1920 Victorian state election

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1920 Victorian state election
Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg
  1917 21 October 1920 (1920-10-21) 1921  

all 65 seats in the Victorian Legislative Assembly
 First partySecond partyThird party
  27Harrylawson.jpg George Prendergast.jpg 29Johnallan.jpg
Leader Harry Lawson George Prendergast John Allan
Party Nationalist Labor Victorian Farmers
Leader sinceMay 191818 June 1918
Leader's seat Castlemaine and Maldon North Melbourne Rodney
Last election40 seats18 seats4 seats
Seats won30 seats20 seats13 seats
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 10Increase2.svg 2Increase2.svg 9
Percentage47.95%29.28%14.41%
SwingDecrease2.svg 9.03Decrease2.svg 3.00Increase2.svg 8.28

Premier before election

Harry Lawson
Nationalist

Elected Premier

Harry Lawson
Nationalist

The 1920 Victorian state election was held in the Australian state of Victoria on Thursday 21 October 1920 to elect the 65 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. [1]

Contents

Background

The Nationalist party had reunited after the 1917 election in which the Nationalist members supporting John Bowser defeated those supporting the former Premier Alexander Peacock over his decision to increase country rail fares, and formed a majority government with 40 members. Bowser resigned as premier in March 1918, having little taste for the office, and was replaced by Peacock supporter Harry Lawson.

Meanwhile, in rural Victoria, the Victorian Farmers' Union had been gathering support and was looking to gain more seats from the Nationalists in these regions. This election would be their debut as a major force in Victorian politics where neither the Nationalists and their successors or Labor could form government without their support (or that of their successors, the Country Party) until 1952.

Results

Legislative Assembly

1920 Victorian state election [1] [2]
Legislative Assembly
<< 19171921 >>

Enrolled voters735,054
Votes cast468,223 Turnout 63.70+9.49
Informal votes20,593Informal4.40+1.25
Summary of votes by party
PartyPrimary votes %SwingSeatsChange
  Nationalist 214,65047.95−9.0330–10
  Labor 131,08329.28–3.0020+2
  Victorian Farmers 64,50014.41+8.2813+9
  Ind. Nationalist 22,4485.01*1+1
  Independent 14,9493.34+0.981+1
Total447,630  65 

Notes:

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Colin A Hughes, A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics 1890-1964, Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1968 ( ISBN   0708102700).
  2. Election held on 21 October 1920, Australian Politics and Elections Database (University of Western Australia).