1937 Australian federal election

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1937 Australian federal election
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
  1934 23 October 1937 1940  

All 75 [a] seats of the House of Representatives
38 seats were needed for a majority in the House
19 (of the 36) seats of the Senate
Registered4,080,038 Increase2.svg4.54%
Turnout3,699,269 (96.13%) [b]
(Increase2.svg0.96 pp)
 First partySecond party
  Joseph Lyons.jpg JohnCurtin1938.png
Leader Joseph Lyons John Curtin
Party UAP/Country coalition Labor
Leader since7 May 1931 1 October 1935
Leader's seat Wilmot (Tas.) Fremantle (WA)
Last election42 seats18 seats
Seats won4329
Seat changeIncrease2.svg1Increase2.svg11
Percentage49.26%43.17%
SwingDecrease2.svg 1.01Increase2.svg 16.36
TPP 50.60%49.40%
TPP swingDecrease2.svg 2.90Increase2.svg 2.90

1937 Australian federal election.svg
Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.

Prime Minister before election

Joseph Lyons
UAP/Country coalition

Subsequent Prime Minister

Joseph Lyons
UAP/Country coalition

Poster promoting the return of the Lyons Government at the 1937 federal election; Lyons became the first Australian prime minister to win three elections. Lyons Government campaign poster 1937.jpg
Poster promoting the return of the Lyons Government at the 1937 federal election; Lyons became the first Australian prime minister to win three elections.

The 1937 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 23 October 1937. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent UAP–Country coalition government, led by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons, defeated the opposition Labor Party under John Curtin.

Contents

The election is notable in that the Country Party achieved its highest-ever primary vote in the lower house, thereby winning nearly a quarter of all lower-house seats. At the 1934 election nine seats in New South Wales had been won by Lang Labor. Following the reunion of the two Labor parties in February 1936, these were held by their members as ALP seats at the 1937 election. With the party's wins in Ballaarat and Gwydir (initially at a by-election on 8 March 1937), the ALP had a net gain of 11 seats compared with the previous election.

This was the first federal election that future Prime Ministers Harold Holt and Arthur Fadden contested as members of parliament, having entered parliament at the 1935 Fawkner by-election and 1936 Darling Downs by-election respectively.

This was the first federal election under George VI who became head of state after his brother Edward VIII who abdicated in December the previous year.

Results

House of Representatives

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Labor: 29 seats
United Australia: 28 seats
Country: 15 seats
Independent: 2 seats Australian Federal Election, 1937.svg
  Labor: 29 seats
  United Australia: 28 seats
  Country: 15 seats
  Independent: 2 seats
House of Reps (IRV) — 1937–40—Turnout 96.13% (CV) — Informal 2.59%
1937 Australian House.svg
PartyVotes %SwingSeatsChange
  UAP–Country coalition 1.774,80549.26–1.0143–4
  United Australia  1,214,52633.71+0.73280
  Country 560,27915.55+2.9315+1
  Labor 1,555,73743.17+16.3629+11
  Social Credit 79,4322.202.4900
  Communist 17,1530.48+0.4800
  Independents 176,2144.89+2.383 [c] +2
 Total3,603,223  75
Two-party-preferred (estimated)
  UAP–Country coalition Win50.60−2.9043+1
  Labor 49.40+2.9029+11

Notes

Popular vote
Labor
43.17%
United Australia
33.17%
Country
15.55%
Independent
5.56%
Social Credit
2.20%
Communist
0.48%
Two-party-preferred vote
Coalition
50.60%
Labor
49.40%
Parliament seats
Coalition
58.11%
Labor
38.19%
Independent
2.70%

Senate

Senate (P BV) — 1937–40—Turnout 94.75% (CV) — Informal 9.56%
1937 Australian Senate.svg
PartyVotes %SwingSeats wonSeats heldChange
  Labor 1,699,17248.48+20.401616+13
  UAP–Country coalition 1,636,88946.71–6.51320–13
 UAP–Country joint ticket1,005,24728.68+10.440N/AN/A
  United Australia 565,16116.134.5431610
  Country 66,4811.9012.41043
  Social Credit 49,8011.421.36000
  Independent 118,7683.39+2.93000
 Total3,504,630  1936

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1937SwingPost-1937
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Ballaarat, Vic  United Australia Archibald Fisken 3.93.50.6 Reg Pollard Labor 
Bendigo, Vic  United Australia Eric Harrison N/A0.36.9 George Rankin Country 
Grey, SA  United Australia Philip McBride N/A2.97.1 Oliver Badman Country 
Warringah, NSW  United Australia Archdale Parkhill N/A29.41.9 Percy Spender Independent UAP 
Wimmera, Vic  Country Hugh McClelland N/A2.91.9 Alexander Wilson Independent 

See also

Notes

  1. The Northern Territory had one seat, but members for the territories did not have full voting rights until 1966 and did not count toward government formation.
  2. Turnout in contested seats
  3. Including Northern Territory

References