User:Frickeg/By-election records

Numerical records

Swings

Largest two-party-preferred swing

Swings of over 10% are listed. Swings are considered to be the change in a party's majority and do not take into account parties entering the two-party-preferred count for the first time. Such parties are marked with an asterisk (*). Prior to 1984, preferences were not counted to completion once the winning candidate reached 50%; in these cases an estimate is used and the entry appears in italics. Attempts are not made to estimate margins before the introduction of preferential voting in 1919.

Election	Swing (%)	From		To		Result
1919 Echuca by-election	33.0		Nationalist		Victorian Farmers		Victorian Farmers gain
2008 Lyne by-election	32.45		National		Independent*		Independent gain
1988 Groom by-election	25.21		National		Liberal*		Liberal gain
1992 Wills by-election	23.68		Labor		Independent*		Independent gain
1956 Wentworth by-election	20.36		Liberal		Independent		Liberal hold
1952 Bradfield by-election	20.3		Liberal		Independent*		Liberal hold
1938 Wakefield by-election	20.17		United Australia		Labor		Labor gain
2018 Wentworth by-election	18.96		Liberal		Independent*		Independent gain
1995 Canberra by-election	16.12		Labor		Liberal		Liberal gain
2018 Fremantle by-election	15.81		Liberal Democrats*		Labor		Labor hold
1931 Parkes by-election	15.6		Labor		Nationalist		Nationalist gain
1975 Bass by-election	14.3		Labor		Liberal		Liberal gain
1931 East Sydney by-election	14.3		Labor		Nationalist		Labor hold
1970 ACT by-election	13.4		Labor		Liberal		Labor hold
1963 East Sydney by-election	13.2		Independent*		Labor		Labor hold
2002 Cunningham by-election	12.88		Labor		Greens*		Greens gain
1921 West Sydney by-election	12.6		Labor		Nationalist		Labor hold
1952 Werriwa by-election	12.34		Liberal		Labor		Labor hold
1978 Werriwa by-election	12.1		Liberal		Labor		Labor hold
1988 Oxley by-election	11.79		Labor		Liberal*		Labor hold
1981 McPherson by-election	11.63		NCP*		Liberal		Liberal hold
1966 Dawson by-election	11.5		Country		Labor		Labor gain
1988 Port Adelaide by-election	11.11		Labor		Liberal		Labor gain
1967 Corio by-election	11.0		Liberal		Labor		Labor gain
1952 Flinders by-election	11.0		Liberal		Labor		Labor gain
1940 Corio by-election	10.9		United Australia		Labor		Labor gain
2005 Werriwa by-election	10.74		Independent*		Labor		Labor hold
1927 Warringah by-election	10.5		Nationalist		Labor		Nationalist hold
1995 Wentworth by-election	10.36		Greens*		Liberal		Liberal hold

Largest increase in primary vote

Increases of over 10% are listed. This list does not include debut performances.

Election	Increase (%)	Party		Candidate	Result		Notes
1937 Gwydir by-election	44.25		Labor	William Scully		Labor gain	Previous election had Lang Labor candidate.
2009 Higgins by-election	21.65		Greens	Clive Hamilton		Liberal hold	No Labor candidate.
1988 Groom by-election	19.99		Liberal	Bill Taylor		Liberal gain
1914 Adelaide by-election	18.29		Labor	Edwin Yates		Labor hold	No Liberal candidate.
2002 Cunningham by-election	16.39		Greens	Michael Organ		Greens gain	No Liberal candidate.
1946 Henty by-election	16.24		Liberal	Jo Gullett		Liberal gain	UAP to Liberal
1941 Boothby by-election	15.40		Labor	Tom Lawton		United Australia hold
1903 East Sydney by-election	14.67		Free Trade	George Reid		Free Trade hold
1931 Parkes by-election	14.62		Nationalist	Charles Marr		Nationalist gain
2009 Bradfield by-election	13.97		Greens	Susie Gemmell		Liberal hold	No Labor candidate.
1966 Dawson by-election	13.76		Labor	Rex Patterson		Labor gain
1970 ACT by-election	12.93		Australia	Alan Fitzgerald		Labor hold
1963 East Sydney by-election	12.92		Labor	Len Devine		Labor hold	No Liberal candidate.
1931 East Sydney by-election	12.67		Nationalist	Lionel Courtenay		Labor hold
2017 New England by-election	12.63		National	Barnaby Joyce		National hold	Sitting member re-contesting.
1988 Oxley by-election	12.62		Liberal	David Cooke		Labor hold
1952 Werriwa by-election	12.34		Labor	Gough Whitlam		Labor hold
1935 Fawkner by-election	12.33		Labor	Don Cameron		United Australia hold
1978 Werriwa by-election	11.76		Labor	John Kerin		Labor hold
1994 Warringah by-election	11.66		Democrats	Troy Anderson		Liberal hold	No Labor candidate.
2018 Fremantle by-election	11.63		Labor	Josh Wilson		Labor hold	No Liberal candidate; sitting member re-contesting.
1975 Bass by-election	11.62		Liberal	Kevin Newman		Liberal gain
2000 Isaacs by-election	11.36		Democrats	Haydn Fletcher		Labor hold	No Liberal candidate.
1967 Corio by-election	11.05		Labor	Gordon Scholes		Labor gain
1996 Blaxland by-election	10.88		AAFI	Peter Krumins		Labor hold	No Liberal candidate.
1952 Flinders by-election	10.81		Labor	Keith Ewert		Labor gain
1991 Menzies by-election	10.43		Democrats	Ken Peak		Liberal hold	No Labor candidate.
1921 West Sydney by-election	10.37		Nationalist	Alfred Henry		Labor hold
1995 Canberra by-election	10.07		Liberal	Brendan Smyth		Liberal gain

Largest decrease in primary vote

Decreases of more than 10% are listed.

