July 1919 Paddington state by-election

July 1919 Paddington state by-election

←  May 1919 26 July 1919 1920  →
Electoral district of Paddington in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Registered	11,419 [1]
Turnout	26.9% ( 8.6)
First party Second party   ASP Candidate John Birt Arthur Reardon Party Labor Socialist Popular vote 2,678 208 Percentage 88.1% 6.8% Swing 30.0 6.8
MP before election Lawrence O'Hara Labor Elected MP John Birt Labor

The July 1919 Paddington state by-election was held on 26 July 1919 to elect the member for Paddington in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, following the death of Labor Party MP Lawrence O'Hara. ^{[2] [3]}

O'Hara had been elected just 21 days prior to his death at the May 1919 Paddington by-election. ^{[4] [5]} He had not yet been sworn in as an MP and was attending the Labor conference the week before his death, but after leaving the conference he came down with influenza amid a global pandemic and died several days later. ^{[6] [7]}

The July by-election was won by Labor's John Birt with a swing of 30% against an Australian Socialist Party candidate and an independent. ^{[8] [9]}

Key events

• 14 June 1919 − Lawrence O'Hara died ^[10]
• 11 July 1919 − Writ of election issued by the Governor ^[a]
• 18 July 1919 − Candidate nominations
• 26 July 1919 − Polling day
• 2 August 1919 − Return of writ

Candidates

Party		Candidate	Background
	Labor	John Birt	President of the Paddington Labor League [12]
	Independent	James Jones	Artist and candidate at the May by-election [13]
	Socialist	Arthur Reardon	Secretary of the Australian Socialist Party [14] [15] [16]

Additionally, the Nationalist Party was expected to contest again (having received 22.1% of the vote at the May by-election) but this did not eventuate, with the party citing the circumstances of the by-election as its reason for not running. ^{[17] [18]}

Result

July 1919 Paddington state by-election ^{[19] [20] [21] [22]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Birt	2,678	88.1	+30.0
	Socialist	Arthur Reardon	208	6.8	+6.8
	Independent	James Jones	153	5.0	+4.6
Total formal votes			3,039	99.1	+0.4
Informal votes			28	0.9	−0.4
Turnout			3,067	26.9	−8.6
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

See also

• Electoral results for the district of Paddington
• List of New South Wales state by-elections

Notes

1. Ordinarily the writ for a by-election would be issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, however the position of Speaker was vacant since the resignation of John Cohen on 30 January 1919 and the writ was issued by Governor Sir Walter Edward Davidson instead. ^[11]

References

1. "LABOR WINS". The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer. 29 July 1919. p. 2. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
2. "Promising Career Ended". The Sun. 15 June 1919. p. 4. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
3. "Who Will Succeed the Late Mr. O'Hara?". Sunday Times. 15 June 1919. p. 3. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
4. "DEATH OF MR. O'HARA". Sydney Morning Herald. 16 June 1919. p. 8. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
5. "ALD. O'HARA'S DEATH". The Gloucester Advocate. 18 June 1919. p. 2. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
6. "ALD. O'HARA, M.L.A., SERIOUSLY ILL". The Daily Telegraph. 14 June 1919. p. 11. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
7. "The Late Mr. L J. O'Hara". Freeman's Journal. 19 June 1919. p. 25. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
8. "STATE POLITICS". Northern Star. 18 June 1919. p. 5. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
9. "In and Out of Parliament". Freeman's Journal. 31 July 1919. p. 16. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
10. "Another Vacancy for Paddington". The Border Morning Mail and Riverina Times. 16 June 1919. p. 3. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
11. "Chief Secretary's Office". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 11 July 1919. p. 3923. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
12. "Mr John Edward BIRT (1873 - 1925)". Parliament of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 28 January 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
13. "Industrialist Opposes Labor". The Sun. 18 July 1919. p. 7. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
14. "Socialists Will Contest Paddington". Sunday Times. 29 June 1919. p. 2. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
15. Donaldson, Mike. "A Hotbed of Rebellion: the NSW South Coast before the formation of the Communist Party". Australian Society for the Study of Labour History. Archived from the original on 29 October 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
16. Percy, John (3 October 1995). "The origins of the CPA". Green Left. Archived from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
17. "ANOTHER PADDINGTON BY- ELECTION". The Grafton Argus and Clarence River General Advertiser. 16 June 1919. p. 3. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
18. "THE PADDINGTON SEAT". Kalgoorlie Miner. 18 June 1919. p. 5. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
19. Green, Antony. "Paddington - By-election July 1919". Parliament of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
20. "LABOUR RETAINS PADDINGTON". The Argus. 28 July 1919. p. 4. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
21. "Labor Candidate Returned". Singleton Argus. 29 July 1919. p. 2. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
22. "Labor Wins". Labor News. 2 August 1919. p. 9. Retrieved 28 January 2025.