This is a list of candidates of the 1981 New South Wales state election. The election was held on 19 September 1981.
Sitting members are shown in bold text. Successful candidates are highlighted in the relevant colour. Where there is possible confusion, an asterisk (*) is also used.
| Electorate | Held by | Labor candidate | Coalition candidate | Other candidates |
|---|
| Labor}}| | Liberal}}| | |
| Albury | Liberal | Harold Mair | Brian Moriarty (Lib) |
| Ashfield | Labor | Paul Whelan | George Dryden (Lib) | Albert Jarman (Dem) |
| Auburn | Labor | Peter Cox | David Lynam (Lib) |
| Balmain | Labor | Roger Degen | Dianne Street (Lib) | James Donovan (SPA)
Denis Freney (CPA)
Franco Paisio (Dem)
Douglas Spedding (Ind) |
| Bankstown | Labor | Ric Mochalski | James McDonald (Lib) | Donna Hoban (Ind) |
| Barwon | NCP | Richard Emerson | Wal Murray (NCP) |
| Bass Hill | Labor | Neville Wran | Paul Jones (Lib) |
| Bathurst | Labor | Mick Clough | Clive Osborne (NCP) |
| Blacktown | Labor | John Aquilina | David Bannerman (Lib) |
| Bligh | Labor | Fred Miller | John Barraclough (Lib) | George Warnecke (Ind)
Joseph Zingarelli (Dem) |
| Blue Mountains | Labor | Bob Debus | Reg Gillard (Lib) | Harry Marsh (Ind) |
| Broken Hill | Labor | Bill Beckroge | George Gleeson (NCP) |
| Burrinjuck | Labor | Terry Sheahan | John Harvey (NCP) | Scott Milne (Dem) |
| Burwood | Labor | Phil O'Neill | Bruce MacCarthy (Lib) | Stephen Kirkham (Dem) |
| Byron | NCP | Thomas Hogan | Jack Boyd (NCP) | Kenneth Nicholson (Dem) |
| Cabramatta | Labor | Eric Bedford | Kerry Chikarovski (Lib) |
| Camden | Labor | Ralph Brading | Peter Reynolds (Lib) | Raymond Guy (Dem) |
| Campbelltown | Labor | Michael Knight | William Dowsett (Ind)
Gordon Fetterplace (Ind)
William O'Donnell (Ind) |
| Canterbury | Labor | Kevin Stewart | Colin Thew (Lib) |
| Castlereagh | NCP | Jim Curran | Roger Wotton (NCP) |
| Cessnock | Labor | Stan Neilly | James White (Lib) | Gregory Mutton (Dem) |
| Charlestown | Labor | Richard Face | Robert Cowley (Lib) |
| Clarence | Labor | Don Day | William Ralston (NCP) |
| Coffs Harbour | NCP | Joseph Moran | Matt Singleton (NCP) |
| Coogee | Labor | Michael Cleary | Kenneth Finn (Lib) | Michael Gluyas (Ind) |
| Corrimal | Labor | Laurie Kelly | Colin Bruton (Lib) | Carol Blond (Ind)
Questa Gill (Dem) |
| Cronulla | Labor | Michael Egan | Stephen Mutch (Lib) |
| Davidson | Liberal | Julie Sutton | Terry Metherell (Lib) |
| Drummoyne | Labor | Michael Maher | Sarah Hewson (Lib) | Peter Nelson (Dem) |
| Dubbo | Liberal | Peter Morgan | Gerry Peacocke* (NCP)
Eric Woods (Lib) |
| Earlwood | Labor | Ken Gabb | Shirley Watson (Lib) | Paul Terrett (Dem) |
| East Hills | Labor | Pat Rogan | Paul Brazier (Lib) | Margaret Vitlin (Dem) |
| Eastwood | Liberal | Jeff Shaw | Jim Clough (Lib) | Peter Chambers (Dem) |
| Elizabeth | Labor | Pat Hills | John Davison (Lib) | Aileen Beaver (CPA) |
| Fairfield | Labor | Janice Crosio | Robert Goninon (Lib) |
| Georges River | Labor | Frank Walker | Terence Morgan (Lib) | Wallace Burak (Dem)
Bruce Galloway (Ind)
Phillip Gerlach (Ind)
Eric Stavely-Alexander (Ind) |