Election	Decrease (%)	Party		Candidate	Result
1936 Darling Downs by-election	41.88		United Australia	James Annand		Country gain
1918 Corangamite by-election	37.52		Nationalist	George Knox		Victorian Farmers gain
1919 Echuca by-election	36.57		Nationalist	Frederick Purcell		Victorian Farmers gain
1960 Calare by-election	36.27		Liberal	Wallace Meares		Country gain
1970 ACT by-election	32.13		Labor	Kep Enderby		Labor hold
1956 Wentworth by-election	30.73		Liberal	Les Bury		Liberal hold
2008 Lyne by-election	29.38		National	Rob Drew		Independent gain
1927 Warringah by-election	24.38		Nationalist	Archdale Parkhill		Nationalist hold
1938 Wakefield by-election	24.10		United Australia	Richard Butler		Labor gain
1995 Canberra by-election	21.78		Labor	Sue Robinson		Liberal gain
1952 Bradfield by-election	21.71		Liberal	Harry Turner		Liberal hold
1911 Boothby by-election	20.92		Labor	James Jelley		Liberal gain
1988 Groom by-election	20.12		National	David Russell		Liberal gain
1992 Wills by-election	19.24		Labor	Bill Kardamitsis		Independent gain
1984 Richmond by-election	19.20		National	Charles Blunt		National hold
2018 Wentworth by-election	19.18		Liberal	Dave Sharma		Independent gain
1956 Barker by-election	19.04		Liberal	Jim Forbes		Liberal hold
1975 Bass by-election	17.56		Labor	John Macrostie		Liberal gain
1960 Hunter by-election	17.43		Labor	Bert James		Labor hold
1931 Parkes by-election	17.10		Labor	Joseph Martin		Nationalist gain
1983 Wannon by-election	16.02		Liberal	David Hawker		Liberal hold
1901 Darling Downs by-election	15.72		Protectionist	Littleton Groom		Protectionist hold
1921 West Sydney by-election	14.86		Labor	William Lambert		Labor hold
1915 Wide Bay by-election	14.46		Labor	Andrew Thompson		Liberal gain
1931 East Sydney by-election	14.32		Labor	Eddie Ward		Labor hold
1988 Port Adelaide by-election	14.25		Labor	Rod Sawford		Labor hold
2015 North Sydney by-election	12.84		Liberal	Trent Zimmerman		Liberal hold
1981 Wentworth by-election	12.36		Liberal	Peter Coleman		Liberal hold
1952 Werriwa by-election	12.34		Liberal	Ian Griffith		Labor hold
1936 Kennedy by-election	12.31		Labor	Bill Riordan		Labor hold
1981 Curtin by-election	11.88		Liberal	Allan Rocher		Liberal hold
1984 Corangamite by-election	11.52		Liberal	Stewart McArthur		Liberal hold
1994 Werriwa by-election	11.27		Labor	Mark Latham		Labor hold
1940 Corio by-election	11.21		United Australia	James Vinton Smith		Labor hold
1952 Flinders by-election	11.18		Liberal	John Rossiter		Labor gain
1960 La Trobe by-election	11.00		Liberal	John Jess		Liberal hold
1988 Adelaide by-election	10.92		Labor	Don Farrell		Liberal gain
1988 Oxley by-election	10.75		Labor	Les Scott		Labor hold
1920 Ballaarat by-election	10.68		Nationalist	Edwin Kerby		Labor gain
1960 Higinbotham by-election	10.40		Liberal	Don Chipp		Liberal hold
1971 Murray by-election	10.27		Country	Bruce Lloyd		Country hold
1939 Griffith by-election	10.26		United Australia	Peter McCowan		Labor hold
1936 Darling Downs by-election	10.21		Labor	John Buchanan		Country gain
1982 Lowe by-election	10.18		Liberal	Philip Taylor		Labor gain

Largest primary share of the vote

Candidates with primary votes of more than 60% are listed.

Candidate	Party		Election	Votes	%	Notes
Jim Cope		Labor	1955 Cook by-election	21,411	86.83	No Liberal candidate.
Edwin Yates		Labor	1914 Adelaide by-election	10,072	84.43	No Liberal candidate.
George Reid		Free Trade	1903 East Sydney by-election	1,697	82.70	Sitting member re-contesting.
Len Devine		Labor	1963 East Sydney by-election	19,704	80.73	No Liberal candidate.
James Scullin		Labor	1922 Yarra by-election	12,553	77.70
Granville Ryrie		Liberal	1911 North Sydney by-election	11,687	72.48
Arthur Greenup		Labor	1953 Dalley by-election	23,812	70.52	No Liberal candidate.
John Gorton		Liberal	1968 Higgins by-election	24,067	69.40
William Hill		Victorian Farmers	1919 Echuca by-election	13,800	68.77	No Labor candidate.
Kevin Andrews		Liberal	1991 Menzies by-election	40,154	67.70	No Labor candidate.
Gough Whitlam		Labor	1952 Werriwa by-election	32,561	67.46
John Kerin		Labor	1978 Werriwa by-election	40,272	67.24
Harry Jenkins		Labor	1986 Scullin by-election	34,021	66.26
Anthony Byrne		Labor	1999 Holt by-election	48,499	65.63	No Liberal candidate.
Barnaby Joyce		National	2017 New England by-election	57,016	64.92	Sitting member re-contesting.
Thomas White		Nationalist	1929 Balaclava by-election	28,655	64.10	No Labor candidate.
Stanley Bruce		Nationalist	1918 Flinders by-election	14,445	64.01
Rob Oakeshott		Independent	2008 Lyne by-election	47,306	63.80	No Labor candidate.
Littleton Groom		Protectionist	1901 Darling Downs by-election	4,532	62.78	No Free Trade or Labour candidate.
Ted Theodore		Labor	1927 Dalley by-election	21,186	62.58
Leo McLeay		Labor	1979 Grayndler by-election	30,764	61.79
Graham Pratten		Nationalist	1928 Martin by-election	29,482	60.91
Geoffrey Giles		Liberal	1964 Angas by-election	23,468	60.30
Sam Benson		Labor	1962 Batman by-election	21,776	60.12	No Liberal candidate.

Lowest winning primary share of the vote

Victorious candidates with less than 40% of the primary vote are listed.

