Electoral district of Durham

Durham was an electoral district for the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, named after Durham County, which lies on the north side of the Hunter River. From 1856 to 1859, it elected three members simultaneously by voters casting three votes with the three leading candidates being elected. It was abolished in 1859 with the county being split between the districts of Hunter, Lower Hunter, Upper Hunter, Morpeth, Paterson, Patrick's Plains and Williams.[1]

It was recreated in 1880, replacing parts of Paterson and Williams, as a single-member electorate. It was abolished in 1920.

Members for Durham
Three members (1856–1859)
MemberPartyTermMemberPartyTermMemberPartyTerm
  Richard Jones [2] None 1856–1859   William Arnold [3] None 1856–1859   Samuel Gordon [4] None 1856–1859
Single-member (1880–1920)
MemberPartyTerm
  Herbert Brown [5] None 1880–1887
  Free Trade 1887–1894
  Independent Free Trade 1894–1895
  Protectionist 1895–1898
  Walter Bennett [6] Independent Protectionist 1898–1901
  Progressive 1901–1907
  William Brown [7] Independent Liberal 1907–1910
  Liberal Reform 1910–1917
  Nationalist 1917–1917
  Walter Bennett [6] Independent 1917–1920

Election results

Elections in the 1910s

1917
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1917 New South Wales state election § Durham[edit]
1917 New South Wales state election: Durham [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Nationalist William Brown 2,767 45.0 -5.4
Independent Walter Bennett 1,872 30.5 -11.8
Labor Walter O'Hearn 1,029 16.8 +9.5
Independent Daniel Ferry 475 7.7 +7.7
Total formal votes 6,143 98.7 +0.9
Informal votes 78 1.3 -0.9
Turnout 6,221 65.9 -8.0
1917 New South Wales state election: Durham - Second Round [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Walter Bennett 3,021 50.1
Nationalist William Brown 3,005 49.9
Total formal votes 6,026 99.4 +0.7
Informal votes 39 0.6 -0.7
Turnout 6,065 64.3 -1.6
Independent gain from Nationalist  

1913
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1913 New South Wales state election § Durham[edit]
1913 New South Wales state election: Durham [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Farmers and Settlers William Brown [lower-alpha 1] 3,509 50.4
Country Party Association Walter Bennett 2,944 42.3
Labor William Walton 505 7.3
Total formal votes 6,958 97.8
Informal votes 158 2.2
Turnout 7,116 73.9
Member changed to Farmers and Settlers but jointly endorsed by Liberal Reform  

1910
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1910 New South Wales state election § Durham[edit]
1910 New South Wales state election: Durham [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Reform William Brown 2,726 48.30
Independent Liberal Walter Bennett 2,155 38.18
Labour Robert Elkin 763 13.52
Total formal votes 5,644 98.16
Informal votes 106 1.84
Turnout 7,750 71.36
1910 New South Wales state election: Durham - Second Round[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Reform William Brown 3,169 50.50
Independent Liberal Walter Bennett 3,106 49.50
Total formal votes 6,275 98.99
Informal votes 64 1.01
Turnout 6,339 78.67
Member changed to Liberal Reform from Ind Liberal

Elections in the 1900s

1907
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1907 New South Wales state election § Durham[edit]
1907 New South Wales state election: Durham [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Liberal William Brown 2,221 50.6
Former Progressive Walter Bennett 2,166 49.4
Total formal votes 4,387 97.6
Informal votes 108 2.4
Turnout 4,495 68.5
Independent Liberal gain from Progressive [lower-alpha 2]  

1904
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1904 New South Wales state election § Durham[edit]
1904 New South Wales state election: Durham [13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Progressive Walter Bennett 2,196 46.4
Liberal Reform Herbert Brown 1,617 34.2
Independent William Brown 919 19.4
Independent Liberal Richard Price 3 0.1
Total formal votes 4,735 98.9
Informal votes 51 1.1
Turnout 4,786 69.1
Progressive hold  
Durham was expanded to include part of Gloucester. The member for Durham was Walter Bennett (Progressive). The member for Gloucester was Richard Price (Independent) who nominated to contest Durham however he withdrew from the contest.

1901
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1901 New South Wales state election § Durham[edit]
1901 New South Wales state election: Durham [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Progressive Walter Bennett unopposed
Member changed to Progressive from Independent Progressive

Elections in the 1890s

1898
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1898 New South Wales colonial election § Durham[edit]
1898 New South Wales colonial election: Durham [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Federalist Walter Bennett 929 53.1
National Federal Herbert Brown 820 46.9
Total formal votes 1,749 98.8
Informal votes 21 1.2
Turnout 1,770 76.6
Independent Federalist gain from National Federal  

1895
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1895 New South Wales colonial election § Durham[edit]
1895 New South Wales colonial election: Durham [16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Protectionist Herbert Brown 781 77.6
Ind. Protectionist Erskine Smith 226 22.4
Total formal votes 1,007 99.2
Informal votes 8 0.8
Turnout 1,015 48.1
Member changed to Protectionist from Ind. Free Trade

