1898 Sydney-Fitzroy colonial by-election

{{Short description|none}}

{{Use Australian English|date=April 2021}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = {{nowrap|1898 Sydney-Fitzroy colonial by-election}}

| country = New South Wales

| type = parliamentary

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1895 New South Wales colonial election

| previous_year = 1895

| election_date = 3 June 1898

| next_election = 1898 New South Wales colonial election

| next_year = {{nowrap|July 1898}}

| registered = 2,157{{efn|name=1895roll}}

| turnout = 66.7% ({{increase}} 3.4){{efn|name=1895roll}}

| seats_for_election = Electoral district of Sydney-Fitzroy in the
New South Wales Legislative Assembly

| image1 = {{CSS image crop |Image = John Norton, newspaper owner, 1898 (cropped).jpg|bSize = 150|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 150|oTop = 20|oLeft = 20|Location = center}}

| candidate1 = John Norton

| party1 = Protectionist Party

| popular_vote1 = 617

| percentage1 = 43.2%

| swing1 = {{increase}} 43.2

| image2 =

| candidate2 = Henry Chapman

| party2 = Free Trade Party

| popular_vote2 = 546

| percentage2 = 38.2%

| swing2 = {{increase}} 2.2

| title = MP

| before_election = John McElhone

| before_party = Ind. Free Trade

| after_election = John Norton

| after_party = Protectionist Party

}}

The 1898 Sydney-Fitzroy colonial by-election was held on 3 June 1898 to elect the member for Sydney-Fitzroy in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, following the death of Independent Free Trade MP John McElhone.{{cite web |title=DEATH OF MR. J. McELHONE M.L.A. |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/88070408 |publisher=Kalgoorlie Miner |access-date=8 January 2025 |page=8 |date=7 May 1898}}{{cite web |title=Death of John McElhone |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/264000233 |publisher=The Bligh Watchman and Coonabarabran Gazette |access-date=8 January 2025 |page=2 |date=11 May 1898}} The vote was held on the same day as a by-election in Narrabri and a statewide referendum on the subject of federation.{{cite web |title=NARRABRI ELECTION |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66698481 |publisher=The Inquirer and Commercial News |access-date=9 January 2025 |page=10 |date=6 May 1898}}{{cite web |title=Referendum Day |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/123672343 |publisher=The Maitland Daily Mercury |access-date=9 January 2025 |page=2 |date=3 June 1898}}

The by-election was won by Protectionist candidate John Norton, who defeated Free Trade candidate Henry Chapman and fellow Protectionist candidates Patrick Dorahy and William Martin.{{cite web |title=FITZROY ELECTION |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31365720 |publisher=Queanbeyan Age |access-date=8 January 2025 |page=2 |date=8 June 1898}} Norton lost the seat 54 days later at the New South Wales colonial election on 27 July 1898, when it was gained by Chapman with 51.2% of the vote.{{cite web |title=DEFEAT OF MR. JOHN NORTON |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14139537 |publisher=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=8 January 2025 |page=8 |date=28 July 1898}}{{cite web |last1=Norton |first1=John |title=THE FITZROY ELECTION |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/239564232 |publisher=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=8 January 2025 |page=6 |date=1 August 1898}}