1917 Macquarie state by-election

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The 1917 Macquarie by-election was held on 28 July 1917 for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Macquarie. It was triggered by the death of Labor MP Thomas Thrower, who had died three months after being re-elected at the 1917 election.

Labor chose Patrick McGirr as their candidate. He came from a big field of contenders and was selected overwhelmingly. The Nationalist Party had a chaotic selection, but ultimately endorsed Wellington miller Murdoch McLeod, with some support for former federal MP Ernest Carr; Frank Foster also ran, sometimes described as an independent or his own party candidate.

McGirr won the by-election, beating McLeod by 239 votes. Foster finished third. McGirr did best in the towns, while McLeod performed better in rural areas. The press had mixed reactions: some called the result a great Labor victory and a sign of recovery, while others said neither party gained a real advantage.