1914 Australian Senate election

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1914 Australian Senate election
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
  1913 5 September 19141917 

All 36 seats in the Senate
18 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond party
  Sir George Pearce.jpg Joseph Cook - Crown Studios 03.jpg
Leader George Pearce Joseph Cook
Party Labor Liberal
Leader's seat Western Australia Not a Senator
Seats before296
Seats won305
Seat changeIncrease2.svg1Decrease2.svg1
Popular vote6,119,0185,605,305
Percentage52.16%47.77%
SwingIncrease2.svg3.43ppDecrease2.svg1.61pp

The 5 September 1914 election was a double dissolution election which meant all 36 seats in the Senate were up for election, with each Australian states electing six members, with half to serve a six-year term and the rest to serve a three year term. Terms were taken to have commenced on 1 July 1914. The Senate resolved that in each State the three senators who received the most votes would sit for a six-year term, finishing on 30 June 1920 while the other half would sit for a three-year term, finishing on 30 June 1917. [1]

Contents

It was a landslide victory for the Labor Party, which won 31 seats and was the largest party by first preference votes in every state except South Australia. The opposition party, the Commonwealth Liberal Party, won just one seat, which was in South Australia, despite retaining four seats (two each in New South Wales and Tasmania). The Liberal Party lost three seats, one each in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, while Labor lost one seat in New South Wales. Every state except Western Australia and South Australia swung to Labor.

Australia

Senate 1914 (FPTP BV) — Turnout 62.16% (Non-CV) — Informal 4.66
Australia Senate 1914.svg
PartyVotes %SwingSeatsChange
6 year term3 year termTotal
  Labor 6,119,01852.15+3.43171431Increase2.svg 2
  Liberal 5,605,30547.77−1.61144Decrease2.svg 2
  Independents 9,7990.08−0.78
Total11,734,122181836
Invalid/blank votes86,6494.24−1.42
Turnout2,042,33673.63−0.99
Registered voters2,811,515
Source: Psephos: 1914 Senate

New South Wales

Each elector voted for up to six candidates. Percentages refer to the number of voters rather than the number of votes.

1914 Australian federal election: Senate, New South Wales [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labor Albert Gardiner (elected 1)344,15151.6+1.0 [lower-alpha 1]
Labor Allan McDougall (elected 2)342,48251.3+0.3 [lower-alpha 1]
Labor John Grant (elected 3)341,93451.2+6.0 [lower-alpha 2]
Liberal Sir Albert Gould (re-elected 4)341,56951.1−2.5 [lower-alpha 2]
Liberal Edward Millen (re-elected 5)339,47650.9−1.6 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor David Watson (elected 6)338,28050.7+5.7 [lower-alpha 2]
Liberal Charles Oakes (defeated)333,76350.0−2.3 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor Arthur Rae (defeated)333,24349.9+0.9
Labor Ike Smith324,63048.6+6.1 [lower-alpha 2]
Liberal Frank Coen324,15248.6
Liberal Herbert Pratten 322,07648.3
Liberal Arthur Trethowan 318,78847.8
Total formal votes4,004,514
667,419 voters
95.02+1.74
Informal votes34,9484.98−1.74
Turnout 702,40364.85−4.34
Party total votes
Labor 2,024,69050.56+6.34
Liberal 1,979,82449.44−3.32

Queensland

Each elector voted for up to six candidates. Percentages refer to the number of voters rather than the number of votes.

1914 Australian federal election: Senate, Queensland [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labor Thomas Givens (re-elected 1)152,99057.8+7.0 [lower-alpha 1]
Labor Myles Ferricks (re-elected 2)152,46957.6+2.8 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor William Maughan (re-elected 3)152,32157.5+2.8 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor James Stewart (re-elected 4)151,55357.3+7.6 [lower-alpha 1]
Labor John Mullan (re-elected 5)150,70356.9+6.4 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor Harry Turley (re-elected 6)150,70356.9+6.4 [lower-alpha 1]
Liberal Thomas Crawford 114,65243.3
Liberal William Aitchison113,31742.8
Liberal Frederick Johnson113,23042.8
Liberal Adolphus Jones112,64042.6
Liberal Edward Smith111,76642.2
Liberal Michael O'Donnell111,39642.1
Total formal votes1,588,266
264,711 voters
95.77+0.90
Informal votes11,6934.23−0.90
Turnout 276,40475.07+1.77
Party total votes
Labor 911,26557.37+3.19
Liberal 677,00142.63−3.19

South Australia

Each elector voted for up to six candidates. Percentages refer to the number of voters rather than the number of votes.

1914 Australian federal election: Senate, South Australia [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal John Shannon (elected 1)190,59096.1 [lower-alpha 3]
Labor John Newlands (re-elected 2)112,56956.8+4.6 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor James O'Loghlin (re-elected 3)112,28356.6+4.1 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor Robert Guthrie (re-elected 4)111,77456.4+2.4 [lower-alpha 1]
Labor William Senior (re-elected 5)109,97555.5+4.4 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor William Story (re-elected 6)108,26354.6+8.1 [lower-alpha 1]
Liberal Edward Vardon 90,36445.6
Liberal Benjamin Benny 89,56845.2
Liberal George Jenkins 89,19445.0
Liberal George Stewart88,04244.4
Liberal Patrick Daley87,36544.1
Total formal votes1,189,987
198,331 voters
96.16+1.90
Informal votes7,9133.84−1.90
Turnout 206,24480.14+0.04
Party total votes
Liberal 635,12353.37+6.97
Labor 554,86446.63−6.97

Sitting senator Gregor McGregor (Labor) had re-nominated but died after the close of nominations, leaving Labor with only 5 candidates. Electors were required to vote for 6 candidates or their vote would be invalid. If there was a large informal vote or if the surplus votes were equally distributed there was a risk of Labor losing more than one seat. Labor therefore asked its supporters to vote for John Shannon (Liberal). [5]

Tasmania

Each elector voted for up to six candidates. Percentages refer to the number of voters rather than the number of votes.

