1945 Prahran state by-election

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1945 Prahran state by-election
Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg
  1943 18 August 1945 Nov. 1945  

Electoral district of Prahran in the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Registered32,442 [1] [2]
Turnout74.6% (Decrease2.svg 8.7)
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
BillQuirk.png
Liberal Placeholder.png
Communist Placeholder.png
Candidate Bill Quirk Frank CollinsLeslie Sampson
Party Labor Liberal Communist
Primary  vote11,1439,0781,896
Percentage47.3%38.5%8.0%
SwingIncrease2.svg 9.2Decrease2.svg 10.6 [a] Decrease2.svg 4.6
After preferences 50.1%41.3%8.7%

MP before election

John Ellis
Liberal

Elected MP

Bill Quirk
Labor

The 1945 Prahran state by-election was held on 18 August 1945 to elect the member for Prahran in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, following the death of Liberal Party MP John Ellis. [3] It was held on the same day as a New South Wales state by-election in Blacktown and a federal by-election in Fremantle. [4] [5]

Contents

Labor candidate Bill Quirk gained the seat after a swing of more than 10% away from the Liberals. [a] Quirk retained the seat three months later at the state election in November 1945 and held it again in 1947, serving until his death in 1948. [6]

This was the first of three by-elections in Prahran held in a timeframe of six years, with by-elections also held in 1949 (to replace Quirk) and 1951. [7] [8]

Key events

Candidates

Candidates are listed in the order they appeared on the ballot. [1] [12]

PartyCandidateBackground
  Liberal Frank CollinsDairyman
  Independent William HarrisButcher [13]
  Labor Bill Quirk Postal technician
  Communist Leslie SampsonOrganiser

Results

1945 Prahran state by-election [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labor Bill Quirk 11,14347.3+9.2
Liberal Frank Collins9,07838.5−10.6 [a]
Communist Leslie Sampson1,8968.0−4.6
Independent William Harris1,4576.2+6.2
Total formal votes23,57497.4+0.6
Informal votes6392.6−0.6
Turnout 24,21374.6−8.7
After distribution of preferences
Labor Bill Quirk 11,80350.1
Liberal Frank Collins9,73141.3
Communist Leslie Sampson2,0408.7
Labor gain from Liberal Swing N/A

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 In March 1945, all parliamentary members of the Victorian branch of the United Australia Party (UAP) joined the newly-formed Liberal Party, and swings are compared with the UAP at the 1943 state election. [15] [16]

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References

  1. 1 2 "FOUR FOR PRAHRAN BY-ELECTION". The Herald. 3 August 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  2. "FOUR NOMINATE FOR PRAHRAN BY-ELECTION". Army News. 7 August 1945. p. 2. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  3. "Both Sides Hopeful In Prahran Poll". The Herald. 17 August 1945. p. 7. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  4. "Labor Wins By-Election in Three States". Advocate. 20 August 1945. p. 5. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  5. "Labour's By-Election Victories". The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser. 24 August 1945. p. 11. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  6. "DEATH OF MR QUIRK, MLA". The Argus. 17 November 1948. p. 7. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  7. "LABOR VICTORY IS CERTAIN IN PRAHRAN". Sunday Times. 23 January 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  8. "LABOR WINS PRAHRAN BY-ELECTION". Border Morning Mail. 18 June 1951. p. 3. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  9. "MR ELLIS, MLA, DIES". The Argus. 3 July 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  10. "Prahran By-Election". The Sun News-Pictorial. 19 July 1945. p. 6. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  11. "PRAHRAN BY-ELECTION TODAY". The Argus. 18 August 1945. p. 10. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  12. 1 2 "THE THIRTY-FIFTH PARLIAMENT ELECTED 12 JUNE 1943". Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  13. "HOUSING HITCH-HIKER TO CONTEST PRAHRAN". The Argus. 2 August 1945. p. 13. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  14. "Labour Candidate's Win". The West Australian. 23 August 1945. p. 7. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  15. "STATE UAP AND LIBERAL PARTY". The Argus. 5 March 1945. p. 4. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  16. "STATE UAP NOW LIBERAL PARTY". The Argus. 6 March 1945. p. 5. Retrieved 6 January 2025.