# 1901 New South Wales state election

The 1901 New South Wales state election was held on 3 July 1901 for all of the 125 seats in the 19th New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in single-member constituencies with a first past the post voting system. The Parliamentary Electorates Act of 1893 had conferred the right to vote on every male British subject over 21 years of age who was resident in New South Wales for a year or more. The 19th parliament of New South Wales was dissolved on 11 June 1901 by the Governor, Lord Beauchamp, on the advice of the Premier, John See.
Federation had seen a re-evaluation of priorities among the main political parties in New South Wales, with the Protectionist Party and the Free Trade Party becoming the Progressive Party and the Liberal Reform Party respectively.

## Key dates

| Date | Event |
| 11 June 1901 | The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. |
| 22 June 1901 | Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon. |
| 3 July 1901 | Polling day. |
| 23 July 1901 | Opening of 19th Parliament. |

## Results

New South Wales state election, 3 July 1901  Legislative Assembly
<< 1898–1904 >> :
| Enrolled voters | Enrolled voters | 345,500 | | | | |
| Votes cast | Votes cast | 194,980 | | Turnout | 62.84 | +2.23 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,534 | | Informal | 0.78 | −0.14 |
| Summary of votes by party |||||||
| Party | Party | Primary votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change |
| | Liberal Reform | 65,420 | 33.55 | +0.66 | 37 | −8 |
| | Progressive | 44,817 | 22.99 | −20.04 | 42 | −10 |
| | Labour | 35,952 | 18.44 | +6.26 | 24 | +5 |
| | Independent | 21,595 | 11.08 | +8.09 | 12 | +8 |
| | Independent Liberal | 16,770 | 8.60 | +6.72 | 4 | +3 |
| | Ind. Progressive | 6,533 | 3.35 | −3.68 | 2 | −2 |
| | Independent Labor | 3,565 | 1.83 | +1.82 | 4 | +4 |
| | Socialist Labor | 328 | 0.17 | +0.17 | 0 | ±0 |
| Total | Total | 194,980 | | | 125 | |
Popular vote
Liberal Reform
33.55%
Progressive
22.99%
Labor
18.44%
Independent
11.08%
Ind. Liberal
8.60%
Ind. Progressive
3.35%
Ind. Labor
1.83%
Socialist Labor
0.17%
Parliamentary seats
Progressive
42
Liberal Reform
37
Labor
24
Independent
12
Ind. Liberal
4
Ind. Labor
4
Ind. Progressive
2 :

## Retiring members
### Progressive

* Joseph Abbott MLA (Wentworth)
* John Chanter MLA (Deniliquin) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* Austin Chapman MLA (Braidwood) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* Francis Clarke MLA (Hastings and Macleay) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* George Cruickshank MLA (Inverell) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* Thomas Ewing MLA (Lismore) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* Thomas Goodwin MLA (Gunnedah)
* Thomas Hassall MLA (Moree)
* William Sawers MLA (Tamworth) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* Dugald Thomson MLA (Warringah) — elected to the federal House of Representatives.

### Liberal

* Joseph Cook MLA (Hartley) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* Francis Cotton MLA (Newtown-Camperdown)
* Sir Matthew Harris MLA (Sydney-Denison)
* Francis McLean MLA (Marrickville) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* John Neild MLA (Paddington) — elected to the federal Senate
* George Reid MLA (Sydney-King) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* Bill Wilks MLA (Balmain North) — elected to the federal House of Representatives

### Labor

* Thomas Brown MLA (Condoublin) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* Billy Hughes MLA (Sydney-King) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* William Spence MLA (Cobar) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* Josiah Thomas MLA (Alma) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* James Thomson MLA (Newcastle West)
* David Watkins MLA (Wallsend) — elected to the federal House of Representatives
* Chris Watson MLA (Young) — elected to the federal House of Representatives

### Independent

* John McLaughlin MLA (Raleigh)

