1973 New South Wales state election


Elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly were held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 17 November 1973. The result was a win for the Liberal-Country Party coalition under Sir Robert Askin, which had been in office since 1965. As of 2019, this was the last time the Coalition won a fourth-term in New South Wales.

Issues

The Legislative Assembly had been enlarged by three members to 99 adding the seats of Woronora, Penrith and Ku-ring-gai.
The election was held just eleven months after the Liberal/Country coalition lost the federal election after 23 years in power. Askin called an early election to take advantage of the increasing economic issues which had been attributed to the Whitlam Labor government.
Leader of the Legislative Council Neville Wran, who would become Premier at the next election moved from the unelected Legislative Council to the Legislative Assembly after the late retirement of Clarrie Earl in the seat of Bass Hill.

Key dates

Results

The Democratic Labor Party won its only lower house seat at the 1973 election following the Liberal Party's incumbent for the northern Sydney seat of Gordon — Harry Jago failed to nominate in time. Conservative voters were urged to vote for the DLP candidate, Kevin Harrold.

Seats changing hands

  • Members in italics did not recontest their seats.
  • Sitting Liberal MP for Gordon, Harry Jago failed to renominate as a candidate by the deadline. As a result, the Liberal party endorsed the DLP candidate against the Labor candidate, and Kevin Harrold won the seat.
  • In addition, the Liberal party held the seat of Murray, which it had won from an Independent in the 1973 by-election.

    Redistribution affected seats

  • Members in italics did not recontest their seats.
  • Sitting Labor member for Gosford, Keith O'Connell instead contested the new seat of Peats and won.
  • Sitting Labor member for Nepean, Ron Mulock instead contested the new seat of Penrith and won.

    Post-election Pendulum

LIBERAL/COUNTRY SEATS ---
Marginal---
MurrayMary MeillonLIB2.7% v IND
HurstvilleTom MeadLIB3.1%
NepeanRon RofeLIB3.3%
AshfieldDavid HunterLIB3.6%
BurrendongRoger WottonCP3.8%
CronullaIan GriffithLIB4.7%
FullerPeter ColemanLIB5.3%
GosfordMalcolm BrooksLIB5.7%
Fairly Safe---
MirandaTim WalkerLIB6.4%
EarlwoodEric WillisLIB6.7%
MonaroSteve MaugerLIB7.3%
YarallaLerryn MuttonLIB9.8%
Safe---
YoungGeorge FreudensteinCP10.4%
WakehurstAllan VineyLIB11.4%
WollondillyTom LewisLIB12.0%
BurwoodJohn JackettLIB12.4%
BathurstClive OsborneCP12.8%
ArmidaleDavid LeitchCP13.0%
ManlyDouglas DarbyLIB13.0%
AlburyGordon MackieLIB13.4%
TamworthNoel ParkCP13.6%
Upper HunterCol FisherCP13.8%
ByronJack BoydCP14.3%
KirribilliJohn WaddyLIB14.3%
DubboJohn MasonLIB15.0%
HornsbyNeil PickardLIB15.4%
HawkesburyKevin RozzoliLIB16.5%
EastwoodJim CloughLIB17.4% v AP
GoulburnRon BrewerCP17.9%
ClarenceMatt SingletonCP18.1%
RaleighJim BrownCP18.4%
TenterfieldTim BruxnerCP18.6%
VaucluseKeith DoyleLIB18.8% v AP
DavidsonDick HealeyLIB19.0%
PittwaterRobert AskinLIB19.2%
Lane CoveKen McCawLIB19.3%
WilloughbyLaurie McGintyLIB19.3%
MaitlandMilton MorrisLIB19.6%
Wagga WaggaWal FifeLIB19.7%
OrangeCharles CutlerCP20.1%
The HillsMax RuddockLIB20.2%
NorthcottJim CameronLIB20.4% v AP
TemoraJim TaylorCP20.5%
SturtTim FischerCP21.7%
OxleyBruce CowanCP22.6%
LismoreBruce DuncanCP24.8%
GloucesterLeon PunchCP25.2%
BarwonGeoff CrawfordCP25.5% v AP
BlighJohn BarracloughLIB30.0% v AP
MosmanDavid ArblasterLIB30.0% v AP
Ku-ring-gaiJohn MaddisonLIB31.2%