1894
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1894 New South Wales colonial election § Durham[edit]
1894 New South Wales colonial election: Durham [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Ind. Free Trade Herbert Brown 962 59.7
Ind. Protectionist John Wade 607 37.7
Ind. Protectionist Charles Duffy 42 2.6
Total formal votes 1,611 98.2
Informal votes 30 1.8
Turnout 1,641 76.8
Member changed to Ind. Free Trade from Free Trade

1891
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1891 New South Wales colonial election § Durham[edit]
1891 New South Wales colonial election: Durham
Saturday 27 June 1891 [18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Free Trade Herbert Brown (elected) 662 56.3
Protectionist William Donnelly 289 24.6
Protectionist James Boydell 224 19.1
Total formal votes 1,175 97.8
Informal votes 26 2.2
Turnout 1,201 68.6

Elections in the 1880s

1889
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1889 New South Wales colonial election § Durham[edit]
1889 New South Wales colonial election: Durham
Saturday 16 February 1889 [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Free Trade Herbert Brown (elected) 626 56.5
Protectionist John Wade 482 43.5
Total formal votes 1,108 97.5
Informal votes 29 2.6
Turnout 1,137 72.1
Free Trade hold  

1887
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1887 New South Wales colonial election § Durham[edit]
1887 New South Wales colonial election: Durham
Saturday 26 February 1887 [20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Free Trade Herbert Brown (re-elected) 591 57.9
Ind. Free Trade John Wade 429 42.1
Total formal votes 1,020 97.1
Informal votes 30 2.9
Turnout 1,050 70.4

1885
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1885 New South Wales colonial election § Durham[edit]
1885 New South Wales colonial election: Durham
Monday 26 October [21]
Candidate Votes %
Herbert Brown (re-elected) 737 72.6
William Johnston 278 27.4
Total formal votes 1,015 97.9
Informal votes 22 2.1
Turnout 1,037 72.4

1882
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1882 New South Wales colonial election § Durham[edit]
1882 New South Wales colonial election: Durham
Monday 4 December [22]
Candidate Votes %
Herbert Brown (re-elected) unopposed

1880
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1880 New South Wales colonial election § Durham[edit]
1880 New South Wales colonial election: Durham
Monday 22 November [23]
Candidate Votes %
Herbert Brown (re-elected) 660 63.2
William Johnston (defeated) 385 36.8
Total formal votes 1,045 98.5
Informal votes 16 1.5
Turnout 1,061 72.1
  (new seat)
Durham replaced all of the abolished district of The Paterson and part of the abolished district of The Williams. Herbert Brown was the member for The Paterson and William Johnston was the member for The Williams.

Elections in the 1850s

1858
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1858 New South Wales colonial election § Durham[edit]
1858 New South Wales colonial election: Durham
5 February [24]
Candidate Votes %
Samuel Gordon (re-elected 1) 416 33.0
William Arnold (re-elected 2) 408 32.4
Richard Jones (re-elected 3) 355 28.2
Edward Hargraves 79 6.3
Total formal votes 1,258 100.0
Informal votes 0 0.0
Turnout 1,258 28.8

1856
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1856 New South Wales colonial election § Durham[edit]
1856 New South Wales colonial election: Durham [25]
Candidate Votes %
Richard Jones (elected 1) 660 30.7
Samuel Gordon (elected 2) 550 25.6
William Arnold (elected 3) 380 17.7
Andrew Lang 349 16.3
Alexander Park 209 9.7
Total formal votes 2,148 100.0
Informal votes 0 0.0
Turnout 842 58.51
Polling was conducted on 7 April 1856. Park had represented County of Durham in the old Legislative Council, while another representative in Charles Cowper contested Sydney City.

Notes
  1. Also endorsed by Liberal Reform.
  2. William Brown had the support of some local Liberal Reform branches but was not endorsed by the central executive. The Sydney Morning Herald said both candidates were generally favourable to the Government policy.[12]

References
  1. "The Electoral Act of 1858". Act No. 23a of 1858 (PDF). Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  2. "Mr Richard Jones [2] (1816–1892)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  3. "Mr William Munnings Arnold". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  4. "Mr Samuel Deane Gordon (1811–1882)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  5. "Mr Herbert Harrington Brown (1839-1929)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  6. "Mr Walter Bennett (1864–1934)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  7. "Mr William Brown (1867–1954)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  8. Green, Antony. "1917 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  9. Green, Antony. "1913 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  10. Green, Antony. "1910 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  11. Green, Antony. "1907 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  12. "The party lists. For the Liberal cause". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 September 1907. p. 4. Retrieved 25 October 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. Green, Antony. "1904 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  14. Green, Antony. "1901 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  15. Green, Antony. "1898 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  16. Green, Antony. "1895 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  17. Green, Antony. "1894 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  18. Green, Antony. "1891 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  19. Green, Antony. "1889 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  20. Green, Antony. "1887 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  21. Green, Antony. "1885 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  22. Green, Antony. "1882 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  23. Green, Antony. "1880 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  24. Green, Antony. "1858 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  25. Green, Antony. "1856 Durham". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
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