Candidate	Party		Election	Votes	%	Notes
Michael Organ		Greens	2002 Cunningham by-election	15,505	23.03	Second position; won on preferences.
William Gibson		Victorian Farmers	1918 Corangamite by-election	6,604	26.37	Second position (three-cornered contest); won on preferences.
Thomas Marwick		Country	1940 Swan by-election	12,354	27.64	Second position (three-cornered contest with two CP candidates); won on preferences.
Ian Allan		Country	1953 Gwydir by-election	9,823	28.19	Second position (four-cornered contest with two CP candidates); won on preferences.
Kerryn Phelps		Independent	2018 Wentworth by-election	22,219	29.19	Second position; won on preferences.
Lancelot Spurr		Labor	1939 Wilmot by-election	6,568	29.26	Second position (five-cornered contest with two Labor and three UAP candidates); won on preferences.
Philip Lucock		Country	1952 Lyne by-election	10,994	30.20	Second position (three-cornered contest with two CP candidates); won on preferences.
John England		Country	1960 Calare by-election	12,039	32.62	Second position (three-cornered contest); won on preferences.
Arthur Fadden		Country	1936 Darling Downs by-election	15,235	33.11	Three-cornered contest with the UAP.
Bill Taylor		Liberal	1988 Groom by-election	20,651	33.34	Three-cornered contest with the National Party.
Phil Cleary		Independent	1992 Wills by-election	21,391	33.53
Charles Blunt		National	1984 Richmond by-election	26,972	33.78	Second position (three-cornered contest); won on preferences.
Edwin Corboy		Labor	1918 Swan by-election	6,540	34.01	Last election conducted under first-past-the-post.
Kep Enderby		Labor	1970 ACT by-election	20,132	35.59
Kristy McBain		Labor	2020 Eden-Monaro by-election	34,073	35.89	Second position (three-cornered contest); one on preferences.
Justine Keay		Labor	2018 Braddon by-election	23,218	36.98	Second position; won on preferences.
Sydney McHugh		Labor	1938 Wakefield by-election	18,870	37.89	Second position; won on preferences.
Terri Butler	;	Labor	2014 Griffith by-election	30,023	38.63	Second position; won on preferences.
Leonie Short		Labor	2001 Ryan by-election	29,173	38.68	Second position; won on preferences.
Don Chipp		Liberal	1960 Higinbotham by-election	19,661	39.10	Second position; won on preferences.
Patrick Gorman		Labor	2018 Perth by-election	22,812	39.33
Darren Chester		National	2008 Gippsland by-election	32,971	39.60	Three-cornered contest with the Liberal Party.
Susan Lamb		Labor	2018 Longman by-election	35,203	39.84

Largest two-party-preferred majorities

Majorities of over 20% are listed. Prior to 1984, preferences were not counted to completion once the winning candidate reached 50%; in these cases an estimate is used and the entry appears in italics. There are no entries for by-elections prior to the introduction of preferential voting in 1918.

Election	Party		Candidate	Margin	%	Main opponent
1955 Cook by-election		Labor	Jim Cope	18,163	36.83		Independent
1963 East Sydney by-election		Labor	Len Devine		35.1		Independent
1922 Yarra by-election		Labor	James Scullin		28.1		Nationalist
1960 Hunter by-election		Labor	Bert James		27.2		Independent
1953 Dalley by-election		Labor	Arthur Greenup		25.0		Independent
2008 Lyne by-election		Independent	Rob Oakeshott	35,393	23.87		National
2017 New England by-election		National	Barnaby Joyce	41,505	23.63		Labor
2018 Fremantle by-election		Labor	Josh Wilson	29,507	23.33		Liberal Democrats
1986 Scullin by-election		Labor	Harry Jenkins	23,792	23.16		Liberal
1919 Echuca by-election		Victorian Farmers	William Hill		22.3		Nationalist
1978 Werriwa by-election		Labor	John Kerin		22.3		Liberal
1999 Holt by-election		Labor	Anthony Byrne	32,605	22.06		Democrats
1991 Menzies by-election		Liberal	Kevin Andrews	26,141	22.02		Democrats
1971 Murray by-election		Country	Bruce Lloyd		21.5		Labor
1968 Higgins by-election		Liberal	John Gorton		20.9		Labor
2005 Werriwa by-election		Labor	Chris Hayes	26,917	20.05		Independent

Smallest two-party-preferred majorities

Majorities of less than 1% are listed.

Election	Party		Candidate	Margin	%	Main opponent
1939 Griffith by-election		Labor	William Conelan	8	0.01		United Australia
1915 Wide Bay by-election		Liberal	Edward Corser	86	0.15		Labor
1939 Wilmot by-election		Labor	Lancelot Spurr	69	0.15		United Australia
1960 Bendigo by-election		Labor	Noel Beaton	133	0.16		Liberal
2001 Ryan by-election		Labor	Leonie Short	255	0.17		Liberal
1932 East Sydney by-election		Labor (NSW)	Eddie Ward	173	0.23		United Australia
2020 Eden-Monaro by-election		Labor	Kristy McBain	735	0.39		Liberal
2001 Aston by-election		Liberal	Chris Pearce	908	0.58		Labor
1960 Higinbotham by-election		Liberal	Don Chipp	603	0.60		Labor
1969 Bendigo by-election		Labor	David Kennedy	670	0.76		Liberal
1912 Werriwa by-election		Labor	Benjamin Bennett	338	0.79		Liberal
1915 Bendigo by-election		Labor	Alfred Hampson	427	0.89		Liberal

Most candidates

• 22: 1992 Wills by-election; 2009 Bradfield by-election
• 17: 2017 New England by-election
• 16: 2005 Werriwa by-election; 2018 Wentworth by-election
• 15: 2001 Aston by-election; 2018 Perth by-election
• 14: 2020 Eden-Monaro by-election
• 13: 2002 Cunningham by-election; 2015 North Sydney by-election
• 12: 1982 Lowe by-election; 1996 Blaxland by-election; 1996 Lindsay by-election; 2015 Canning by-election; 2017 Bennelong by-election
• 11: 1973 Parramatta by-election; 2008 Mayo by-election; 2014 Griffith by-election; 2018 Longman by-election
• 10: 1997 Fraser by-election

Candidate records

Durable by-election candidates

Candidates who have contested more than three by-elections are listed here.

