PITY the voters of the state seat of Ryde. Many of them live in the Federal seat of Bennelong, epicentre of last year's federal poll at which a prime minister lost his seat for only the second time.

Their area was overrun by a plethora of pollies as former prime minister John Howard and Labor aspirant Maxine McKew battled to the death. Now Ryde is top of the political pops again, with next Saturday's byelection a litmus test for the state.

The sudden retirement of former deputy premier John Watkins, who represented Ryde for nine years, has put the area at the centre of another do-or-die political storm. The selection of his successor will be one of four byelections across NSW on Super Saturday - but Ryde is the main game.

Locals can't go about their business without an eager candidate leaping out from the bushes to shake their hand and give them a flyer. Mailboxes are full; malls are awash with sandwich boards; shop windows are adorned with political posters.

Still, it's only a week until life should return to normal for the long-suffering voters who live in Ryde, Meadowbank, Denistone, Melrose Park, Eastwood, Macquarie Park, Putney and Marsfield.

In the main, the seat of Ryde is populated by stable, hard-working families. Latest census figures show Ryde's divorce rate is lower than the national average and the number of residents working full-time is higher than the national average.

Most are white-collar workers, 45 per cent (compared to an average of 30 per cent across the nation) were born overseas and the average household income is $1132 a week compared to $1027 nationally.

It's 27 square kilometres of middle Australia, ranging from the blue-collar workers in the south-western corner to the Korean hub of Eastwood.

And, for another week, it's the centre of the NSW political world.