Cobar, an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales had two incarnations, from 1894 until 1920 and from 1930 until 1968.[1][2][3]

First incarnation (1894–1920)
Election Member Party
1894   Thomas Waddell Protectionist
1895
1898   William Spence Labour
1901   Donald Macdonell Labour
1904
1907
1910
Oct 1911 by
Dec 1911 by   Charles Fern Labour
1913
1917
1918 by   Mat Davidson Labor
Second incarnation (1930–1968)
Election Member Party
1930   Mat Davidson Labor
1932   Labor (NSW)
1935
1938   Labor / Industrial Labor [a]
1941 Labor
1944
1947
1949 by   Ernest Wetherell Labor
1950
1953
1956
1959
1962
1965   Lew Johnstone Labor

Election results

Elections in the 1960s

1965

1965 New South Wales state election: Cobar [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Lew Johnstone 6,200 45.0 −55.0
Liberal Allan Connell 5,174 37.5 +37.5
Independent Douglas McFarlane 1,416 10.3 +10.3
Independent William Edwards 997 7.2 +7.2
Total formal votes 13,787 97.8
Informal votes 315 2.2
Turnout 14,102 89.6
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Lew Johnstone 7,636 55.4 −44.6
Liberal Allan Connell 6,151 44.6 +44.6
Labor hold Swing N/A

1962

1962 New South Wales state election: Cobar [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Ernest Wetherell unopposed
Labor hold  

Elections in the 1950s

1959

1959 New South Wales state election: Cobar [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Ernest Wetherell unopposed
Labor hold  

1956

1956 New South Wales state election: Cobar [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Ernest Wetherell unopposed
Labor hold  

1953

1953 New South Wales state election: Cobar [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Ernest Wetherell unopposed
Labor hold  

1950

1950 New South Wales state election: Cobar [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Ernest Wetherell 8,717 66.4
Country Frederick Harding 4,419 33.6
Total formal votes 13,136 98.5
Informal votes 203 1.5
Turnout 13,339 87.0
Labor hold Swing
Cobar absorbed the entire district of Sturt, but lost the towns of Bourke and Nyngan to Castlereagh and South Broken Hill and Menindee to the re-constituted Sturt.

Elections in the 1940s

1949 by-election

1949 Cobar by-election
Saturday 12 March [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Ernest Wetherell 6,107 65.3
Liberal Harold Campbell 2,235 23.9
Communist Hadley McMeekin 1,007 10.8
Total formal votes 9,349 98.1
Informal votes 177 1.9
Turnout 9,526 73.9
Labor hold Swing N/A
The by-election was caused by the death of Mat Davidson (Labor).[12]

1947

1947 New South Wales state election: Cobar [13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Mat Davidson unopposed
Labor hold  

1944

1944 New South Wales state election: Cobar [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Mat Davidson 8,352 78.3 -6.1
Lang Labor William Burgess 2,313 21.7 +21.7
Total formal votes 10,665 97.0 0.0
Informal votes 330 3.0 0.0
Turnout 10,995 81.1 -3.3
Labor hold Swing N/A

1941

1941 New South Wales state election: Cobar [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Mat Davidson 10,003 84.4
State Labor David Wight 1,843 15.6
Total formal votes 11,846 97.0
Informal votes 366 3.0
Turnout 12,212 84.4
Labor hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

1938

1938 New South Wales state election: Cobar [16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Mat Davidson unopposed
Labor hold  

1935

1935 New South Wales state election: Cobar [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor (NSW) Mat Davidson 7,978 70.3 +10.1
Federal Labor Joseph Bowe 3,370 29.7 +18.0
Total formal votes 11,348 96.5 -1.8
Informal votes 408 3.5 +1.8
Turnout 11,756 91.9 -1.0
Labor (NSW) hold Swing N/A

1932

1932 New South Wales state election: Cobar [18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor (NSW) Mat Davidson 6,729 60.2 -12.2
Country Eric Killen 3,137 28.1 +28.1
Federal Labor Samuel Bailey 1,306 11.7 +11.7
Total formal votes 11,172 98.3 +1.0
Informal votes 197 1.7 -1.0
Turnout 11,369 92.9 +2.0
Labor (NSW) hold Swing N/A
  • Preferences were not distributed.

1930

1930 New South Wales state election: Cobar [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Mat Davidson 7,645 72.4
Nationalist John Lawson 2,750 26.0
Communist Edmund Rees 172 1.6
Total formal votes 10,567 97.3
Informal votes 288 2.7
Turnout 10,855 90.9
Labor win (new seat)
Cobar was a re-created seat, and comprised part of the districts of Sturt, Lachlan and Namoi. Mat Davidson (Labor) was the member for Murray.

District recreated

1920 - 1930

District abolished

Elections in the 1910s

1918 by-election

1918 Cobar by-election
Saturday 11 May [20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Mat Davidson unopposed
Labor hold  
The by-election was caused by the death of Charles Fern (Labor).[21]

1917

1917 New South Wales state election: Cobar [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Charles Fern unopposed
Labor hold  

1913

1913 New South Wales state election: Cobar [23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Charles Fern 3,529 76.0
Liberal Reform Maxwell Pahlow 1,114 24.0
Total formal votes 4,643 97.2
Informal votes 134 2.8
Turnout 4,777 47.4
Labor hold  
Cobar was significantly expanded, absorbing most of the abolished district of The Darling, including the town of Bourke.

