The 1885 New South Wales colonial election was held between 16 October and 31 October 1885. This election was for all of the 122 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in 37 single-member constituencies, 24 2-member constituencies, seven 3-member constituencies and four 4-member constituencies, all with a first past the post system. Suffrage was limited to adult male British subjects, resident in New South Wales. The previous parliament of New South Wales was dissolved on 7 October 1885 by the Governor, Lord Augustus Loftus, on the advice of the Premier, George Dibbs.
There was no recognisable party structure at this election. Instead the government was determined by a loose, shifting factional system. It became the last election to be organised in such a fashion with the rise of the nascent political parties known as the Protectionist Party and the Free Trade Party that were founded in time to contest the 1887 election, and eventually merged in 1909 to become the first of the parties in the lineage of the modern Liberal Party of Australia.
Dibbs had succeeded Alexander Stuart two weeks before the election was held, and maintained a fragile grip on power after the election until 22 December, when he was defeated by Sir John Robertson.
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