Former members attempting a comeback at a by-election

• 1904 Wilmot by-election: Norman Cameron, who was a member for Tasmania from 1901 to 1903, was the successful Free Trade candidate.
• 1912 Werriwa by-election: Alfred Conroy, who was the member for Werriwa from 1901 to 1906, was the unsuccessful Liberal candidate.
• 1915 Grampians by-election: Both candidates were former members: successful Liberal Carty Salmon was the member for Laanecoorie from 1901 to 1913, while Labor candidate John McDougall was the member for Wannon from 1906 to 1913.
• 1917 Darwin by-election: William Spence, who was the member for Darling from 1901 to 1917, was the successful Nationalist candidate.
• 1918 Swan by-election: William Hedges, who was the member for Fremantle from 1906 to 1913, was the unsuccessful Nationalist candidate.
• 1918 Corangamite by-election: James Scullin, who was the member for Corangamite from 1910 to 1913, was the unsuccessful Labor candidate.
• 1920 Ballaarat by-election: Charles McGrath, who was the member for Ballaarat from 1913 to 1919, was the successful Labor candidate.
• 1922 Yarra by-election: James Scullin, who was the member for Corangamite from 1910 to 1913, was the successful Labor candidate.
• 1929 Balaclava by-election: Frederick Francis, who was the member for Henty from 1919 to 1925, was an unsuccessful Independent Nationalist candidate.
• 1929 Franklin by-election: Alfred Seabrook, who was the member for Franklin from 1922 to 1928, was an unsuccessful Nationalist candidate.
• 1931 Parkes by-election: Charles Marr, who was the member for Parkes from 1919 to 1929, was the successful Nationalist candidate.
• 1932 East Sydney by-election: Eddie Ward, who had served as the member for East Sydney briefly in 1931, was the successful NSW Labor candidate. Lou Cunningham, who represented Gwydir for Labor from 1919 to 1925 and from 1929 to 1931, was the Labor candidate.
• 1939 Wilmot by-election: Allan Guy, who had served as the member for Bass from 1929 to 1931 for Labor and from 1931 to 1934 for the United Australia Party, was the unsuccessful UAP candidate.
• 1940 Swan by-election: Thomas Marwick, who had served as a Country Party Senator for Western Australia from 1936 to 1937, was the successful Country Party candidate.
• 1953 Corangamite by-election: Dan Mackinnon, who had served as a Liberal MP for Wannon from 1949 to 1951, was the successful Liberal candidate.
• 1978 Werriwa by-election: John Kerin, who had served as a Labor MP for Macarthur from 1972 to 1975, was the successful Labor candidate.
• 1983 Moreton by-election: Donald Cameron, who had served as a Liberal MP for Griffith since 1966 and transferred to Fadden in 1977, had been defeated at the 1983 federal election. He was the victorious Liberal candidate at the by-election for Moreton.
• 1995 Wentworth by-election: Bill Wentworth, who had served as the Liberal member for Mackellar from 1949 to 1977, ran as an independent candidate and polled 18.85%.
• 1996 Lindsay by-election: Ross Free, the defeated Labor member at the 1996 federal election, ran again as the Labor candidate following Liberal winner Jackie Kelly's disqualification. Kelly also recontested and was victorious.
• 2018 Braddon by-election: Brett Whiteley, the defeated Liberal member at the 2016 federal election, ran again as the Liberal candidate following Labor winner Justine Keay's resignation as a result of citizenship issues. Keay also recontested and was victorious.

Senators attempting a transfer to the House

• 1921 Parramatta by-election: New South Wales Nationalist Senator Herbert Pratten was the winning candidate.
• 1968 Higgins by-election: Victorian Liberal Senator and Prime Minister John Gorton was the winning candidate.
• 1981 McPherson by-election: Queensland NCP Senator Glen Sheil was an unsuccessful candidate.
• 1981 Curtin by-election: WA Liberal Senator Allan Rocher was the winning candidate.
• 1994 Mackellar by-election: NSW Liberal Senator Bronwyn Bishop was the winning candidate.

Shortest-serving by-election victors

Members with service of less than two years are listed.

Member	Party		By-election	Term	Length	Notes
Peter Reith		Liberal	1982 Flinders by-election	4 December 1982 – 5 March 1983	91 days	Defeated at the next election. Later served 1984–2001.
Kerryn Phelps		Independent	2018 Wentworth by-election	20 October 2018 – 18 May 2019	210 days	Defeated at the next election.
Phil Cleary		Independent	1992 Wills by-election	11 April 1992 – 25 November 1992	228 days	Election declared void. Later served 1993–1996.
Leonie Short		Labor	2001 Ryan by-election	17 March 2001 – 10 November 2001	238 days	Defeated at the next election.
Eddie Ward		Labor	1932 East Sydney by-election	7 March 1931 – 19 December 1931	287 days	Defeated at the next election. Later served 1932–1963.
Justine Keay		Labor	2018 Braddon by-election	28 July 2018 – 18 May 2019	294 days	Defeated at the next election. Previously served 2016–2018.
Susan Lamb		Labor	2018 Longman by-election	28 July 2018 – 18 May 2019	294 days	Defeated at the next election. Previously served 2016–2018
Benjamin Bennett		Labor	1912 Werriwa by-election	1 June 1912 – 23 April 1913	326 days	Retired at the next election.
Brendan Smyth		Liberal	1995 Canberra by-election	25 March 1995 – 2 March 1996	343 days	Defeated contesting Namadgi at the next election.
Edwin Corboy		Labor	1918 Swan by-election	26 October 1918 – 13 December 1919	1 year, 48 days	Defeated at the next election.
Lancelot Spurr		Labor	1939 Wilmot by-election	27 May 1939 – 21 September 1940	1 year, 117 days	Defeated at the next election.
Graham Pratten		Nationalist	1928 Martin by-election	16 June 1928 – 12 December 1929	1 year, 179 days	Defeated at the 1929 election.
David Gordon		Liberal	1911 Boothby by-election	11 November 1911 – 31 May 1913	1 year, 201 days	Defeated at the next election.
Steve Dargavel		Labor	1997 Fraser by-election	1 February 1997 – 31 August 1998	1 year, 211 days	Lost preselection prior to the next election and retired.
Keith Ewert		Labor	1952 Flinders by-election	18 October 1952 – 29 May 1954	1 year, 223 days	Defeated at the next election.
William Hartnoll		Free Trade	1902 Tasmania by-election	26 March 1902 – 16 December 1903	1 year, 265 days	Defeated contesting Bass at the next election.
Sydney McHugh		Labor	1938 Wakefield by-election	10 December 1938 – 21 September 1940	1 year, 286 days	Defeated at the next election.
Michael Organ		Greens	2002 Cunningham by-election	19 October 2002 – 8 October 2004	1 year, 355 days	Defeated at the next election.
George Foley		Nationalist	1920 Kalgoorlie by-election	18 December 1920 – 16 December 1922	1 year, 363 days	Defeated at the next election.

Youngest by-election victors

Victors who were under the age of 30 at the time of their election are listed. The youngest woman to win a by-election is Jackie Kelly, who was aged 32 years, 244 days when she won the 1996 Lindsay by-election.

