Electoral district of University of Sydney

{{Short description|Former state electoral district of New South Wales, Australia}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}

{{Use Australian English|date=November 2015}}

University of Sydney was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1876 to 1880. It was established in the 1858 redistribution to be elected by graduates of the University of Sydney once there were 100 eligible electors.{{NSW Parliamentary Record |part=5B |access-date=2020-10-31}}{{Cite NSW election|last=Green|first=Antony|author-link=Antony Green|title=Elections for the District of University of Sydney |year=DistrictIndexes |district=University of Sydney |access-date=2020-10-31}}{{Cite NSW Parliament |id=678 |former=Yes |access-date=13 May 2019 |title=Sir William Charles Windeyer (1834–1897)}}{{Cite NSW Parliament |id=920 |name=Sir Edmund Barton GCMG (1849–1920) |former=Yes |access-date=16 April 2019}}

Under the Electoral Act 1858, the University of Sydney was entitled to a seat in the Legislative Assembly, elected by graduates, once there was a body of 100 graduates. The university petitioned the Governor in 1876 for the creation of a seat, listing the names of 10 Doctors of Law, 9 Doctors of Medicine and 92 Masters of Arts who were living in the colony. The Chancellor and Returning Officer Edward Deas Thomson published a notice for the election, with polling taking place in the ante-room adjoining the Great Hall. Underneath, Registrar Hugh Kennedy published the following note. 'As it appears that there is no legal necessity for members of the University who take part in the Election of a Representative to appear in academic costume, they will not be required to do so; but they are requested, if they conveniently can, to comply with the customary practice on such occasions.' Oddly, the next day the notice had been amended to say academic costume was 'required'.{{Cite NSW election |title=1876 University of Sydney |year=1874-5 |district=University of Sydney_1 |access-date=2020-10-31}}