1974 Coogee state by-election

A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Coogee on 20 July 1974 because the Court of Disputed Returns overturned the result of the 1973 Coogee election. Ross Freeman (Liberal) had been declared elected by 8 votes over Michael Cleary (Labor). Justice Slattery in the Court of Disputed Returns held that 25 electors had been improperly deprived of a vote and declared that the election was void.^[1]

Dates

Date	Event
17 November 1973	New South Wales State election
24 December 1973	Michael Cleary filed a petition against the election in the Court of Disputed returns.^[2]
23 May 1974	Court of Disputed Returns declared the 1973 election for Coogee was void.^[1]
21 June 1974	Writ of election issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and close of electoral rolls.^[3]
27 June 1974	Nominations
20 July 1974	Polling day
2 August 1974	Return of writ

1974 Coogee by-election
Saturday 20 July ^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Michael Cleary	12,521	46.87	+4.5
	Liberal	Ross Freeman	12,823	48.00	+1.4
	Australia	Ann Sutherland	1,111	4.16
	Independent	F C Keep	161	0.60
	Independent	Bernard Forshaw	89	0.33
	National Socialist	Ross May	11	0.04
Total formal votes			29,716	97.82
Informal votes			596	2.18
Turnout			27,312	81.17
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Michael Cleary	13,385	50.10	+3.0
	Liberal	Ross Freeman	12,823	49.90	−3.0
	Labor gain from Liberal		Swing	+3.00'"`UNIQ−−ref−0000000A−QINU`"'

^ ^a ^b "Poll for Coogee 'absolutely void'". The Canberra Times. 24 May 1974. p. 6. Retrieved 18 October 2019 – via Trove.
^ "Re the election for Coogee". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 2. 4 January 1974. p. 51. Retrieved 17 March 2021 – via Trove.
^ "Writ of election: Coogee". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 72. 21 June 1974. p. 2200. Retrieved 18 October 2019 – via Trove.
^ Green, Antony. "1974 Coogee". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 November 2019.