title: Electoral results for the district of West Maitland
text: # Electoral results for the district of West Maitland
  
  West Maitland, an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales was created in 1859 and abolished in 1904.
  
  | Election | Member | Party |
  | - | - | - |
  | 1859 | Elias Weekes | None |
  | 1860 | Elias Weekes | None |
  | 1864 | Benjamin Lee | None |
  | 1869 | Benjamin Lee | None |
  | 1872 | Benjamin Lee | None |
  | 1874 by | Lewis Levy | None |
  | 1874 | Henry Cohen | None |
  | 1877 | Henry Cohen | None |
  | 1880 | James Fulford | None |
  | 1882 | Henry Cohen | None |
  | 1885 | Richard Thompson | None |
  | 1887 | Richard Thompson | Free Trade |
  | 1891 | John Gillies | Free Trade |
  | 1894 | John Gillies | Ind. Free Trade |
  | 1895 | John Gillies | Free Trade |
  | 1898 | John Gillies | Free Trade |
  | 1901 | John Gillies | Independent |
  
  ## Election results
  
  ### Elections in the 1900s
  
  **1901**
  
  1901 New South Wales state election: West Maitland :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Independent | John Gillies | 903 | 78.8 | +14.0 |
  | | Independent | Richard Proctor | 243 | 21.2 | |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 1,146 | 99.7 | +0.4 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 4 | 0.4 | -0.4 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,150 | 45.5 | -25.1 |
  | | Member changed to Independent from Liberal Reform | Member changed to Independent from Liberal Reform | | | |
  
  ### Elections in the 1890s
  
  **1898**
  
  1898 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Free Trade | John Gillies | 1,141 | 64.8 |
  | | National Federal | Walter Edmunds | 620 | 35.2 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 1,761 | 99.3 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 13 | 0.7 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,774 | 70.6 |
  | | Free Trade hold | Free Trade hold | | |
  
  **1895**
  
  1895 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Free Trade | John Gillies | 890 | 80.5 |
  | | Ind. Protectionist | Richard Proctor | 215 | 19.5 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 1,105 | 99.1 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 10 | 0.9 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,115 | 47.3 |
  | | Member changed to Free Trade from Ind. Free Trade | Member changed to Free Trade from Ind. Free Trade | | |
  
  **1894**
  
  1894 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Ind. Free Trade | John Gillies | 1,247 | 63.9 |
  | | Free Trade | Robert Scobie | 618 | 31.6 |
  | | Independent Labor | Richard Proctor | 81 | 4.2 |
  | | Ind. Protectionist | Arthur Payne | 7 | 0.4 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 1,953 | 98.4 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 32 | 1.6 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,985 | 83.2 |
  | | Member changed to Ind. Free Trade from Free Trade | Member changed to Ind. Free Trade from Free Trade | | |
  
  **1891**
  
  1891 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland Wednesday 17 June :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Free Trade | John Gillies (elected) | 670 | 52.7 |
  | | Free Trade | Richard Thompson (defeated) | 459 | 36.1 |
  | | Protectionist | Hugh Lusk | 143 | 11.2 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 1,272 | 97.5 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 33 | 2.5 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,305 | 80.2 |
  | | Free Trade hold | Free Trade hold | | |
  
  ### Elections in the 1880s
  
  **1889**
  
  1889 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland Saturday 9 February :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Free Trade | Richard Thompson (elected) | 754 | 69.2 |
  | | Protectionist | Thomas Hungerford | 335 | 30.8 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 1,089 | 98.1 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 21 | 1.9 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,110 | 59.6 |
  | | Free Trade hold | Free Trade hold | | |
  
  **1887**
  
  1887 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland Wednesday 9 February :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Free Trade | Richard Thompson (re-elected) | unopposed | | |
  
  **1885**
  
  1885 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland Friday 16 October :
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Richard Thompson (elected) | Richard Thompson (elected) | 632 | 54.5 |
  | Walter Edmunds | Walter Edmunds | 527 | 45.5 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 1,159 | 97.0 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | 36 | 3.0 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 1,195 | 72.6 |
  
