1929 Ashfield state by-election

Election result for Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia

A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Ashfield on 5 October 1929 because of the resignation of Milton Jarvie (Nationalist).

Sir Colin Davidson, a Judge of the Supreme Court, was appointed to conduct a Royal Commission to investigate whether there were attempts at bribery with an application for a Campsie bus service. On 7 June 1929 the Royal Commission reported its findings, including that Jarvie had attempted to bribe Albert Bruntnell who was the Chief Secretary. Jarvie was charged with criminal offences, however on 1 July 1929 he was found not guilty. Jarvie nonetheless resigned so that the electors of Ashfield could return him with an overwhelming majority.

Dates

Date	Event
7 June 1929	Royal Commission report given to Governor.
1 July 1929	Jarvie found not guilty.
17 September 1929	Jarvie resigned.
19 September 1929	Writ of election issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
24 September 1929	Nominations
5 October 1929	Polling day
18 October 1929	Return of writ

1929 Ashfield by-election
Saturday 5 October
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Clancy	3,526	38.4	+12.5
	Nationalist	Milton Jarvie	3,484	38.0	−20.2
	Independent	Alexander Huie	1,692	18.5	+2.6
	Nationalist	Reginald Kirkwood	281	3.1	+3.1
	Nationalist	Albert Pikett	190	2.1	+2.1
Total formal votes			9,173	99.0	−0.2
Informal votes			95	1.0	+0.2
Turnout			9,268	71.9	−13.9
Two-party-preferred result
	Nationalist	Milton Jarvie (re-elected)	4,376	51.5
	Labor	John Clancy	4,128	48.5
	Nationalist hold		Swing	N/A

^ "Mr Milton Livingstone Fredericks Jarvie (1891–1965)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
"PER-88 Davidson, Colin George Watt". State Archives and Records. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
^ "Major Jarvie found guilty by Royal Commission: conspiracy to bribe". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 June 1929. p. 15. Retrieved 1 August 2020 – via Trove.
^ "Not guilty: Major Jarvie". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 July 1929. p. 11. Retrieved 1 August 2020 – via Trove.
"State parliament: Mr Jarvie resigns". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 28, 613. New South Wales, Australia. 18 September 1929. p. 14. Retrieved 1 August 2020 – via Trove.
"Writ of election: Ashfield". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 125. 19 September 1929. p. 3841. Retrieved 1 August 2020 – via Trove.
Green, Antony. "1929 Ashfield by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2020.

v t e By-elections of the 28th New South Wales parliament (1927–1930)
1928	Wollondilly Hamilton Coogee
1929	Parramatta Ashfield
1930	Lane Cove
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