Electoral results for the district of Waratah (New South Wales)

Waratah, an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, had two incarnations, the first from 1894 to 1913, the second from 1930 to 1999.[1][2][3]

Election	Member		Party
1894		Arthur Griffith	Labour
1895
1898
1901
1903 by		Matthew Charlton	Labour
1904		John Estell	Labour
1907
1910
Election	Member		Party
1930		Robert Cameron	Labor
1932
1935
1938
1941
1944
1947
1950
1953
1956		Frank Purdue	Independent
1959
1962		Edward Greaves	Labor
1964 by		Frank Purdue	Independent
1965		Sam Jones	Labor
1968
1971
1973
1976
1978
1981
1984		John Price	Labor
1988
1991
1995

Election results

1995

1973 New South Wales state election: Waratah [4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Sam Jones	21,158	72.4	+3.8
	Democratic Labor	Anne McCosker	5,600	19.2	+19.2
	Independent	George Wawryck	2,453	8.4	+8.4
Total formal votes			29,211	97.0
Informal votes			910	3.0
Turnout			30,121	94.9
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Labor	Sam Jones	22,385	76.6	+8.0
	Democratic Labor	Anne McCosker	6,826	23.4	+23.4
	Labor hold		Swing	+8.0

1991

1991 New South Wales state election: Waratah [5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Price	19,401	65.1	+6.1
	Liberal	Mark Booth	7,299	24.5	-8.2
	Independent	Milton Caine	2,105	7.1	+7.1
	Call to Australia	Stuart Edser	1,008	3.4	+3.4
Total formal votes			29,813	88.3	-7.7
Informal votes			3,968	11.7	+7.7
Turnout			33,781	95.5
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	John Price	20,258	71.0	+9.3
	Liberal	Mark Booth	8,293	29.0	-9.3
	Labor hold		Swing	-9.3

1988

1988 New South Wales state election: Waratah [6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Price	17,294	61.4	+7.7
	Liberal	Milton Caine	10,863	38.6	+10.7
Total formal votes			28,157	95.8	-2.2
Informal votes			1,245	4.2	+2.2
Turnout			29,402	95.6
	Labor hold		Swing	-3.0

1984

1984 New South Wales state election: Waratah [7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Price	13,641	46.8	-23.4
	Liberal	Ashley Saunders	7,314	25.1	-0.6
	Independent	Sam Jones	6,926	23.8	+23.8
	Democrats	Wayne Jarman	1,078	3.7	+3.7
	Independent	John Cain	205	0.7	+0.7
Total formal votes			29,164	97.7	+0.6
Informal votes			677	2.3	-0.6
Turnout			29,841	94.5	+1.0
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	John Price	15,816	63.2	-10.4
	Liberal	Ashley Saunders	9,220	36.8	+10.4
	Labor hold		Swing	-10.4

1981

1981 New South Wales state election: Waratah [8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Sam Jones	20,407	70.2	-2.4
	Liberal	Pauline Graham	7,484	25.7	+1.6
	Communist	Christopher Dodds	1,199	4.1	+0.9
Total formal votes			29,047	97.7
Informal votes			687	2.3
Turnout			29,734	94.8
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Sam Jones	21,107	73.6	-2.0
	Liberal	Pauline Graham	7,574	26.4	+2.0
	Labor hold		Swing	-2.0

1978

1978 New South Wales state election: Waratah [9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Sam Jones	21,100	72.6	+5.2
	Liberal	Beryl Humble	7,006	24.1	-8.5
	Communist	Christopher Dodds	941	3.2	+3.2
Total formal votes			29,047	97.7	-0.6
Informal votes			687	2.3	+0.6
Turnout			29,734	94.8	+0.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Sam Jones	21,947	75.6	+8.2
	Liberal	Beryl Humble	7,100	24.4	-8.2
	Labor hold		Swing	+8.2

1976

1976 New South Wales state election: Waratah [10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Sam Jones	20,201	67.4	-5.0
	Liberal	Richard Bevan	9,786	32.6	+32.6
Total formal votes			29,987	98.3	+1.3
Informal votes			513	1.7	-1.3
Turnout			30,500	94.5	-0.4
	Labor hold		Swing	-9.2

1973

1973 New South Wales state election: Waratah [4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Sam Jones	21,158	72.4	+3.8
	Democratic Labor	Anne McCosker	5,600	19.2	+19.2
	Independent	George Wawryck	2,453	8.4	+8.4
Total formal votes			29,211	97.0
Informal votes			910	3.0
Turnout			30,121	94.9
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Labor	Sam Jones	22,385	76.6	+8.0
	Democratic Labor	Anne McCosker	6,826	23.4	+23.4
	Labor hold		Swing	+8.0

