Henry Clarke (Bega), Philip Morton (The Shoalhaven), William Piddington (Uralla-Walcha) and Dugald Thomson (Warringah) − joined the National Federal Party prior to the 1898 election. Additionally, the party gained Sydney-Fitzroy at a by-election in June 1898. However, Harry Levien (Quirindi) left the party to sit as an independent.
2. Two MPs − John Neild (Paddington) and John Nicholson (Woronora) − joined the Free Trade Party prior to the 1898 election, although this was the only election at which Nicholson was listed as a Free Trade member and Antony Green has suggested he may have been better classified as Independent Labour. William Piddington (Uralla-Walcha) and Dugald Thomson (Warringah) left the FTP and joined the National Federal Party. Additionally, the FTP lost Narrabri at a by-election in June 1898 after the death of Charles Collins.
3. Labor gained Narrabri from the Free Trade Party at a by-election in June 1898.
4. Compares members at the 1895 election and the 1898 election and does not include seats that changed party as a result of a by-election.
5. Thomas Waddell successfully contested Cowra.
6. ^ Did not contest the election.
7. Charles Collins (Free Trade) died in 1898 and Hugh Ross (Labour) had won the seat in a by-election.
8. Philip Morton had been elected as an Independent Free Trader but changed to National Federal.
9. John McElhone (Independent Free Trade) died in 1898 and John Norton (National Federal) had won the seat in a by-election.

References

1. "LATEST ELECTION RETURNS". The Mercury. 30 July 1898. p. 3. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
2. Green, Antony. "Woronora - 1898". Parliament of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
3. "Part 5B - Members returned for each electorate" (PDF). New South Wales Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
4. "Former Members". Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
5. Green, Antony. "1898 election totals". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 18 September 2019.

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See also: Legislative Assembly by-elections Legislative Council by-elections

• Elections in New South Wales
• 1898 elections in Australia
• 1890s in New South Wales