1940 Ryde state by-election

Election result for Ryde, New South Wales, Australia

A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Ryde on 14 September 1940 following the resignation of Eric Spooner (United Australia), to contest the federal seat of Robertson at the 1940 election, at which he was elected.

Dates

Date	Event
23 August 1940	Eric Spooner resigned.
30 August 1940	Writ of election issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
5 September 1940	Nominations
14 September 1940	Polling day
21 September 1940	Federal election
28 September 1940	Return of writ

Bert Cowell (Independent) was a grocer from Gladesville.
William Harrison (Independent) was an estate agent from West Ryde and the Mayor of Ryde, the youngest to hold that office.
Herbert Mitchell (United Australia) was a secretary and superintendent of the Central District Ambulance.
James Stewart (State Labor) was a tyre moulder, representing the far-left Hughes-Evans group, which had been removed as the Labor executive in July 1940.
Arthur Williams (Labor) was an accountant specialising in the auditing of trade unions.

1940 Ryde by-election
Saturday 14 September
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Arthur Williams	7,680	35.6	+9.3
	United Australia	Herbert Mitchell	7,742	35.9	−17.4
	Independent	William Harrison	3,048	14.1	−6.3
	State Labor	James Stewart	1,685	7.8
	Independent	Bert Cowell	1,431	6.6
Total formal votes			21,586	96.6	−2.1
Informal votes			755	3.4	+2.1
Turnout			22,341	89.7	−7.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Arthur Williams	10,908	50.5
	United Australia	Herbert Mitchell	10,678	49.5
	Labor gain from United Australia		Swing	N/A

^ "The Hon. Eric Sydney Spooner (1891–1952)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
^ Green, Antony. "1940 Ryde by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
"1940 House of Representatives election: New South Wales". Psephos, Adam Carr's election archive. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
"Writ of election: Ryde". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 118. 30 August 1940. p. 3639. Retrieved 27 March 2021 – via Trove.
^ "Five will stand for Ryde". The Sun. 5 September 1940. p. 8. Retrieved 27 March 2021 – via Trove.
"Seek Ryde selection". The Daily Telegraph. 31 August 1940. p. 5. Retrieved 27 March 2021 – via Trove.
Clune, David. "Facts and Figures - Political Parties of NSW (Overview)". Parliament of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011.
"Mr Arthur John Leonard Williams (1888-1968)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 May 2019.

v t e By-elections of the 32nd New South Wales parliament (1938–1941)
1938	Coogee Gordon Wollondilly
1939	Balmain Hurstville Waverley Upper Hunter
1940	Tamworth Croydon Ryde Barwon
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By-elections