| Gladesville | Labor | Rodney Cavalier | Ivan Petch (Lib) | Robert Springett (Dem) |
| Gloucester | NCP | John Eastman | Leon Punch (NCP) |
| Gordon | Liberal | George Doumanis | Tim Moore (Lib) | Ilse Robey (Dem) |
| Gosford | Labor | Brian McGowan | Andrew Fennell (Lib) | Paul Baker (Ind)
Robert Bell (Dem)
Barry Phillips (Ind) |
| Goulburn | NCP | Robert Stephens | Ron Brewer (NCP) |
| Granville | Labor | Pat Flaherty | Florence Maio (Lib) |
| Hawkesbury | Liberal | Bennett Fienberg | Kevin Rozzoli (Lib) | John Whittington (Ind) |
| Heathcote | Labor | Rex Jackson | Ron Phillips (Lib) | Warren Evans (Dem)
Maree Jamieson (Ind) |
| Heffron | Labor | Laurie Brereton | Carolyn O'Connor (Lib) |
| Hornsby | Liberal | Christopher Gorrick | Neil Pickard (Lib) | Timothy Daly (Ind)
John Haydon (Dem) |
| Hurstville | Labor | Kevin Ryan | Frederick Harvison (Lib) | Frank Low (Dem) |
| Illawarra | Labor | George Petersen | Mervyn Lucke (Lib) | James Kay (Dem)
Susan Sallans (Ind) |
| Ingleburn | Labor | Stan Knowles | Gary Lucas (Lib) |
| Kiama | Labor | Bill Knott | James Chittick (Lib) |
| Kogarah | Labor | Bill Crabtree | Patrick O'Brien (Lib) | Albert Ost (Dem) |
| Ku-ring-gai | Liberal | Ian Cameron | Nick Greiner (Lib) | Pamela Tuckwell (Dem) |
| Lachlan | NCP | Timothy West | Ian Armstrong (NCP) |
| Lake Macquarie | Labor | Merv Hunter | Judith Ball (Lib) | Genady Levitch (Dem) |
| Lakemba | Labor | Vince Durick | Vivian Salama (Lib) |
| Lane Cove | Liberal | Miron Shapira | John Dowd (Lib) | Gary Smith (Dem)
Rhody Thomas (Ind) |
| Lismore | NCP | Alan Veavock | Bruce Duncan (NCP) |
| Liverpool | Labor | George Paciullo | Raymond Marsh (Lib) | David Bransdon (Ind)
Patrick Leyman (Ind) |
| Maitland | Labor | Allan Walsh | Peter Toms (Lib) | Jack Collins (Ind)
James Roberts (Ind) |
| Manly | Labor | Alan Stewart | Nelson Meers (Lib) | Patricia Langworthy (Ind) |
| Maroubra | Labor | Bill Haigh | Mervyn Colbron (Lib) |
| Marrickville | Labor | Tom Cahill | John Kekis (Lib) | Anthony Larkings (Dem)
Christopher Taylor (SPA) |
| Merrylands | Labor | Jack Ferguson | Alan Byers (Lib) |
| Miranda | Labor | Bill Robb | Lawrence Power (Lib) | Richard Hopkins (Dem) |
| Monaro | Labor | John Akister | David Barton (Lib)
Susan Mitchell (NCP) | Christopher Kleiss (Ind) |
| Mosman | Liberal | Richard Lancaster | David Arblaster (Lib) |
| Murray | NCP | Robert Allen | Tim Fischer (NCP) | Gregory Butler (Dem) |
| Murrumbidgee | Labor | Lin Gordon | John Armstrong (NCP) | Thomas Marriott (Ind) |
| Newcastle | Labor | Arthur Wade | Alex Bevan (Lib) | Kay Wicks (CPA) |
| Northcott | Liberal | Therese McGee | Jim Cameron (Lib) | Ian Irwin (Dem) |
| Northern Tablelands | NCP | Bill McCarthy | John Tregurtha (NCP) |
| North Shore | Liberal | Maurice May | Bruce McDonald (Lib) | Ted Mack* (Ind)
Norman Ward (Dem) |
| Orange | NCP | Harold Gartrell | Garry West (NCP) |
| Oxley | NCP | Alick Rogers | Jim Brown (NCP) |
| Parramatta | Labor | Barry Wilde | Paul Zammit (Lib) | Anthony Buhagiar (Ind)
Barry Jacques (Dem) |
| Peats | Labor | Keith O'Connell | Raymond Carter (Lib) | John Aitken (Dem) |