## Changing seats

Seats changing hands :
| Seat | 1898 | 1898 | 1898 | 1901 | 1901 | 1901 |
| Seat | Party | Party | Member | Party | Party | Member |
| Alma | | Labour | Josiah Thomas | | Independent Labour | William Williams |
| Armidale | | Progressive | Charles Wilson | | Liberal Reform | Edmund Lonsdale |
| Balmain North | | Liberal Reform | Bill Wilks | | Labour | John Storey |
| Boorowa | | Progressive | Kenneth Mackay | | Labour | Niels Nielsen |
| Darlington | | Liberal Reform | Thomas Clarke | | Labour | Phillip Sullivan |
| Deniliquin | | Progressive | John Chanter | | Ind. Progressive | Joseph Evans |
| Gunnedah | | Progressive | Thomas Goodwin | | Labour | David Hall |
| Hartley | | Liberal Reform | Joseph Cook | | Independent | John Hurley |
| The Hastings and The Macleay | | Progressive | Francis Clarke | | Liberal Reform | Robert Davidson |
| The Hawkesbury | | Liberal Reform | William Morgan | | Progressive | Brinsley Hall |
| Lismore | | Progressive | Thomas Ewing | | Independent Liberal | John Coleman |
| Manning | | Liberal Reform | James Young | | Progressive | John Thomson |
| Moree | | Progressive | Thomas Hassall | | Labour | William Webster |
| Narrabri | | Labour | Hugh Ross | | Liberal Reform | Albert Collins |
| Nepean | | Liberal Reform | Samuel Lees | | Progressive | Thomas Smith |
| Newcastle West | | Labour | James Thomson | | Liberal Reform | Owen Gilbert |
| Newtown-Camperdown | | Liberal Reform | Francis Cotton | | Ind. Progressive | James Smith |
| Newtown-Erskine | | Liberal Reform | Edmund Molesworth | | Labour | Robert Hollis |
| Newtown-St Peters | | Liberal Reform | William Rigg | | Independent Liberal | James Fallick |
| Northumberland | | Progressive | Richard Stevenson | | Independent Liberal | John Norton |
| Parramatta | | Ind. Progressive | William Ferris | | Liberal Reform | Tom Moxham |
| Raleigh | | Independent | John McLaughlin | | Progressive | George Briner |
| Robertson | | Progressive | Robert Fitzgerald | | Liberal Reform | William Fleming |
| Ryde | | Ind. Progressive | Edward Terry | | Independent Liberal | Frank Farnell |
| Shoalhaven | | Ind. Progressive | David Davis | | Liberal Reform | Mark Morton |
| Sydney-Belmore | | Liberal Reform | Sir James Graham | | Progressive | Eden George |
| Sydney-Denison | | Liberal Reform | Sir Matthew Harris | | Labour | Andrew Kelly |
| Sydney-Gipps | | Progressive | Wilfred Spruson | | Labour | William Daley |
| Sydney-King | | Liberal Reform | George Reid | | Progressive | Ernest Broughton |
| Tamworth | | Progressive | William Sawers | | Independent | Raymond Walsh |
| Warringah | | Progressive | Dugald Thomson | | Independent | Ellison Quirk |
| Wentworth | | Progressive | Joseph Abbott | | Labour | Robert Scobie |
| Woollahra | | Liberal Reform | John Garland | | Independent Liberal | William Latimer |
| Members changing party |||||||
| Seat | 1898 | 1898 | 1898 | 1901 | 1901 | 1901 |
| Seat | Party | Party | Member | Party | Party | Member |
| Albury | | Progressive | Thomas Griffith | | Independent | Thomas Griffith |
| Eden-Bombala | | Progressive | William Wood | | Independent | William Wood |
| Gloucester | | Progressive | Richard Price | | Independent | Richard Price |
| Hay | | Liberal Reform | Frank Byrne | | Independent | Frank Byrne |
| Manaro | | Progressive | Gus Miller | | Labour | Gus Miller |
| Petersham | | Progressive | John Cohen | | Liberal Reform | John Cohen |
| Quirindi | | Independent | Robert Levien | | Progressive | Robert Levien |
| Sherbrooke | | Progressive | Broughton O'Conor | | Independent | Broughton O'Conor |
| Sturt | | Labour | William Ferguson | | Independent Labour | William Ferguson |
| Tumut | | Independent | Robert Donaldson | | Progressive | Robert Donaldson |
| West Maitland | | Liberal Reform | John Gillies | | Independent | John Gillies |
| Wickham | | Liberal Reform | John Fegan | | Progressive | John Fegan |
| Wilcannia | | Labour | Richard Sleath | | Independent Labour | Richard Sleath |
| Woronora | | Liberal Reform | John Nicholson | | Independent Labour | John Nicholson |