A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Oxley on 21 February 1981 following the resignation of Bruce Cowan (National Country) to successfully contest the federal seat of Lyne at the 1980 election.[1]

By-elections for the seats of Cessnock, Maitland and Sturt were held on the same day.

Dates

DateEvent
29 August 1980 Resignation of Bruce Cowan.[1]
18 October 1980 1980 Australian federal election
22 January 1981 Writ of election issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and close of electoral rolls.[2]
29 January 1981 Day of nomination
21 February 1981 Polling day
13 March 1981 Return of writ

Results

1981 Oxley by-election 
Saturday 21 February [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Country Peter King 15,562 61.7 -0.8
Labor John Eastman 9,675 38.34 +0.8
Total formal votes 25,237 98.85 +0.4
Informal votes 165 0.9 -0.4
Turnout 25,531 79.7 -15.0
National Country hold Swing-0.8

Aftermath

Peter King's career was to be short-lived.[4] The electoral redistribution for the 1981 state election abolished the nearby electorate of Raleigh, and its Country Party MLA, Jim Brown,[5] chose to challenge King for Oxley preselection rather than contest the new electorate of Coffs Harbour. Brown emerged successful after a controversial preselection campaign, and King was forced to retire at the 1981 election.[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Mr David Bruce Cowan (1926–2011)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  2. ↑ "Writ of election: Oxley". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 15. 22 January 1981. p. 419. Retrieved 17 November 2019 – via Trove.
  3. ↑ Green, Antony. "1981 Oxley by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Mr Peter Maurice King". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  5. ↑ "Mr James Hill Brown (1918 - 1999)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
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