By-election in New South Wales, Australia
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Gundagai on 21 November 1884 because of the resignation of Bruce Smith ,[ 1] to return to Melbourne to run his father's business, WM Howard Smith and Sons Ltd .[ 2]
Jack Want was a barrister from Sydney and this was the first occasion he stood for parliament, although he would subsequently serve for 20 years in both houses of parliament, including three periods as Attorney General .[ 6]
Want won the show of hands however a poll was demanded.[ 4]
1884 Gundagai by-election Tuesday 22 April [ 7]
Candidate
Votes
%
James Watson (elected)
558
50.3
Jack Want
552
49.7
Total formal votes
1,110
100.0
Informal votes
0
0.0
Turnout
1,110
61.1
Bruce Smith resigned.[ 7]
^ a b "Mr (Arthur) Bruce Smith (1851-1937)" . Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales . Retrieved 13 May 2019 .
^ Rutledge, Martha (1988). "Smith, Arthur Bruce (1851-1937)" . Australian Dictionary of Biography . Vol. 11. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University . ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 . ISSN 1833-7538 . OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved 22 September 2020 .
^ "Writ of election: Gundagai" . New South Wales Government Gazette . No. 166. 9 April 1884. p. 2413. Retrieved 22 September 2020 – via Trove.
^ a b "Parliamentary elections: nomination for Gundagai" . The Sydney Morning Herald . 19 April 1884. p. 8. Retrieved 22 September 2020 – via Trove.
^ Rutledge, Martha. "Watson, James (1837–1907)" . Australian Dictionary of Biography . Vol. 6. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University . ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 . ISSN 1833-7538 . OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved 22 September 2020 .
^ Finn, Paul (1990). "Want, John Henry (1846–1905)" . Australian Dictionary of Biography . Vol. 12. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University . pp. 380–381. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 . ISSN 1833-7538 . OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved 22 September 2020 .
^ a b Green, Antony . "1884 Gundagai by-election" . New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007 . Parliament of New South Wales . Retrieved 22 August 2020 .