Electoral district of Cumberland (South Riding)

Cumberland (South Riding) was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1856 to 1859, in the rural part of Cumberland County, which includes Sydney. It included all of the county south of Parramatta Road and the Great Western Highway, except for the urban electorates of Sydney (City), Sydney Hamlets, Parramatta and Cumberland Boroughs, which included Liverpool and Campbelltown. It elected two members simultaneously, with voters casting two votes and the first two candidates being elected.[1]

Members for Cumberland (South Riding)
Member Party Period Member Party Period
  William Manning [2] None 1856–1857   Elias Weekes [3] None 1856–1856
  Ryan Brenan [4] None 1856–1856
    Stuart Donaldson [5] None 1856–1859
  James Byrnes [6] None 1857–1858
  Edward Flood [7] None 1858–1859

1856
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1856 New South Wales colonial election § Cumberland (South Riding)[edit]
1856 New South Wales colonial election: Cumberland (South Riding) [8]
Candidate Votes %
William Manning (elected 1) 833 38.7
Elias Weekes (elected 2) 576 26.8
Ryan Brenan 521 24.2
William Russell 220 10.2
Total formal votes 2,150 100.0
Informal votes 0 0.0
Turnout 1,242 45.2
Polling was conducted on 9 April 1856. Manning had served in the old Legislative Council as an appointed member. Unlike other newly appointed Ministers, he did not have to resign and contest a ministerial by-election as he already held the office of Solicitor-General at the time of his election. Weekes was elected, but later won an appeal against his defeat in Northumberland Boroughs, choosing to sit for that seat and resign from this seat. The subsequent by-election was won by Brenan.

1856 by-election 1

Elias Weekes resigned in August 1856 after winning his appeal against his defeat in Northumberland Boroughs.

Cumberland (South Riding) by-election
21 August 1856 [9]
Candidate Votes %
Ryan Brenan 435 42.69
Augustus Morris 367 36.02
Thomas W Shepherd 110 10.79
William Sherwin 107 10.50
Informal votes 0 0
Turnout 1,019 100
Voter turnout 37.08%

1856 by-election 2

The Qualifications Committee declared the election of Ryan Brenan was invalid as no poll had been conducted at Canterbury. Brenan was persuaded not to stand to allow Stuart Donaldson to regain a seat, having lost Sydney Hamlets in a ministerial by-election.[10]

Cumberland (South Riding) by-election
21 August 1856 [11]
Candidate Votes %
Stuart Donaldson unopposed  

1857

William Manning resigned in May 1857 on account of ill-health.[2]

Cumberland (South Riding) by-election
12 June 1857 [12]
Candidate Votes %
James Byrnes 769 58.39
Ryan Brenan 548 41.61
Informal votes 0 0
Turnout 1,317 100
Voter turnout 36.17%

1858
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 1858 New South Wales colonial election § Cumberland (South Riding)[edit]
1858 New South Wales colonial election: Cumberland (South Riding)
30 January [13]
Candidate Votes %
Edward Flood (re-elected 1) 1,271 42.3
Stuart Donaldson (re-elected 2) 955 31.8
Thomas Holt (defeated) 778 25.9
George Smith 0 0.0
Total formal votes 3,004 100.0
Informal votes 0 0.0
Turnout 3,004 41.3
The other sitting member James Byrnes successfully contested Parramatta. Edward Flood was a sitting member for North Eastern Boroughs. Thomas Holt was the sitting member for Stanley Boroughs. There was some debate as to whether George Smith had received no votes, with Stuart Donaldson stating that he had seen one vote while Edward Flood said he had seen several.[14]

References
  1. Clune, David (2007). Green, Antony; Michael Hogan (eds.). The Electoral Atlas of New South Wales. New South Wales Department of Lands. ISBN 0-9752354-2-7.
  2. "Sir William Montagu Manning (1811-1895)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  3. "Mr Elias Weekes (1809–1881)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  4. "Mr John Brenan (1798-1868)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  5. "Sir Stuart Alexander Donaldson (1812-1867)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  6. "Mr James Byrnes (1806-1886)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  7. "Mr Edward Flood (1805–1888)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  8. Green, Antony. "1856 Cumberland (South Riding)". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  9. Green, Antony. "Cumberland (South Riding) by-election 1856". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  10. "To J Ryan Brenan Esq". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 October 1856. p. 2. Retrieved 13 June 2019 – via Trove.
  11. Green, Antony. "Cumberland (South Riding) by-election 1856". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  12. Green, Antony. "Cumberland (South Riding) by-election 1857". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  13. Green, Antony. "1858 Cumberland South Riding". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  14. "South Riding of Cumberland election". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 February 1858. p. 8. Retrieved 12 June 2019 – via Trove.
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