Member	Party		By-election	By-election date	Birth date	Age	Notes
Edwin Corboy		Labor	1918 Swan by-election	26 October 1918	24 August 1896	22 years, 63 days
Harold Holt		UAP	1935 Fawkner by-election	17 August 1935	5 August 1908	27 years, 12 days
Andrew Peacock		Liberal	1966 Kooyong by-election	2 April 1966	13 February 1939	27 years, 48 days
Doug Anthony		Country	1957 Richmond by-election	14 September 1957	31 December 1929	27 years, 257 days
Kim Beazley Sr.		Labor	1945 Fremantle by-election	18 July 1945	30 September 1917	27 years, 291 days
Adrian Gibson		Liberal	1964 Denison by-election	15 February 1964	3 November 1935	28 years, 104 days
Graham Pratten		Nationalist	1928 Martin by-election	16 June 1928	13 December 1899	28 years, 186 days
Bill Riordan		Labor	1936 Kennedy by-election	12 December 1936	8 February 1908	28 years, 308 days
David Kennedy		Labor	1969 Bendigo by-election	7 June 1969	20 March 1940	29 years, 79 days

Oldest by-election victors

Victors aged over 55 at the time of their election are listed. The oldest woman to win a by-election was Bronwyn Bishop, who was aged 51 years, 158 days when she won the 1994 Mackellar by-election.

Member	Party		By-election	By-election date	Birth date	Age	Notes
William Spence		Nationalist	1917 Darwin by-election	30 June 1917	7 August 1846	70 years, 327 days	Previously served 1901–1917.
John Alexander		Liberal	2017 Bennelong by-election	16 December 2017	4 July 1951	66 years, 165 days	Previously served 2010–2017.
Edward Corser		Nationalist	1915 Wide Bay by-election	11 December 1915	1852	62–63 years
Kerryn Phelps		Independent	2018 Wentworth by-election	20 October 2018	14 December 1957	60 years, 310 days
Edmund Jowett		Nationalist	1917 Grampians by-election	27 October 1917	6 January 1858	59 years, 294 days
John Chanter		Protectionist	1904 Riverina by-election	18 May 1904	11 February 1845	59 years, 97 days	Previously served 1901–1903.
George Reid		Free Trade	1903 East Sydney by-election	4 September 1903	25 February 1845	58 years, 191 days	Previously served 1901–1903.
Hugh Mahon		Labor	1913 Kalgoorlie by-election	22 December 1913	6 January 1857	56 years, 350 days	Previously served 1901–1913.
Herbert Pratten		Nationalist	1921 Parramatta by-election	10 December 1921	7 May 1865	56 years, 217 days	Previously a senator, 1917–1921.
John Gorton		Liberal	1968 Higgins by-election	24 February 1968	9 September 1911	56 years, 168 days	Previously a senator, 1950–1968.
Percy Joske		Liberal	1951 Balaclava by-election	28 July 1951	5 October 1895	55 years, 296 days
Bill Armstrong		Country	1965 Riverina by-election	27 February 1965	1 July 1909	55 years, 241 days

First women by-election victors

The first woman to win a by-election was Labor's Carmen Lawrence, who won the 1994 Fremantle by-election on 12 March. The first Liberal woman to win a by-election, Bronwyn Bishop, won the 1994 Mackellar by-election on 26 March. The first woman to contest a by-election was Grace Stratton, an independent candidate for the 1951 Balaclava by-election.

Frequency and duration records

Longest period without a by-election

Periods when there were no by-elections for over two years are listed:

Period	Length
30 March 1946 – 28 July 1951	5 years, 120 days
24 May 1941 – 18 August 1945	4 years, 86 days
5 December 2009 – 8 February 2014	4 years, 65 days
18 February 1922 – 6 March 1926	4 years, 16 days
19 March 2005 – 28 June 2008	3 years, 101 days
18 May 1904 – 10 July 1907	3 years, 53 days
1 February 1997 – 6 November 1999	2 years, 278 days
20 March 1971 – 22 September 1973	2 years, 186 days
19 October 2002 – 19 March 2005	2 years, 151 days
28 June 1975 – 25 October 1977	2 years, 119 days
8 March 1958 – 9 April 1960	2 years, 32 days
15 April 1989 – 11 May 1991	2 years, 26 days

Four parliaments have been without by-elections: the 9th (1922–1925), the 18th (1946–1949), the 19th (1949–1951) and 43rd (2010–2013).

Longest period without a seat changing hands

Periods of over three years are listed:

Period	Length
6 September 2008 – 20 October 2018	10 years, 44 days
18 October 1952 – 5 November 1960	8 years, 18 days
22 July 1967 – 28 June 1975	7 years, 341 days
28 June 1975 – 13 March 1982	6 years, 258 days
30 July 1921 – 3 September 1928	6 years, 223 days
30 March 1946 – 18 October 1952	6 years, 202 days
25 March 1995 – 17 March 2001	5 years, 357 days
2 March 1940 – 9 February 1946	5 years, 344 days
13 March 1982 – 6 February 1988	5 years, 330 days
19 October 2002 – 6 September 2008	5 years, 323 days
5 November 1960 – 26 February 1966	5 years, 113 days
6 February 1932 – 19 December 1936	4 years, 317 days
18 May 1904 – 13 June 1908	4 years, 26 days
9 April 1988 – 11 April 1992	4 years, 2 days
11 November 1911 – 20 February 1915	3 years, 101 days
29 March 1901 – 30 March 1904	3 years, 1 day

Most by-elections in one day

The highest number of by-elections held on a single day is five:

• 28 July 2018 — Braddon (Tas), Fremantle (WA), Longman (Qld), Mayo (SA), Perth (WA)

There have twice been three by-elections in one day:

• 21 February 1981 — Boothby (SA), Curtin (WA) and McPherson (Qld).
• 18 February 1984 — Corangamite (Vic), Hughes (NSW) and Richmond (NSW).

Most by-elections in a single parliament

There were 10 by-elections during the 20th Parliament (1951–1954). The 45th Parliament (2016–2019) saw nine, the 37th Parliament (1993–1996) saw eight, and the 25th Parliament (1963–1966) saw seven.

Most by-elections for a single electorate

There have been five by-elections for the seat of Werriwa: in 1912, 1952, 1978, 1994 and 2005.

