List of New South Wales state by-elections

This is a list of by-elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. A by-election may be held when a member's seat becomes vacant through resignation, death or some other reasons. These are referred to as casual vacancies.

The 25th, 26th and 27th Legislative Assemblies were elected using a form of proportional representation with multi-member seats and a single transferable vote (modified Hare-Clark). Under the provisions of the Parliamentary Elections (Casual Vacancies) Act, casual vacancies were filled by the next unsuccessful candidate on the incumbent member's party list. If an Independent member retired, the Clerk of the Assembly determined who would fill the vacancy based on the departing members voting record in questions of confidence. The date listed as the by-election date is the day on which the new member was sworn into the Assembly.

¶ Kay had supported the Lang Government in votes of confidence in the Assembly, the Clerk of the Parliament therefore named the first unsuccessful Labor candidate in the North Shore electrorate as his replacement.

¶ The Speaker had received correspondence nominating two Independents from the 1920 election. However, the terms of the Parliamentary Elections (Casual Vacancies ) Act stated that a nomination to fill the vacancy had to come from a recognised party leader. Labor leader and Premier John Storey nominated Jabez Wright.

‡Millard had been appointed to replace Augustus James and, as there were no further unsuccessful Nationalist candidates, the Parliamentary Elections (Casual Vacancies ) Act was amended to allow his replacement by another Nationalist supporter.

¶ Mudgee Labor MLA Bill Dunn and Liverpool Plains Labor MLA Henry Hoyle resigned from the Labor Party and Parliament on 25 July 1911 in protest at legislation on land ownership introduced by Lands Minister, Niels Nielson. As a result, Labor was left without a majority in the house and rather than face a vote of no confidence, the Ministry and Speaker resigned. This forced the House to be prorogued with the result that Cobar Labor MLA, Donald Macdonell, who was unwell but expected to recover, was automatically expelled for non-attendance during an entire session. By the time of the subsequent by-elections, Labor policy had been reversed and Nielsen had left the ministry. Dunn rejoined the party and successfully re-contested, the Mudgee by-election on 16 August 1911. Hoyle did not re-contest the Liverpool Plains by-election which was won by Liberal candidate, John Perry by three votes on the same day. This result was overturned on appeal and at the second by-election on 28 October, Labor candidate, William Ashford was successful. In Cobar, Macdonell was unopposed when re-elected on 7 October, but died three weeks later. The Labor candidate, Charles Fern was unopposed at the second by-election on 16 December. Denied further ministerial appointment Nielsen resigned from the seat of Yass and Labor candidate Greg McGirr won the resultant by-election on 19 July 1913.

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