1859 New South Wales colonial election

1859 New South Wales colonial election
← 1858 9 June 1859 –
7 July 1859		 1860 →
All 80 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
41 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Charles Cowper William Forster
Party Government Opposition
Leader's seat East Sydney Queanbeyan
Seats won 34[1][2] 27[1][2]
Results of the election, showing winners in each seat. Seats without member charts indicate the electorate returned one member.
Premier before election

Charles Cowper

 Elected Premier

Charles Cowper[3]

The 1859 New South Wales colonial election was held between 9 June and 7 July 1859. This election was for all of the 80 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in 58 single-member constituencies, seven 2-member constituencies and two 4-member constituencies, all with a first past the post system.[4] Suffrage was limited to adult white males. The previous parliament of New South Wales was dissolved on 11 April 1859 by the Governor, Sir William Denison, on the advice of the Premier, Charles Cowper.

There was no recognisable party structure at this election; instead the government was determined by a loose, shifting factional system. Reporters from the Maitland Mercury recognised 22 members as being part of the government, while 17 members were part of the opposition. Other members were either not sitting, not recognised by the reporters, or a member of the crossbench.[1]

  1. ^ a b c "OPENING OF PARLIAMENT". The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. Vol. XVII, no. 1760. New South Wales, Australia. 1 September 1859. p. 2. Retrieved 27 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ a b "THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY". Empire. No. 2, 442. New South Wales, Australia. 25 July 1859. p. 4. Retrieved 31 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "The Sydney Morning Herald". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. XL, no. 6623. New South Wales, Australia. 30 August 1859. p. 4. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Green 1859 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).