A by-election was held in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland seat of Stafford on 4 August 1984.
The seat was lost to the Liberal Party with the election of candidate Terry Gygar.
The Liberals had the most to gain — the by-election gave them an unexpectedly early chance to gain lost ground and to re-establish themselves as a legitimate force in Queensland politics after their relegation to minor party status after the 1983 election.
[1] To defend the seat Labor chose ABC personality Janine Walker.
Thus if Blake's primary vote had eclipsed that of Gygar's, the distribution of preferences may have delivered the seat to Labor.