Nominations: Friday, 10 April 1891, Polling: Tuesday, 14 April 1891
Candidate
Party
Votes
Votes %
Bradley, Walter (Elected)
Protectionist
1,502
37.34
Cotton, Francis
Ind Labor
1,188
29.54
Pulsford, Edward
Free Trade
1,332
33.12
Formal Votes
4,022
Informal Votes
55
1.35
Total Votes / Turnout
4,077
40.62
Cause Category: Death
Notes: Death of J R Street. Reports of the close of nominations report rowdy scenes, as politics at the time was dominated by a series of major strikes and also the emerging Federation issue. Where later in the decade Federation became the new cause of Protectionists like Edmund Barton, in 1891 it was the new crusade of Henry Parkes. In this by-election, Pulsford labelled himself Free Trade and Federalist on the hustings, and Bradley a Protectionist and anti-Federal. Both had to deal with rowdy interjections about the strikes, and while the Labor Party did not have an 'official' candidate, Frank Cotton clearly identified himself as representing the labour interest. He was to be one of the Labor MPs elected two months later at the 1891 general election.
Source: Report of nominations, SMH 11 April 1891, p.5 col.7-8, results from SMH 15 April, p.8 col.1