Causes of by-elections

Most by-elections are caused either by the resignation or the death of the sitting member. By-elections caused by other factors are listed here:

• Previous election result declared void
  • 1904 Melbourne by-election
  • 1904 Riverina by-election
  • 1907 Echuca by-election
  • 1920 Ballaarat by-election
• Member resigned to recontest
  • 1903 East Sydney by-election
• Member expelled
  • 1920 Kalgoorlie by-election
• Member disqualified
  • 1996 Lindsay by-election
  • 2017 New England by-election
• Member resigned on learning of disqualification
  • 2017 Bennelong by-election
  • 2018 Batman by-election
  • 2018 Braddon by-election
  • 2018 Fremantle by-election
  • 2018 Longman by-election
  • 2018 Mayo by-election

Miscellaneous records

Incumbent party falls directly from first to third place

• 1918 Corangamite by-election: The Nationalist Party dropped to third after the entry of the Victorian Farmers' Union.

Government gains seats/Opposition loses seats

• 1909 Wakefield by-election — the newly-formed Commonwealth Liberal Party, in government under Alfred Deakin, gained the seat after the death of the Independent Speaker of the House of Representatives.
• 1920 Kalgoorlie by-election — the Hughes Nationalist Government gained the seat following the expulsion of the Labor member; this is the only time a government has gained a seat directly from the Opposition at a by-election.
• 1921 Maranoa by-election — the Opposition Labor Party lost the seat to the newly formed Country Party.
• 1929 Franklin by-election — the Scullin Labor Government gained the seat after the death of the Independent member.
• 2002 Cunningham by-election — the Opposition Labor Party lost the seat to a Greens candidate.
• 2008 Lyne by-election — the National Party, junior partner in the Opposition, lost the seat to an independent candidate.

By-election victors defeated at next election

• 1902 Tasmania by-election — The winner, the Free Trade Party's William Hartnoll, contested Bass after Tasmania was divided into electorates at the 1903 federal election, but was defeated by the Protectionist candidate.
• 1904 Wilmot by-election — The winner, the Free Trade Party's Norman Cameron, contested the 1906 federal election as an independent and was defeated by the Anti-Socialist candidate.
• 1911 Boothby by-election — The winner, the Liberal Party's David Gordon, was defeated by the Labor candidate at the 1913 federal election.
• 1915 Bendigo by-election — The winner, the Labor Party's Alfred Hampson, was defeated by the Nationalist candidate at the 1917 federal election.
• 1917 Darwin by-election — The winner, the Nationalist Party's William Spence, contested the seat of Batman at the 1919 federal election and was defeated by the Labor candidate.
• 1918 Swan by-election — The winner, the Labor Party's Edwin Corboy, was defeated by the Farmers & Settlers candidate at the 1919 federal election.
• 1920 Kalgoorlie by-election — The winner, the Nationalist Party's George Foley, was defeated by the Labor candidate at the 1922 federal election.
• 1929 Franklin by-election — The Winner, the Labor Party's Charles Frost, was defeated by the UAP candidate at the 1931 federal election.
• 1931 East Sydney by-election — The winner, the Labor Party's Eddie Ward, was defeated (as a NSW Labor candidate) by the United Australia Party candidate at the 1931 federal election.
• 1938 Wakefield by-election — The winner, the Labor Party's Sydney McHugh, was defeated by the Liberal candidate at the 1940 federal election.
• 1939 Wilmot by-election — The winner, the Labor Party's Lancelot Spurr, was defeated by the Liberal candidate at the 1940 federal election.
• 1940 Swan by-election — The winner, the Country Party's Thomas Marwick, contested the 1943 federal election as an independent candidate and was defeated by the endorsed Country Party candidate.
• 1941 Boothby by-election — The winner, the United Australia Party's Grenfell Price, was defeated by the Labor candidate at the 1943 federal election.
• 1952 Flinders by-election — The winner, the Labor Party's Keith Ewert, was defeated by the Liberal candidate at the 1954 federal election.
• 1982 Flinders by-election — The winner, the Liberal Party's Peter Reith, was defeated by the Labor candidate at the 1983 federal election, although he was returned at the 1984 federal election.
• 1988 Adelaide by-election — The winner, the Liberal Party's Mike Pratt, was defeated by the Labor candidate at the 1990 federal election.
• 1995 Canberra by-election — The winner, the Liberal Party's Brendan Smyth, was defeated by the Labor candidate at the 1996 federal election, when he contested the new seat of Namadgi.
• 2001 Ryan by-election — The winner, the Labor Party's Leonie Short, was defeated by the Liberal candidate at the 2001 federal election.
• 2002 Cunningham by-election — The winner, the Greens' Michael Organ, was defeated by the Labor candidate at the 2004 federal election.
• 2018 Braddon by-election — The winner, the Labor Party's Justine Keay, who was re-contesting over citizenship issues, was defeated by the Liberal candidate at the 2019 federal election.
• 2018 Longman by-election — The winner, the Labor Party's Susan Lamb, who was re-contesting over citizenship issues, was defeated by the LNP candidate at the 2019 federal election.
• 2018 Wentworth by-election — The winner, Independent Kerryn Phelps, was defeated by the Liberal candidate at the 2019 federal election.

Incumbent party did not contest

• 1908 Adelaide by-election: Protectionist MP Charles Kingston had died. In a prelude to the Fusion of the following year, an independent anti-socialist was the only opposition to Labor.
• 1928 Wide Bay by-election: Nationalist Party member Edward Corser had died. The by-election was won unopposed by his son, Bernard Corser, who ran for the Nationalists' Coalition partner the Country Party.

Major party did not run

It is quite common for major parties not to contest by-elections held by the other party by safe margins. This list does not include uncontested by-elections, which can be found below.

