1978 New South Wales state election


A general election was held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 7 October 1978. The result was a landslide victory for the Labor Party under Neville Wran, popularly known as the "Wranslide."
It is notable for being so successful for the Labor Party that it tallied 57 percent of the primary vote, the largest primary vote for any party in over a century. Having gone into the election with a razor-thin majority of one seat, Labor scored a 13-seat swing, giving it a strong majority of 63 seats. Labor even managed to defeat the Leader of the Opposition, Peter Coleman, in his own electorate. The seats of many other prominent Shadow Ministers fell to Labor as well. Labor also won took many seats in areas long reckoned as Coalition heartland. Among them were four seats that Labor had never won before this election--Willoughby, Manly, Wakehurst and Cronulla. It also came within striking distance of taking several more. For instance, it pared down the margin in Pittwater, the seat of former premier Bob Askin, to only 1.4 percent.
The state's first elections to the New South Wales Legislative Council, the state parliament's upper house, were held simultaneously. Voters had approved a referendum to introduce a directly elected council in June of that year.
The election was also the first in the state to be contested by the Australian Democrats.
Labor continued to campaign heavily on the strengths of Wran himself, with the slogan "Wran's our man".

Key dates

Results

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Council

Seats changing hands

  • Members in italics did not recontest their seats.
  • The sitting member for Willoughby, Laurie McGinty, lost preselection as the Liberal candidate, but still contested the election as an Independent. Initial margin is Liberal vs. Labor at the 1976 election.
  • In addition, Labor retained the seat of Earlwood, which it had won from the Liberals at the 1978 by-election.

    Post-election pendulum

LABOR SEATS ---
Marginal---
WollondillyBill KnottALP0.4%
ArmidaleBill McCarthyALP0.6%
AlburyHarold MairALP0.7%
WilloughbyEddie BrittALP0.8%
BurwoodPhil O'NeillALP1.6%
ManlyAlan StewartALP3.8%
FullerRodney CavalierALP5.3%
Fairly safe---
WakehurstTom WebsterALP6.2%
MirandaBill RobbALP6.5%
CastlereaghJack RenshawALP6.9%
YarallaGarry McIlwaineALP8.2%
NepeanPeter AndersonALP8.5%
CronullaMichael EganALP8.6%
CessnockBob BrownALP9.1%
MonaroJohn AkisterALP9.3%
GosfordBrian McGowanALP9.6%
MurrumbidgeeLin GordonALP9.6%
CasinoDon DayALP9.7%
Safe---
EarlwoodKen GabbALP11.6%
HurstvilleKevin RyanALP13.7%
Blue MountainsMick CloughALP14.5% v IND
CoogeeMichael ClearyALP16.4%
BurrinjuckTerry SheahanALP16.9%
Georges RiverFrank WalkerALP17.0%
CharlestownRichard FaceALP17.4%
KogarahBill CrabtreeALP17.9%
AshfieldPaul WhelanALP18.1%
WaverleySyd EinfeldALP18.8%
DrummoyneMichael MaherALP18.9%
ParramattaBarry WildeALP19.0%
PeatsKeith O'ConnellALP20.8%
WoronoraMaurie KeaneALP20.8%
CampbelltownCliff MallamALP21.5%
NewcastleArthur WadeALP22.3%
CorrimalLaurie KellyALP22.5%
MaroubraBill HaighALP22.5%
Lake MacquarieMerv HunterALP23.5%
WollongongEric RamsayALP23.8%
WentworthvilleErnie QuinnALP24.2%
HeathcoteRex JacksonALP25.2%
East HillsPat RoganALP25.6%
WaratahSam JonesALP25.6%
BankstownNick KearnsALP25.8%
CanterburyKevin StewartALP26.0%
PenrithRon MulockALP26.2%
LakembaVince DurickALP27.0%
Broken HillLew JohnstoneALP27.1%
BlacktownGordon BarnierALP27.2%
MunmorahHarry JensenALP27.3%
IllawarraGeorge PetersenALP28.2%
AuburnPeter CoxALP28.4%
FairfieldEric BedfordALP28.4%
GranvillePat FlahertyALP28.6%
MerrylandsJack FergusonALP28.6%
WallsendKen BoothALP29.3%
Bass HillNeville WranALP29.7%
PhillipPat HillsALP29.7%
RockdaleBrian BannonALP29.7%
MarrickvilleTom CahillALP29.8%
HeffronLaurie BreretonALP30.0%
LiverpoolGeorge PaciulloALP30.8%
Mount DruittTony JohnsonALP31.1%
BalmainRoger DegenALP34.2%