A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Rockdale on 2 August 1986.
The by-election was won by Labor candidate and Premier Barrie Unsworth.
Rockdale MP Brian Bannon resigned his seat on 3 July 1986,[1] officially to accept a government job as Chairman of the Homebush States Sports Centre Trust,[2] but in reality to create a vacancy for Unsworth to fill.
Whilst Labor had held Rockdale at all times since the district's re-creation in 1941, it only barely retained the seat at the by-election.
Labor suffered a large drop in its vote compared with the 1984 state election.