A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of East Sydney on 7 March 1931. This was triggered by the death of Labor MP John West.

The by-election was won by Labor candidate Eddie Ward, who was associated with New South Wales Premier Jack Lang's wing of the party.

This was the last by-election contested by the Nationalist Party as it would be replaced by the United Australia Party later that year.

Candidate selection

Businessman and Sydney alderman Lionel Courtenay won Nationalist preselection for the by-election in February 1931, defeating fourteen other candidates including barrister Norman Cowper, former MLA's James Morrish and Thomas Morrow, former Australian cricket captain Monty Noble, and aviator Keith Smith.[1]

Results

East Sydney by-election, 1931[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Eddie Ward 19,975 54.1 -14.3
Nationalist Lionel Courtenay 16,333 44.2 +12.6
Communist Bill Mountjoy 611 1.7 +1.7
Total formal votes 36,919 97.2
Informal votes 1,068 2.8
Turnout 37,987 81.3
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Eddie Ward 55.7 -14.3
Nationalist Lionel Courtenay 44.3 +14.3
Labor hold Swing-14.3

References

  1. "Courtenay in East Sydney". Daily Pictorial. Sydney. 13 February 1931.
  2. "By-Elections 1929-1931". Psephos.
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