1971

1971 New South Wales state election: Waratah [11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Sam Jones	18,687	68.6	+10.7
	Liberal	Malcolm Blackshaw	8,547	31.4	+31.4
Total formal votes			27,234	98.4
Informal votes			455	1.6
Turnout			27,689	94.9
	Labor hold		Swing	+10.7

1968

1968 New South Wales state election: Waratah [12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Sam Jones	12,642	57.9	+9.7
	Independent	Frank Purdue	9,206	42.1	-2.9
Total formal votes			21,848	98.0
Informal votes			449	2.0
Turnout			22,297	95.4
	Labor hold		Swing	+7.1

1965

1965 New South Wales state election: Waratah [13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Sam Jones	8,748	48.2	−4.5
	Independent	Frank Purdue	8,173	45.0	−2.3
	Democratic Labor	Herbert Collins	824	4.5	+4.5
	Independent	Brian Morgan	403	2.2	+2.2
Total formal votes			18,148	98.0	−0.8
Informal votes			363	2.0	+0.8
Turnout			18,511	95.7	+0.1
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Labor	Sam Jones	9,217	50.8	−1.9
	Independent	Frank Purdue	8,931	49.2	+1.9
	Labor hold		Swing	−1.9

1964 by-election

1964 Waratah state by-election

1962

1962 New South Wales state election: Waratah [14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Edward Greaves	10,024	52.7	+6.0
	Independent	Frank Purdue	8,998	47.3	−6.0
Total formal votes			19,022	98.8
Informal votes			224	1.2
Turnout			19,246	95.6
	Labor gain from Independent		Swing	+6.0

1959

1959 New South Wales state election: Waratah [15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Frank Purdue	9,472	53.3
	Labor	Edward Greaves	8,292	46.7
Total formal votes			17,764	98.9
Informal votes			197	1.1
Turnout			17,961	96.1
	Independent hold		Swing

1956

1956 New South Wales state election: Waratah [16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Frank Purdue	8,829	48.8	+48.8
	Labor	Harry Sheedy	6,608	36.6	−31.3
	Independent	Harry Edwards	2,201	12.2	+12.2
	Communist	Thomas Graham	434	2.4	+2.4
Total formal votes			18,072	98.7	+1.6
Informal votes			235	1.3	−1.6
Turnout			18,307	95.7	−0.2
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Independent	Frank Purdue	10,129	56.0	+56.0
	Labor	Harry Sheedy	7,943	44.0	−23.9
	Independent gain from Labor		Swing	N/A

1953

1953 New South Wales state election: Waratah [17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Robert Cameron	12,187	67.9
	Independent	Alfred Hodge	5,760	32.1
Total formal votes			17,947	97.1
Informal votes			527	2.9
Turnout			18,474	95.9
	Labor hold		Swing

1950

1950 New South Wales state election: Waratah [18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Robert Cameron	12,114	66.4
	Liberal	Harold Hollis	6,140	33.6
Total formal votes			18,254	98.6
Informal votes			262	1.4
Turnout			18,516	95.5
	Labor hold		Swing

1947

1947 New South Wales state election: Waratah [19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Robert Cameron	21,551	87.9	+22.1
	Independent	Stan Deacon	2,960	12.1	+12.1
Total formal votes			24,511	94.7	-2.7
Informal votes			1,373	5.3	+2.7
Turnout			25,884	95.5	+2.6
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

1944

1944 New South Wales state election: Waratah [20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Robert Cameron	15,121	65.8	-20.7
	Communist	Stan Deacon	5,102	22.2	+22.2
	Lang Labor	Leonard Sweeney	2,760	12.0	+12.0
Total formal votes			22,983	97.4	+0.1
Informal votes			618	2.6	-0.1
Turnout			23,601	92.9	-2.2
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

• Preferences were not distributed.

1941

1941 New South Wales state election: Waratah [21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Robert Cameron	19,075	86.5
	Independent	Robert Cram	2,970	13.5
Total formal votes			22,045	97.3
Informal votes			612	2.7
Turnout			22,657	95.1
	Labor hold		Swing

1938

1938 New South Wales state election: Waratah [22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Robert Cameron	16,442	77.8	+19.0
	Communist	Robert Cram	4,693	22.2	+13.8
Total formal votes			21.135	94.4	-2.1
Informal votes			1,249	5.6	+2.1
Turnout			22,384	95.9	-0.9
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

1935

1935 New South Wales state election: Waratah [23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor (NSW)	Robert Cameron	11,451	58.8	+9.9
	Federal Labor	Roy McIlveen	6,390	32.8	+22.5
	Communist	Douglas Gillies	1,625	8.4	+6.7
Total formal votes			19,466	96.5	-1.4
Informal votes			712	3.5	+1.4
Turnout			20,178	96.8	-1.0
	Labor (NSW) hold		Swing	N/A

• Preferences were not distributed.

