1981 Maitland state by-election

Election results for Maitland, New South Wales, Australia March 2021 March 2021 A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Maitland on 21 February 1981 following the resignation of Milton Morris (Liberal NSW) to unsuccessfully contest the federal seat of Lyne at the 1980 election.The Hon. Milton Arthur Morris AO (1924–2019) 1836 Yes 1 May 2019 By-elections for the seats of Cessnock, Oxley and Sturt were held on the same day. The Liberal candidate Peter Toms retained the seat for the party despite a negative swing, defeating Labor candidate Allan Walsh. New South Wales premier Neville Wran attributed Walsh's defeat to the spoiler effect of Daphne Unicomb, who stood as an independent in protest at her husband's preselection defeat to Walsh.https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/125653834 Wran says rebel cost ALP a seat The Canberra Times 22 February 1981 Dates Date Event 29 August 1980 Resignation of Milton Morris. 18 October 1980 1980 Australian federal election 22 January 1981 Writ of election issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and close of electoral rolls.https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article231303790 Writ of election: Maitland Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales 18 22 January 1981 2021-03-17 425 Trove 29 January 1981 Day of nomination 21 February 1981 Polling day 13 March 1981 Return of writ Result [[1981 Maitland state by-election|1981 Maitland by-election]]Saturday 21 February1981 Maitland by-election 1978 Maitland_1 2021-03-17 Liberal NSW Peter Toms 13,014 48.0 -6.3 Labor NSW Allan Walsh 12,201 45.0 -0.7 Independent Daphne Unicomb 1,887 7.0 27,102 98.8 319 1.2 27,421 90.1 Liberal NSW Peter Toms 13,750 51.5 -2.8 Labor NSW Allan Walsh 12,963 48.5 +2.8 Liberal NSW -2.8 Milton Morris (Liberal NSW) resigned to unsuccessfully contest the seat of contested the federal seat of Lyne. Aftermath Peter Toms' career was to be short-lived, as he was defeated by Allan Walsh in the Labor "Wranslide" at the election in September 1981. See also Electoral results for the district of Maitland List of New South Wales state by-elections References expanded Category:1981 elections in Australia Category:New South Wales state by-elections Category:1981 in New South Wales