1973 Murray state by-election

Election result for Murray, New South Wales, Australia

A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Murray on 6 October 1973 because of the death of Joe Lawson (Independent).^[1] Lawson had represented the district since 1932, as a member of the Country Party until 1968 when he lost pre-selection. He ran as an independent, winning the seat at the 1968 and 1971 elections.^[2]

Dates

Date	Event
14 August 1973	Joe Lawson died.^[1]
7 September 1973	Writ of election issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.^[3]
14 September 1973	Nominations
6 October 1973	Polling day
2 November 1973	Return of writ

Candidates

This was the first election for all 3 candidates and each would again contest the electorate at the general election in November 1973 with similar results.

Mary Meillon (Liberal) was the eldest daughter of Joe Lawson.^[1]
Bruce Jeffery (Country) was secretary of the Rural Lands Protection Board in Jerilderie and would later be elected the member for Oxley.^[4]
Douglas Drew (Labor) did not stand again after 1973.^[5]

Result

1973 Murray by-election
Saturday 6 October ^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Bruce Jeffery	6,663	39.96	+8.77
	Liberal	Mary Meillon	5,661	33.95	+19.68
	Labor	Douglas Drew	4,351	26.09	+26.09
Total formal votes			16,675	98.6	+1.6
Informal votes			236	1.4	-1.6
Turnout			16,911	85.0	-5.6
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Mary Meillon	8,335	51.15	+51.15
	Country	Bruce Jeffery	8,145	48.85	-0.57
	Liberal gain from Independent		Swing

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Mr Joseph Alexander Lawson (1893-1973)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
^ Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Murray". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
^ "Writ of election: Murray". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 117. 7 September 1973. p. 3899. Retrieved 18 March 2021 – via Trove.
^ "Mr Bruce Leslie Jeffery (1944- )". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
^ Green, Antony. "Index to Candidates: Drew to Edgell". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
^ Green, Antony. "1973 Murray by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 18 March 2021.

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