A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Gwydir on 29 June and 20 July 1865 as a result of the Committee on Elections and Qualifications declaring that the seat of Thomas Dangar was vacant because he had an office of profit under the Crown.[1]
Dangar was elected at the 1865 election for the Gwydir in unusual circumstances. Dangar had been appointed the returning officer but was persuaded to stand for the seat, resulting in a delay of a month before the poll could be held.[2] Dangar had a contract with the Government to carry the mail on the Barwon and Namoi rivers and this was held to be an office of profit and thus disqualified him from being a member of the Legislative Assembly.
Date | Event |
---|---|
24 January 1865 | Election for the Gwydir. |
15 April 1865 | Petition lodged by John Single.[3] |
25 April 1865 | Petition referred to the Committee on Elections and Qualifications. |
25 May 1865 | The Committee on Elections and Qualifications declared that the election of Thomas Dangar was null and void. |
27 May 1865 | Writ of election issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.[4] |
15 June 1865 | Nominations at Wee Waa.[5] |
29 June 1865 | Polling day |
28 July 1865 | Return of writ |
Polling did not occur at the late added polling places until 20 July.[8]
Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Thomas Dangar (re-elected) | 246 | 59.7 | |
John Single | 165 | 40.0 | |
Thomas Dangar Sr [b] | 1 | 0.2 | |
Total formal votes | 412 | 100.0 | |
Informal votes | 0 | 0.0 | |
Turnout | 412 | 36.3 |
It was a comfortable victory for Dangar, with his margin over Single increasing from 53 votes to 81 votes.[9]