Colonial election for New South Wales, Australia in 1856
The1856 New South Wales colonial election was to return 54 members ofLegislative Assembly composed of 34electoral districts with 18 returning 1 member, 13 returning 2 members, two returning 3 members and one returning 4 members, all with afirst past the post system.[1] In multi-member districts, because each voter could cast more than one vote, it is not possible to total the votes to show the number of voters and voter turnout in these districts is estimated. 8 members from 6 districts were returned unopposed.[2]
Polling was conducted on 31 March 1856. Plunkett served in the old Legislative Council as an appointed member. After failed attempts to win election forSydney City andNorth Eastern Boroughs, Plunkett was elected to representBathurst (County) on the same day as winning Argyle. After attending the first sitting of Parliament representing both seats, and even attempting to use both votes in the ballot forSpeaker, Plunkett resigned as MP for Bathurst (County) and represented Argyle. Sitting Legislative Councillor forCounty of Argyle wasCharles Nicholson who did not contest the election.
Polling was conducted on 31 March 1856. Both Bligh and Plunkett had served in the old Legislative Council, Bligh representingCounty of Bathurst and Plunkett as an appointed member. After failed attempts to win election forSydney City andNorth Eastern Boroughs, Plunkett was elected to representArgyle on the same day as winning Bathurst (County). After signing the attendance book at the first sitting as a representative of both seats, and even attempting to vote twice in the ballot for Speaker, he chose to represent Argyle and resigned as member for Bathurst (County).
Polling was conducted on 9 April 1856. Manning had served in the old Legislative Council as an appointed member. Unlike other newly appointed Ministers, he did not have to resign and contest a ministerial by-election as he already held the office of Solicitor-General at the time of his election. Weekes was elected, but later won an appeal against his defeat inNorthumberland Boroughs, choosing to sit for that seat and resign from this seat. The subsequentby-election was won by Brenan.
Polling was conducted on 7 April 1856. Park had representedCounty of Durham in the old Legislative Council, while another representative inCharles Cowper contestedSydney City.
Polling was conducted on 10 April 1856. Barker served in the old Legislative Council as an appointed member. Sitting Legislative Councillor forCounties of Gloucester and Macquarie wasPhillip Parker King who did not contest the election.
Polling was conducted on 29 March 1856. Both Flood and Plunkett had served in the old Legislative Council, Flood representingthis district and Plunkett as an appointed member. Plunkett had earlier contestedSydney City and was unsuccessful. After his defeat in this seat, Plunkett contested bothArgyle andBathurst (County).
Polling was conducted on 17 April 1856. Both Bowman and Douglass had representedCounties of Northumberland and Hunter in the old Legislative Council.John Plunkett was nominated to stand in this seat but after being elected to bothArgyle andBathurst (County) on 31 March, he withdrew his nomination.
Polling was conducted on 28 March 1856. Nichols representedthis district in the old Legislative Council. Committee of Elections and Qualificationsconducted a re-count and overturned the election ofBourn Russell and declared thatElias Weekes had been elected.[23]
Polling was conducted on 29 March 1856. Both Parker and Oakes had served in the old Legislative Council, Oakes representingTown of Parramatta and Parker as an appointed member.
Cowper, Parkes, Campbell and Wilshire had been endorsed as a group by a public meeting to be elected to the four vacancies.[33] Parkes, Campbell and Wilshire all representedCity of Sydney in the Legislative Council while Cowper representedCounty of Durham. There were no political parties at the time and the combination of candidates, pejoratively referred to by Plunkett as "The Bunch", was controversial.[34] Plunket, who had been an appointed member of the Council, campaigned on the slogan "plump for Plunket",[35] a reference to thevoting practice of voting for a single candidate rather than the four candidates an elector was entitled to vote for.[36]
After his defeat in this seat, Plunkett unsuccessfully contestedNorth Eastern Boroughs, before being elected for bothArgyle andBathurst (County). Plunket chose to represent Argyle and resigned as member for Bathurst (County).
Polling was conducted on 11 March 1856. Both Donaldson and Cooper served in the old Legislative Council, Donaldson representingSydney Hamlets and CooperMurray and St Vincent.
Results ofNew South Wales State elections