1914 Australian federal election: Senate, Tasmania [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labor David O'Keefe (re-elected 1)39,87950.9−5.3 [lower-alpha 1]
Labor James Long (re-elected 2)39,85350.8−4.8 [lower-alpha 1]
Labor James Guy (elected 3)39,65650.6+6.2 [lower-alpha 2]
Liberal John Keating (re-elected 4)39,19350.0−2.3 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor Rudolph Ready (re-elected 5)38,77949.5−3.9 [lower-alpha 1]
Liberal Thomas Bakhap (re-elected 6)38,77949.5−3.3 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor William Shoobridge 38,09648.6
Liberal Edward Mulcahy 38,01648.5
Liberal Louis Shoobridge 38,00648.5
Labor James McDonald 37,77148.2
Liberal John Clemons (defeated)36,57746.7−4.0 [lower-alpha 2]
Liberal Hubert Nichols 36,32546.3
Independent Cyril Cameron 6,9798.9+2.8 [lower-alpha 2]
Independent David Blanchard2,8203.6
Total formal votes470,292
78,382 voters
95.29+1.51
Informal votes3,8714.71−1.51
Turnout 82,25377.61+2.30
Party total votes
Labor 234,03449.76+3.52
Liberal 226,45948.15−3.57
Independent 9,7992.08+0.04

Victoria

Each elector voted for up to six candidates. Percentages refer to the number of voters rather than the number of votes.

1914 Australian federal election: Senate, Victoria [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labor John Barnes (re-elected 1)334,78253.7+4.5 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor Stephen Barker (re-elected 2)334,51753.6+5.2 [lower-alpha 1]
Labor Edward Russell (re-elected 3)334,23853.6+3.5 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor Andrew McKissock (elected 4)333,73953.5+4.5 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor Albert Blakey (re-elected 5)331,91153.2+5.1 [lower-alpha 1]
Labor Edward Findley (re-elected 6)329,19852.8+4.1 [lower-alpha 1]
Liberal James McColl (defeated)294,10447.2−2.5 [lower-alpha 2]
Liberal Samuel Mauger 293,35347.0−1.8 [lower-alpha 2]
Liberal William Edgar 289,85446.5
Liberal James Hume Cook 289,47846.4
Liberal William Trenwith 289,19646.4
Liberal William McLean287,54246.1
Total formal votes3,741,912
623,652 voters
96.71+1.6
Informal votes21,2463.29−1.2
Turnout 644,89879.15+3.66
Party total votes
Labor 1,998,38553.41+3.98
Liberal 1,743,52746.59−2.56

Western Australia

Each elector voted for up to six candidates. Percentages refer to the number of voters rather than the number of votes.

1914 Australian federal election: Senate, Western Australia [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labor George Pearce (re-elected 1)68,24555.4−0.2 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor Patrick Lynch (re-elected 2)66,18953.7−0.4 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor Ted Needham (re-elected 3)65,96053.5−0.5 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor George Henderson (re-elected 4)65,63253.3−2.4 [lower-alpha 1]
Labor Richard Buzacott (re-elected 5)65,30353.0−1.2 [lower-alpha 2]
Labor Hugh de Largie (re-elected 6)64,45252.3+0.4 [lower-alpha 1]
Liberal William Butcher 61,28849.7+3.9 [lower-alpha 2]
Liberal William Dempster58,20847.2
Liberal George Throssell56,97346.2
Liberal John Thomson 56,29045.7
Liberal Victor Spencer55,44845.0
Liberal Charles North 55,16444.8
Total formal votes739,152
123,192 voters
94.67+1.3
Informal votes6,9425.33−0.91
Turnout 130,13471.46−2.04
Party total votes
Labor 395,78153.55−1.03
Liberal 343,37146.45+1.03

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Change compared to the personal vote at the 1910 election.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Change compared to the personal vote at the 1913 election.
  3. John Shannon was included on the Labor ticket. [5]

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References

  1. "Rotation of Senators" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Commonwealth of Australia: Senate. 9 October 1914. p. 41.
  2. Carr, Adam. "1914 Senate New South Wales". Psephos.
  3. Carr, Adam. "1914 Senate Queensland". Psephos.
  4. Carr, Adam. "1914 Senate South Australia". Psephos.
  5. 1 2 "Warning to Labor electors". Daily Herald . 29 August 1914. p. 4. Retrieved 22 July 2022 via Trove.
  6. Carr, Adam. "1914 Senate Tasmania". Psephos.
  7. Carr, Adam. "1914 Senate Victoria". Psephos.
  8. Carr, Adam. "1914 Senate Western Australia". Psephos.