• Not contested by Labor:
  • 1901 Darling Downs by-election
  • 1903 East Sydney by-election
  • 1904 Wilmot by-election
  • 1904 Riverina by-election
  • 1907 Echuca by-election
  • 1919 Echuca by-election
  • 1928 Wide Bay by-election
  • 1929 Balaclava by-election
  • 1946 Wimmera by-election
  • 1952 Bradfield by-election
  • 1989 Gwydir by-election
  • 1991 Menzies by-election
  • 1994 Mackellar by-election
  • 1994 Warringah by-election
  • 1994 Kooyong by-election
  • 1995 Wentworth by-election
  • 2008 Lyne by-election
  • 2008 Mayo by-election
  • 2009 Bradfield by-election
  • 2009 Higgins by-election
  • 2015 North Sydney by-election
• Not contested by the Coalition:
  • 1908 Adelaide by-election
  • 1914 Adelaide by-election
  • 1935 Newcastle by-election
  • 1936 Kennedy by-election
  • 1953 Dalley by-election
  • 1955 Cook by-election
  • 1956 Cunningham by-election
  • 1960 Hunter by-election
  • 1962 Batman by-election
  • 1963 East Sydney by-election
  • 1996 Blaxland by-election
  • 1997 Fraser by-election
  • 1999 Holt by-election
  • 2000 Isaacs by-election
  • 2002 Cunningham by-election
  • 2005 Werriwa by-election
  • 2018 Batman by-election
  • 2018 Fremantle by-election
  • 2018 Perth by-election

Party endorses multiple candidates

• 1902 Tasmania by-election: The Protectionist Party endorsed two candidates.
• 1927 Warringah by-election: The Labor Party endorsed two candidates.
• 1929 Franklin by-election: The Nationalist Party endorsed two candidates.
• 1937 Gwydir by-election: The Country Party endorsed three candidates.
• 1939 Wilmot by-election: The United Australia Party endorsed three candidates and the Labor Party endorsed two. Labor candidate Lancelot Spurr was successful.
• 1940 Kalgoorlie by-election: The United Australia Party endorsed two candidates.
• 1940 Swan by-election: The Country Party endorsed two candidates, one of whom, Thomas Marwick, was successful.
• 1946 Wimmera by-election: The Country Party endorsed two candidates, one of whom, Winton Turnbull, was successful.
• 1952 Lyne by-election: The Country Party endorsed two candidates, one of whom, Philip Lucock, was successful.
• 1953 Gwydir by-election: The Country Party endorsed two candidates, one of whom, Ian Allan, was successful.
• 1957 Richmond by-election: The Country Party endorsed four candidates, one of whom, Doug Anthony, was successful.
• 2009 Bradfield by-election: The Christian Democratic Party endorsed nine candidates, an event that resulted in a change in law preventing parties from nominating more than one candidate in future.

Victories by minor parties and independents

• 1932 East Sydney by-election: won by the Australian Labor Party (NSW), a splinter group from the federal party.
• 1992 Wills by-election: won by Independent candidate Phil Cleary.
• 2002 Cunningham by-election: won by the Greens.
• 2008 Lyne by-election: won by Independent candidate Rob Oakeshott, who had served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly since 1996.
• 2018 Mayo by-election: won by Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie, who had held the seat before resigning over citizenship issues.
• 2018 Wentworth by-election: won by Independent candidate Kerryn Phelps.

Strong performances by minor parties and independents

Minor parties and independents who received at least 10% of the primary vote or were part of the final two-party-preferred count are listed below. The Position column refers to primary vote position. Prior to 1984 preferences were not counted to completion once the winning candidate reached 50% of the vote; in these cases an estimate of the two-party-preferred vote, in italics, is used.

