It was triggered by the resignation of Peter Dowding (the sitting Labor member and former premier) on 26 April 1990.
Judy Edwards, a general practitioner based in Mount Lawley, secured 55.57 percent of the two-party-preferred vote.
Edwards became only the second woman to win election to the Parliament of Western Australia at a by-election, after May Holman in 1925.
[1] However, Dowding was forced to resign as premier in February 1990 after losing the confidence of the Labor partyroom, having been caught up in the WA Inc. scandal.
[3] Edwards retained Maylands until her retirement at the 2008 state election, and served as a minister in the government of Geoff Gallop.