About: Results of the 1885 New South Wales colonial election

The 1885 New South Wales colonial election was for 122 members representing 72 electoral districts. The election was conducted on the basis of a simple majority or first-past-the-post voting system. In this election there were 35 multi-member districts returning 85 members and 37 single member districts giving a total of 122 members. In the multi-member districts each elector could vote for as many candidates as there were vacancies. 7 districts were uncontested. There was no recognisable party structure at this election. The average number of enrolled voters per seat was 1,831, ranging from East Maitland (1,018) to Canterbury (2,630).