	Party	By-election	Candidate	Votes	Primary	2PP	Position	Notes
	AAFI	1996 Blaxland by-election	Peter Krumins	8,759	13.63		2	No Liberal candidate; overtaken on preferences.
	AAFI	1994 Warringah by-election	Robyn Spencer	8,446	13.54		4	No Labor candidate.
	Australia	1970 ACT by-election	Alan Fitzgerald	9,914	17.52		3
	Centre Alliance	2018 Mayo by-election	Rebekha Sharkie	39,369	44.37	57.53	1	Won by-election.
	Communist	1936 Kennedy by-election	Jim Slater	4,459	11.05		3	No UAP candidate.
	Communist	1960 Hunter by-election	Charles Dumbrell	3,895	10.10		3	No Liberal candidate.
	Conservative	1936 Darling Downs by-election	Leslie Boyce	5,809	12.62		4
	Democrats	1991 Menzies by-election	Ken Peak	13,070	22.04	27.95	2	No Labor candidate.
	Democrats	2000 Isaacs by-election	Haydn Fletcher	10,540	17.28	33.96	2	No Liberal candidate.
	Democrats	1981 Curtin by-election	Shirley de la Hunty	8,356	17.13		3
	Democrats	1994 Warringah by-election	Troy Anderson	9,932	15.92	36.54	2	No Labor candidate.
	Democrats	1999 Holt by-election	Polly Morgan	10,896	14.74	27.94	2	No Liberal candidate.
	Democrats	1981 Boothby by-election	Robert Hercus	9,188	14.31		3
	Democrats	1988 Adelaide by-election	Ian McLeish	7,097	11.77		3
	DLP	1962 Batman by-election	Jack Little	6,811	18.81		3	No Liberal candidate.
	DLP	1960 Bendigo by-election	Bill Drechsler	6,200	14.67		3
	DLP	1960 Balaclava by-election	John Ryan	4,672	14.19		3
	DLP	1960 Higinbotham by-election	James Nugent	6,756	13.44		3
	DLP	1966 Kooyong by-election	Bernie Gaynor	5,854	13.29		3
	DLP	1969 Bendigo by-election	Paul Brennan	5,710	12.93		3
	DLP	1960 La Trobe by-election	John Martyr	6,834	12.77		3
	DLP	1967 Corio by-election	Patrick Bourke	5,418	10.61		3
	Family First	2008 Mayo by-election	Bob Day	8,468	11.40		4	No Labor candidate.
	Greens	2018 Batman by-election	Alex Bhathal	33,725	39.49	45.62	2	No Liberal candidate.
	Greens	2009 Higgins by-election	Clive Hamilton	21,628	32.40	39.77	2	No Labor candidate.
	Greens	1994 Kooyong by-election	Peter Singer	16,202	28.03	35.97	2	No Labor candidate.
	Greens	2002 Cunningham by-election	Michael Organ	15,505	23.03	52.23	2	No Liberal candidate; won on preferences.
	Greens	1995 Wentworth by-election	Murray Matson	15,120	26.04	34.10	2	No Labor candidate.
	Greens	2009 Bradfield by-election	Susie Gemmell	17799	25.23	35.18	2	No Labor candidate.
	Greens	2008 Mayo by-election	Lynton Vonow	15,851	21.35	46.97	2	No Labor candidate.
	Greens	2018 Perth by-election	Caroline Perks	10,908	18.81	36.90	2	No Liberal candidate.
	Greens	2018 Fremantle by-election	Dorinda Cox	10,456	16.53		2	No Liberal candidate; overtaken on preferences.
	Greens	2015 North Sydney by-election	Arthur Chesterfield-Evans	11,959	15.71		3	No Labor candidate.
	Greens	1995 Canberra by-election	James Warden	10,835	12.85		3
	Greens	1997 Fraser by-election	Dierk von Behrens	5,584	10.60		3
	Independent	2008 Lyne by-election	Rob Oakeshott	47,306	63.80	73.87	1	No Labor candidate; won by-election.
	Independent	1908 Adelaide by-election	Alexander McLachlan	4,887	48.83		2	No Protectionist or Free Trade candidate.
	Independent	1910 Kooyong by-election	Alfred Lumsden	8,214	38.20		2
	Independent	1952 Bradfield by-election	Martin Hardie	15,336	38.15	41.6	2	No Labor candidate.
	Independent	1901 Darling Downs by-election	Joshua Bell	2,687	37.22		2	No Free Trade or Labour candidate; only two candidates.
	Independent	1929 Balaclava by-election	Frederick Francis	16,048	35.90	35.90	2	No Labor candidate; only two candidates.
	Independent	1992 Wills by-election	Phil Cleary	21,391	33.53	65.37	1	Won by-election.
	Independent	1936 Kennedy by-election	Jim Boyd	13,223	32.76	42.54	2	No UAP candidate.
	Independent	1960 Hunter by-election	Bob Brown	11,876	30.79	32.8	2	No Liberal candidate.
	Independent	2018 Wentworth by-election	Kerryn Phelps	22,219	29.19	51.22	2	Won on preferences.
	Independent	1989 Gwydir by-election	John Uebergang	14,660	26.30	??	2	No Labor candidate.
	Independent	1953 Dalley by-election	William Cole	8,285	24.54	25.0	2	No Liberal candidate.
	Independent	1994 Mackellar by-election	Bob Ellis	15,501	23.14	39.73	2	No Labor candidate.
	Independent	1938 Wakefield by-election	Percy Quirke	11,343	22.78		3
	Independent	1956 Wentworth by-election	Reg Robson	6,414	18.96	48.37	3	Overtook Labor candidate on preferences.
	Independent	1995 Wentworth by-election	Bill Wentworth	10,945	18.85		3	No Labor candidate.
	Independent	2015 North Sydney by-election	Stephen Ruff	14,303	18.79	39.77	2	No Labor candidate.
	Independent	1969 Curtin by-election	Robert Scoggins	6,586	18.49		3
	Independent	1927 Warringah by-election	William Fell	7,477	18.46		2	Overtaken on preferences.
	Independent	1997 Fraser by-election	Cheryl Hill	9,642	18.30	34.76	2	No Liberal candidate.
	Independent	1946 Wimmera by-election	James Stoddart	6,361	17.93		3	No Labor candidate; third behind two Country candidates.
	Independent	1989 Gwydir by-election	Bevan O'Regan	9,881	17.72		3	No Labor candidate.
	Independent	2008 Mayo by-election	Diane Bell	12,081	16.27		3	No Labor candidate.
	Independent	1994 Warringah by-election	Judith Halnan	9,564	15.33		3	No Labor candidate.
	Independent	1970 ACT by-election	Jim Pead	8,151	14.41		4
	Independent	2002 Cunningham by-election	David Moulds	9,147	13.59		3	No Liberal candidate.
	Independent	1955 Cook by-election	John Somerville-Smith	3,248	13.17	13.17	2	No Liberal candidate; only two candidates.
	Independent	1956 Wentworth by-election	Reg Bartley	4,109	12.15		4
	Independent	1940 Swan by-election	Claude Barker	4,980	11.14		4
	Independent	1951 Macquarie by-election	William Blanchard	3,853	10.94		3
	Independent	2018 Braddon by-election	Craig Garland	6,633	10.57		3
	Independent	2002 Cunningham by-election	Peter Wilson	7,107	10.56		4	No Liberal candidate.
	Independent	1981 Wentworth by-election	Katherine Wentworth	4,923	10.41		3
	Independent	1963 East Sydney by-election	Vernon Luckman	2,233	9.15	14.9	2	No Liberal candidate.
	Independent	2005 Werriwa by-election	James Young	5,237	7.80	29.95	2	No Liberal candidate.
	Labor (NSW)	1932 East Sydney by-election	Eddie Ward	17,461	46.96	50.23	1	Won by-election.
	Labor (NSW)	1935 Newcastle by-election	James Smith	22,135	42.72	46.21	2	No UAP candidate.
	Liberal Democrats	2018 Fremantle by-election	John Gray	8,916	14.10	26.67	3	No Liberal candidate; overtook Greens on preferences.
	Liberal Forum	1962 Batman by-election	Donald McLeod	7,026	19.40	37.2	2	No Liberal candidate.
	One Nation	2018 Longman by-election	Matthew Stephen	14,061	15.91		3
	Protestant Labor	1939 Griffith by-election	Everett Graham	15,437	27.78		3
	RARI	1996 Blaxland by-election	John Hutchinson	5,771	8.98	30.94	3	Overtook AAFI on preferences.
	Single Tax	1914 Adelaide by-election	Edward Craigie	1,857	15.57	15.57	2	No Liberal candidate; only two candidates.

Uncontested by-elections

There have been four by-elections where only one candidate contested, with the result that no vote was held and the candidate was declared elected:

• 1913 Kalgoorlie by-election (Labor)
• 1915 Dalley by-election (Labor)
• 1928 Wide Bay by-election (Country) — the only time an uncontested by-election has resulted in the seat changing hands, although in this case it was between the Nationalist Party and its Coalition partner the Country Party.
• 1956 Cunningham by-election (Labor)

By-elections having national significance

• 1918 Flinders by-election: VFU candidate threatens to split the vote but withdraws after the Nationalist Party agrees to introduce preferential voting.
• 1918 Swan by-election: loss of safe conservative seat to Labor galvanises the Nationalist Party to introduce preferential voting.
• 1918 Corangamite by-election: first federal election contest conducted using preferential voting; first federal victory for a state country party (the VFU).
• 1975 Bass by-election: massive Liberal gain heralds the end of the Whitlam Labor government.
• 1992 Wills by-election: former Prime Minister Bob Hawke's seat won by an independent candidate.
• 2002 Cunningham by-election: Greens victory damages the Opposition leadership of Simon Crean.
• 2009 Bradfield by-election: Nine Christian Democrat candidates prompt a change in the law restricting parties running more than one candidate in a single seat.

Firsts and lasts

• Last uncontested by-election: 1956 Cunningham by-election