1902 Claremont state by-election

A by-election for the seat of Claremont in the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia was held on 11 June 1902. It was triggered by the resignation of William Sayer (the sitting member) on 26 May. John Foulkes, a prominent local lawyer, won the election with 40.4 percent of the vote. Of the other four candidates, three entered (or re-entered) parliament themselves at later dates.

Background

William Sayer had won Claremont at the 1901 state election,[1] to continue serving as attorney-general in the government of George Throssell. He had been appointed to the position a month before entering parliament. However, Throssell's government was short-lived (and thus so was Sayer's time in the ministry), and he resigned from parliament on 26 May 1902 to take up the position of chief parliamentary draughtsman.[2] The writ for the by-election was issued on 28 May, with the close of nominations on 5 June. Polling day was on 11 June, with the writ returned the following day.[1]

Candidates

Results

Claremont state by-election, 1902
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Opposition John Foulkes 634 41.4 +41.4
Ministerial Frank Wilson 318 20.8 +20.8
Opposition Joseph Langsford 297 19.4 –15.0
Opposition Richard Pennefather 182 11.9 +11.9
Ministerial George Temple-Poole 99 6.5 +6.5
Total formal votes 1,530 98.7 –0.5
Informal votes 20 1.3 +0.5
Turnout 1,550 50.8 –2.1
Opposition hold SwingN/A

Aftermath

Foulkes retained Claremont until his retirement at the 1911 state election, and eventually retired to England.[3] Of his losing opponents, Langsford, Pennefather, and Wilson all either entered or re-entered parliament within the next decade. Langsford and Pennefather won election to the Legislative Council in 1904 and 1908, respectively,[4][5] while Wilson won the seat of Sussex at the 1904 state election and went on to serve as Premier of Western Australia on two occasions (from 1910 to 1911 and from 1916 to 1917).[7]

See also

References

  1. Black, David; Prescott, Valerie (1997). Election statistics, Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996. Perth, Western Australia: Parliamentary History Project and Western Australian Electoral Commission. p. 55. ISBN 0-7309-8409-5.
  2. William Frederic Sayer – Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  3. John Charles Griffith Foulkes, Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  4. Joseph Wood Langsford, Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  5. Richard William Pennefather, Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  6. Oldham, Ray (1988). "Poole, George Thomas Temple (1856–1934)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. 11. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538 via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
  7. Frank Wilson, Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
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