  **1882**
  
  1882 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland Thursday 7 December :
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Henry Cohen (elected) | Henry Cohen (elected) | 564 | 59.8 |
  | Richard Thompson | Richard Thompson | 380 | 40.3 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 944 | 99.1 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | 9 | 0.9 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 953 | 78.5 |
  
  **1880**
  
  1880 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland Thursday 25 November :
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | James Fulford (elected) | James Fulford (elected) | 612 | 58.6 |
  | Henry Cohen (defeated) | Henry Cohen (defeated) | 432 | 41.4 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 1,044 | 98.1 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | 20 | 1.9 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 1,064 | 87.0 |
  
  ### Elections in the 1870s
  
  **1877**
  
  1877 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland Wednesday 31 October :
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Henry Cohen (re-elected) | Henry Cohen (re-elected) | 397 | 55.6 |
  | James Pritchard | James Pritchard | 304 | 42.6 |
  | Thomas Hungerford | Thomas Hungerford | 7 | 1.0 |
  | Thomas Jones | Thomas Jones | 6 | 0.8 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 714 | 98.2 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | 13 | 1.8 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 727 | 67.2 |
  
  **1874**
  
  1874–75 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland Monday 21 December 1874 :
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Henry Cohen (elected) | Henry Cohen (elected) | 343 | 49.2 |
  | Joseph Eckford | Joseph Eckford | 196 | 28.1 |
  | Archibald Hamilton | Archibald Hamilton | 152 | 21.8 |
  | William Farthing | William Farthing | 5 | 0.7 |
  | William Brooks | William Brooks | 1 | 0.1 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 697 | 98.0 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | 14 | 2.0 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 711 | 67.9 |
  
  **1874 by-election**
  
  1874 West Maitland by-election Tuesday 4 August :
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Lewis Levy (elected) | Lewis Levy (elected) | 647 | 80.1 |
  | Archibald Hamilton | Archibald Hamilton | 129 | 19.9 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 647 | 97.9 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | 14 | 2.1 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 661 | 63.1 |
  
  **1872**
  
  1872 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland Tuesday 5 March :
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Benjamin Lee (re-elected) | Benjamin Lee (re-elected) | 504 | 58.3 |
  | Joseph Eckford | Joseph Eckford | 267 | 30.9 |
  | Archibald Hamilton | Archibald Hamilton | 93 | 10.8 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 864 | 98.2 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | 16 | 1.8 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 880 | 77.0 |
  
  ### Elections in the 1860s
  
  **1869**
  
  1869–70 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland Monday 20 December 1869 :
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Benjamin Lee (re-elected) | Benjamin Lee (re-elected) | 488 | 58.6 |
  | Andrew Liddell | Andrew Liddell | 345 | 41.4 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 833 | 100.0 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | 0 | 0.0 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 833 | 75.2 |
  
  **1864**
  
  1864–65 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland Tuesday 13 December 1864 :
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Benjamin Lee (elected) | Benjamin Lee (elected) | 444 | 50.9 |
  | Peter Green | Peter Green | 328 | 37.6 |
  | Andrew Liddell | Andrew Liddell | 100 | 11.5 |
  | George Rochester | George Rochester | 1 | 0.1 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 873 | 97.9 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | 19 | 2.1 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 891 | 71.5 |
  
  **1860**
  
  1860 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland Tuesday 18 December :
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Elias Weekes (re-elected) | Elias Weekes (re-elected) | 473 | 90.1 |
  | William Cheater | William Cheater | 52 | 9.9 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 525 | 100.0 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | 0 | 0.0 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 525 | 37.3 |
  
  ### Elections in the 1850s
  
  **1859**
  
  1859 New South Wales colonial election: West Maitland Tuesday 21 June :
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Elias Weekes (re-elected) | Elias Weekes (re-elected) | unopposed | |
  