East Sydney - 1891 (Roll: 10,041) - 4 to be elected
Elected - Protectionist (1), Free Trade 2, Ind Free Trade 1
Nominations: Monday, 15 June 1891, Polling: Wednesday, 17 June 1891
Candidate
Party
Votes
Votes %
Barton, Edmund (Elected 2)
Protectionist
3,535
18.25
Manning, William Patrick
Protectionist
2,260
11.67
Bradley, Walter (Defeated)
Protectionist
1,328
6.86
McMillan, William (Re-elected 1)
Free Trade
3,713
19.17
Parkes, Varney (Elected 3)
Free Trade
3,343
17.26
Grantham, William
Labor Party
2,241
11.57
Reid, George Houstoun (Re-elected 4)
Ind Free Trade
2,946
15.21
Formal Votes
19,366
Informal Votes
65
0.33
Total Votes / Estimated Turnout
19,431
48.86
Persons Voting / Turnout
6,475
64.49
Notes: Sitting MP Sydney Burdekin did not re-contest.
Source: Report of nominations, SMH 16 June 1891, p.5 col.3-5, results 18 June, p.5 col.6 including box details.
Corrections: This is the seat where the SMH system of listing candidates as Ministerial or Opposition made least sense. Using this method, Hughes and Graham (1975) have classified Barton and Manning as Free Traders, while Reid was listed as an Independent. Parties have been re-classified here, affiliations aligned with advertising in the SMH 17 June, p.9 col.8. Reid was not included in the Free Trade list, along with JH Want in Paddington, both being estranged from Parkes by his lack of attention to Free Trade principles and dalliance with Federation and accompanying attempts to lure Barton into government. Both Barton and Manning were clearly listed as Protectionists. The Daily Telegraph election summary on 4 July, p.9 col.1, listed Barton as a Protectionist but also a supporter of the Parkes government, while Reid and Want were listed as Free Traders and Independents. Given that after the fall of the Parkes government in October 1891, Reid was elected Free Trade Leader and Want was a one of his most important lieutenants, while Barton joined the Protectionist Dibbs government, the party affiliations adopted here seem the most appropriate. Note that the Telegraph listed Manning as a defeated Independent in its election summary, but this affiliation has been ignored.