1902 Victorian state election

1902 Victorian state election

←  1900 1904  →
All 95 seats in the Victorian Legislative Assembly 48 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader William Irvine Alexander Peacock Party National Citizens' Reform League Liberal Leader's seat Lowan Clunes and Allandale Seats won 47 seats 15 seats
Premier before election William Irvine National Citizens' Reform League Elected Premier William Irvine National Citizens' Reform League

The 1902 Victorian state election was held in the Australian state of Victoria on 1 October 1902, to elect 70 of the 95 members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} The other 25 seats were uncontested. ^[1]

There was manhood suffrage in single and multimember districts (with multiple voting), and first past the post (plurality) voting was used. ^[1]

William Irvine replaced Alexander Peacock as Victorian Premier on 10 June 1902, and contested the election as the incumbent premier and leader of the conservative National Citizens' Reform League. Irvine soundly defeated the Liberals, and their Labor allies led by Frederick Bromley.

This election marked the end of traditional contests between the Liberals and Conservatives in Victoria, with the Reform League made up of members from both parties. ^[5]

This was also the first election in Victoria after federation in 1901, when it ceased to be a colony and became a state.

Results

47 Ministerialist MPs were elected with the backing of the Citizens' Reform League, while 11 ran solely as Ministerialists or Independent Ministerialists. ^[1] Liberal MPs were elected as Oppositionists. ^[5]

Legislative Assembly (FPTP) ^[1]

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Reform League Ministerialists		71,951	42.07		47
	Liberal Oppositionists		30,929	18.09	−32.52	15	29
	Labour		30,804	18.01	+6.73	12	3
	Independent Ministerialists		22,997	13.45		7
	Ministerialists		9,028	5.28		11
	Independent Labour		3,202	1.87		2
	Reform League		2,104	1.23		1	1
Formal votes			171,015	99.65
Informal votes			606	0.35
Total			171,621			95
Registered voters / turnout			290,241	65.41

See also

• Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, 1902–1904

References

1. "Australian Politics and Elections Database: 1 October 1902". University of Western Australia . Retrieved 6 August 2017.
2. "Elections since 1856". Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
3. "The Electoral Act Amendment Act 1888" (PDF). Retrieved 28 April 2014.
4. "Find a Member". State Government of Victoria. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
5. "THE NINETEENTH PARLIAMENT ELECTED 1 NOVEMBER 1902". Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive.