title: 1973 Parramatta by-election
text: # 1973 Parramatta by-election
  
  A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Parramatta on 22 September 1973. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of former Liberal Party long-serving Attorney General and Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Honourable (and later Sir) Nigel Bowen who accepted an appointment to the NSW Court of Appeal.
  
  The seat was retained by the Liberal Party, with Philip Ruddock defeating Michael Whelan, who contested the seat for the Labor Party. Ten other candidates from minor parties contested the seat.
  
  This was the first federal election in which eighteen-year-olds were eligible to vote, the voting age having been lowered from twenty-one earlier in the year.
  
  ## Results
  
  Parramatta by-election, 1973 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal | Philip Ruddock | 33,506 | 52.6 | +6.6 |
  | | Labor | Michael Whelan | 24,623 | 38.7 | -7.3 |
  | | Australia | John Butterworth | 3,522 | 5.5 | +2.0 |
  | | Independent | Marilyn Pye | 575 | 0.9 | n/a |
  | | Def. of Govt Schools | Michael Hourihan | 528 | 0.8 | n/a |
  | | Independent | Marcus Aussie-Stone | 363 | 0.6 | n/a |
  | | Independent | Sidney McGarrity | 325 | 0.6 | n/a |
  | | Independent | Gwenda Lister | 65 | 0.1 | n/a |
  | | Independent | Charles Bellchambers | 53 | 0.1 | n/a |
  | | National Socialist | Ross May | 37 | 0.1 | n/a |
  | | Independent | Leonard Kiernan | 30 | 0.0 | n/a |
  | | Independent | Kevin Meares | 25 | 0.0 | n/a |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 63,652 | 97.7 | -0.1 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,493 | 2.3 | +0.1 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 65,145 | 88.4 | -7.3 |
  | | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
  