December 1911 by-election

1911 Cobar by-election
Saturday 2 December [24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charles Fern unopposed
Labour hold  
The by-election caused by the death of Donald Macdonell (Labour).[25]

October 1911 by-election

1911 Cobar by-election 1
Saturday 23 September [26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Donald Macdonell (re-elected) unopposed
Labour hold  
The by-election was required because Donald Macdonell (Labour) had been absent for a full session of parliament.[27]

1910

1910 New South Wales state election: Cobar [28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Donald Macdonell unopposed
Labour hold  

Elections in the 1900s

1907

1907 New South Wales state election: Cobar [29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Donald Macdonell Unopposed
Labour hold  

1904

1904 New South Wales state election: Cobar [30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Donald Macdonell 1,982 68.8
Liberal Reform Richard McNeice 899 31.2
Total formal votes 2,881 99.3
Informal votes 19 0.7
Turnout 2,900 44.7
Labour hold  
Cobar absorbed parts of The Lachlan and parts of the abolished seats of The Barwon, Condoublin and Wilcannia. The member for The Barwon was William Willis (Progressive) who unsuccessfully contested The Darling. The member for Condoublin was Patrick Clara (Labour) who unsuccessfully contested Ashburnum. The member for The Lachlan was James Carroll (Progressive) who unsuccessfully contested that seat. The member for Wilcannia was Richard Sleath (Independent Labour) who also unsuccessfully contested The Darling.

1901

1901 New South Wales state election: Cobar [31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Donald Macdonell unopposed
Labour hold  

Elections in the 1890s

1898

1898 New South Wales colonial election: Cobar [32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Spence 777 50.1
National Federal Michael O'Halloran 396 25.5
Independent Federalist Richard Machattie 339 21.9
Independent Samuel Wood 39 2.5
Total formal votes 1,551 98.0
Informal votes 31 2.0
Turnout 1,582 52.0
Labour gain from National Federal  
The sitting member Thomas Waddell (National Federal) successfully contested Cowra.

1895

1895 New South Wales colonial election: Cobar [33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Protectionist Thomas Waddell 538 59.5
Labour Michael O'Halloran 357 39.5
Ind. Free Trade McA Lamrock 9 1.0
Total formal votes 904 99.1
Informal votes 8 0.9
Turnout 912 55.3
Protectionist hold  

1894

1894 New South Wales colonial election: Cobar [34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Protectionist Thomas Waddell 615 50.1
Labour A Murphy 514 41.9
Free Trade Neil Morrison 98 8.0
Total formal votes 1,227 99.0
Informal votes 13 1.1
Turnout 1,240 75.3
Protectionist win (new seat)
Cobar consisted of part of Bourke and parts of the abolished districts of The Bogan and Forbes.[35][36] Thomas Waddell (Protectionist) was one of the members for Bourke.

Notes

  1. ^ Mat Davidson joined the Industrial Labor Party in April 1939,[4] The Industrial Labor Party was readmitted into Labor at the unity conference on 26 August 1939.

References

  1. ^ Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Part 5B alphabetical list of all electorates and Members since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Former Members". Members of Parliament. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  4. ^ "M.L.A. joins Heffron Labor". Tweed Daily. 31 May 1939. p. 5. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via Trove.
  5. ^ Green, Antony. "1965 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  6. ^ Green, Antony. "1962 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  7. ^ Green, Antony. "1959 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  8. ^ Green, Antony. "1956 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  9. ^ Green, Antony. "1953 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  10. ^ Green, Antony. "1950 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  11. ^ Green, Antony. "1949 Cobar by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  12. ^ "Mr Mark Anthony Davidson (1869-1949)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  13. ^ Green, Antony. "1947 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  14. ^ Green, Antony. "1944 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  15. ^ Green, Antony. "1941 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  16. ^ Green, Antony. "1938 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  17. ^ Green, Antony. "1935 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  18. ^ Green, Antony. "1932 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  19. ^ Green, Antony. "1930 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  20. ^ Green, Antony. "1918 Cobar by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  21. ^ "Mr Charles Stuart Fern (1884-1918)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  22. ^ Green, Antony. "1917 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  23. ^ Green, Antony. "1913 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  24. ^ Green, Antony. "December 1911 Cobar by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  25. ^ "Mr Donald Macdonell (1862-1911)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  26. ^ Green, Antony. "October 1911 Cobar by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  27. ^ "Writ of election: Cobar". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 126. 14 September 1911. p. 5063. Retrieved 27 August 2020 – via Trove.
  28. ^ Green, Antony. "1910 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  29. ^ Green, Antony. "1907 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  30. ^ Green, Antony. "1904 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  31. ^ Green, Antony. "1901 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  32. ^ Green, Antony. "1898 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  33. ^ Green, Antony. "1895 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  34. ^ Green, Antony. "1894 Cobar". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  35. ^ "Maps and sketches of proposed Electoral Districts". New South Wales Government Gazette. 23 August 1893. p. 6583. Retrieved 12 April 2020 – via Trove.
  36. ^ "Proclamation: names and boundaries of electoral districts". New South Wales Government Gazette. 5 October 1893. p. 7751. Retrieved 12 April 2020 – via Trove.
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