| Penrith | Labor | Peter Anderson | Ross Shuttleworth (Lib) |
| Pittwater | Liberal | Patrick Sewell | Max Smith (Lib) |
| Riverstone | Labor | Tony Johnson | Kenneth Jessup (Lib) | John Cavenett (Dem) |
| Rockdale | Labor | Brian Bannon | John Tonkin (Lib) |
| Ryde | Labor | Garry McIlwaine | Donald Wilkinson (Lib) | Christopher Dunkerley (Dem) |
| St Marys | Labor | Ron Mulock | Rodney Field (Lib) |
| Seven Hills | Labor | Bob Christie | Heather Gow (Lib) | Peggy Cable (Dem) |
| South Coast | Independent | John Hatton (Ind) |
| Swansea | Labor | Don Bowman | Denis Dolan (Lib) | Lyn Godfrey (Dem) |
| Tamworth | NCP | Garrett Ryan | Noel Park (NCP) | Noel Cassell (Dem) |
| The Hills | Liberal | Barry Calvert | Fred Caterson (Lib) | Rona Samuels (Dem) |
| Tuggerah | Labor | Harry Moore | Joan Skaife (Lib) | Lynn Sawyer (Dem) |
| Upper Hunter | NCP | Ronald Brumpton | Col Fisher (NCP) |
| Vaucluse | Liberal | Nance Loney | Rosemary Foot (Lib) | Brian Hillman (Dem)
Mark Ure (Ind) |
| Wagga Wagga | Liberal | Thomas Watson | Joe Schipp (Lib) | Rodney Dominish (Dem) |
| Wakehurst | Labor | Tom Webster | Phillip Wearne (Lib) | Henri Rathgeber (Dem) |
| Wallsend | Labor | Ken Booth | Richard Noonan (Lib) |
| Waratah | Labor | Sam Jones | Pauline Graham (Lib) | Christopher Dodds (CPA) |
| Waverley | Labor | Ernie Page | Albert Ross (Lib) |
| Wentworthville | Labor | Ernie Quinn | Colin Edwards (Lib) |
| Willoughby | Liberal | Eddie Britt | Peter Collins (Lib) | Kenneth Thomas (Ind) |
| Wollongong | Labor | Eric Ramsay | Ronald Brooks (Lib) | Frank Arkell (Ind)
Ellen Love (Ind)
Meg Sampson (Dem) |
| Woronora | Labor | Maurie Keane | Chris Downy (Lib) |
Sitting members are shown in bold text. Tickets that elected at least one MLC are highlighted in the relevant colour. Successful candidates are identified by an asterisk (*).
| Labor candidates | Coalition candidates | Democrats candidates | CTA candidates | Environment candidates | Progress candidates |
|---|
| Labor}}| | Liberal}}| | Democrats}}| | Call to Australia}}| | Independent}}| | Progress}}| |
- Paul Landa*
- Jack Hallam*
- Jack Garland*
- Barney French*
- Franca Arena*
- George Brenner*
- Ken Reed*
- Bryan Vaughan*
- Ann Symonds
- Fred Hankinson
| - Max Willis* (Lib)
- Jack Doohan* (NCP)
- Ted Pickering* (Lib)
- John Matthews* (Lib)
- Richard Killen* (NCP)
- Derek Freeman (Lib)
- Judy Jakins (NCP)
- Bronwyn Bishop (Lib)
- John Hagan (Lib)
- Doug Moppett (NCP)
| - Elisabeth Kirkby*
- Paul McLean
- James Boow
- Christine Townend
- Laurence Bourke
- Ray Griffiths
- Ross McInnes
- Richard Beazley
- Joe Lake
- Elizabeth Poppleton
| - Fred Nile*
- Graham McLennan
- Kevin Hume
- Tom Toogood
- Percy Everingham
| - Keith Suter
- Dudley Leggett
- Jennifer Quealy
- Quentin Jacobsen
| - Henry Soper
- Marjorie Wisby
- William More
|
| Republican candidates | SDP candidates | Ungrouped candidates |
|---|
| Republican}}| | Independent}}| | Independent}}| | Independent}}| | Independent}}| | Independent}}| |
- Brian Buckley
- Marie McKern
| - Walter Roach
- Johann Liszikam
| Louis Patmoy
Rudolph Dezelin | | | |