1932

1932 New South Wales state election: Waratah [24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor (NSW)	Robert Cameron	8,975	48.9	-28.2
	United Australia	Arthur Griffiths	7,183	39.1	+17.2
	Federal Labor	Arthur Griffith	1,892	10.3	+10.3
	Communist	Sidney Bethune	313	1.7	+0.7
Total formal votes			18,363	97.9	-0.1
Informal votes			394	2.1	+0.1
Turnout			18,757	97.8	+2.3
After distribution of preferences
	Labor (NSW)	Robert Cameron	9,234	50.3
	United Australia	Arthur Griffiths	7,208	39.2
	Federal Labor	Arthur Griffith	1,921	10.5
	Labor (NSW) hold		Swing	N/A

• Preferences were not distributed to completion.
• Arthur Griffiths was jointly endorsed by the UAP and Country Party.

1930

1930 New South Wales state election: Waratah [25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Robert Cameron	13,890	77.1
	Nationalist	Harold Sharp	3,936	21.9
	Communist	David Martin	183	1.0
Total formal votes			18,009	98.0
Informal votes			369	2.0
Turnout			18,378	95.5
	Labor hold		Swing

District re-created

1913 - 1930

District abolished

District abolished

1910

1910 New South Wales state election: Waratah [26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Estell	3,957	85.0
	Liberal Reform	Thomas Collins	697	15.0
Total formal votes			4,654	96.3
Informal votes			178	3.7
Turnout			4,832	61.3
	Labour hold

1907

1907 New South Wales state election: Waratah [27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Estell	3,214	84.6
	Independent	David Renfrew	585	15.4
Total formal votes			3,799	93.7
Informal votes			256	6.3
Turnout			4,055	54.5
	Labour hold

1904

1904 New South Wales state election: Waratah [28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Estell	2,112	80.6
	Liberal Reform	Charles Turner	508	19.4
Total formal votes			2,620	99.1
Informal votes			23	0.9
Turnout			2,643	37.1
	Labour hold

Waratah lost parts of the seat to Wickham and Kahibah and was expanded to include part of the abolished seats of East Maitland and Wallsend. John Estell (Labour) was the member for Wallsend. The member for Waratah was Matthew Charlton (Labour) who successfully contested Northumberland while the member for East Maitland, James Brunker (Liberal Reform), unsuccessfully contested Maitland.

1903 by-election

1903 Waratah state by-election

1901

1901 New South Wales state election: Waratah [29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Arthur Griffith	1,099	58.9	+8.6
	Independent Progressive	William Sharp	766	41.1
Total formal votes			1,865	99.3	-0.1
Informal votes			13	0.7	+0.1
Turnout			1,878	72.0	+3.3
	Labour hold

1898

1898 New South Wales colonial election: Waratah [30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Federal	John Gilbert	805	49.6
Total formal votes			817	100.0
Informal votes			1,622	0.0
Turnout			9	0.6
	Labour hold

1895

1895 New South Wales colonial election: Waratah [31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Arthur Griffith	854	53.3
	Protectionist	Ninian Melville	661	41.3
	Ind. Free Trade	William Conn	83	5.2
	Independent Labour	James McWilliams	4	0.3
Total formal votes			1,602	98.0
Informal votes			33	2.0
Turnout			1,635	78.1
	Labour hold

1894

1894 New South Wales colonial election: Waratah [32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Arthur Griffith	820	44.2
	Protectionist	Ninian Melville	680	36.6
	Free Trade	Alfred Clapin	356	19.2
Total formal votes			1,856	99.3
Informal votes			13	0.7
Turnout			1,869	87.9
	Labour win		(new seat)

Notes

References

1. Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
2. "Part 5B alphabetical list of all electorates and Members since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
3. "Former Members". Members of Parliament. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
4. Green, Antony. "1973 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
5. Green, Antony. "1991 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
6. Green, Antony. "1988 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
7. Green, Antony. "1984 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
8. Green, Antony. "1981 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
9. Green, Antony. "1978 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
10. Green, Antony. "1976 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
11. Green, Antony. "1971 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
12. Green, Antony. "1968 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
13. Green, Antony. "1965 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
14. Green, Antony. "1962 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
15. Green, Antony. "1959 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
16. Green, Antony. "1956 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
17. Green, Antony. "1953 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
18. Green, Antony. "1950 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
19. Green, Antony. "1947 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
20. Green, Antony. "1944 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
21. Green, Antony. "1941 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
22. Green, Antony. "1938 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
23. Green, Antony. "1935 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
24. Green, Antony. "1932 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
25. Green, Antony. "1930 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
26. Green, Antony. "1910 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
27. Green, Antony. "1907 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
28. Green, Antony. "1904 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
29. Green, Antony. "1901 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
30. Green, Antony. "1898 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
31. Green, Antony. "1895 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
32. Green, Antony. "1894 Waratah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 April 2020.