1984 Australian Senate election

1984 Australian Senate elections

←  1983 1 December 1984 1987  →
46 of the 76 seats in the Australian Senate 39 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader John Button Fred Chaney Party Labor Liberal–National Coalition Leader since 7 November 1980 11 March 1983 Leader's seat Victoria Western Australia Seats before 30 28 Seats won 20 20 Seats after 34 33 Seat change 4 5 Popular vote 3,750,789 3,516,857 Percentage 42.17% 39.54% Swing 3.32% 0.41%   Third party Fourth party   Leader Don Chipp Jo Vallentine Party Democrats NDP Leader since 9 May 1977 1 December 1984 Leader's seat Victoria Western Australia (won seat) Seats before 5 New Seats won 5 1 Seats after 7 1 Seat change 2 1 Popular vote 677,970 643,061 Percentage 7.62% 7.23% Swing 2.32% 7.23%
Senators elected in the 1984 federal election
Leader of the Senate before election John Button Labor Elected Leader of the Senate John Button Labor

The following tables show state-by-state results in the Australian Senate at the 1984 federal election. Seven Senators were elected in each state in this election, plus two in each Territory.

Following this election, the Senate was composed of 29 coalition (27 Liberal, one coalition National, one CLP), 34 Labor, one Nuclear Disarmament Party, four non-coalition National, seven Democrats, and one Independent. ^{[1] [2]} Senator terms were six years (three for territories), and all took their seats immediately due to the expansion of the senate from 64 to 76 members.

As the previous election was a double dissolution, half of the senators elected at that election had their terms backdated to 1 July 1982, to end on 30 June 1988. Senator terms for those contesting this election would have been for 6 year intervals starting from 1 July 1985, but the Double dissolution election of 1987 removed this necessity.

This election was the last time that Labor won more seats than the Coalition until 2025, despite receiving more votes than them in subsequent Senate elections and winning several victories in the House of Representatives since then.

Australia

Senate (STV GV) — 1984–87 – Turnout 94.55% (CV) — Informal 4.68%

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats won	Total seats	Change
	Australian Labor Party		3,750,789	42.17	−3.32	20	34	4
		Liberal/National joint ticket	1,130,601	12.71	−11.49	3	*	*
		Liberal Party of Australia	1,831,006	20.59	+8.58	14	27	4
		National Party of Australia	527,278	5.93	+0.87	2	5	1
		Country Liberal Party	27,972	0.31	+0.04	1	1
	Liberal/National Coalition		3,516,857	39.54	–0.41	20	33	5
	Australian Democrats		677,970	7.62	−2.32	5	7	2
	Nuclear Disarmament Party		643,061	7.23	*	1	1	1
	Call to Australia Party		162,272	1.82	+0.62
	Democratic Labor		32,472	0.37	+0.37
	Pensioner		23,974	0.27	+0.27
	Harradine Group		22,992	0.26	−0.32		1
	Family Movement		18,841	0.21	+0.21
	Referendum First		5,808	0.07	+0.07
	Conservative		4,731	0.05	+0.05
	Independent		34,333	0.39
Total			8,894,100			46	76	12
Invalid/blank votes			437,065	4.7	–5.2
Turnout			9,331,165	94.5
Registered voters			9,869,217
Source: Federal Election Results 1949-1993

New South Wales

Elected	#	Senator	Party
1985
1985	1	Kerry Sibraa		Labor
1985	2	Chris Puplick		Liberal
1985	3	Bruce Childs		Labor
1985	4	David Brownhill		National
1985	5	John Morris		Labor
1985	6	Michael Baume		Liberal
1985	7	Colin Mason		Democrats
1982
1982	1	Arthur Gietzelt		Labor
1982	2	John Carrick		Liberal
1982	3	Graham Richardson		Labor
1982	4	Peter Baume		Liberal
1982	5	Doug McClelland		Labor

1984 Australian federal election: Senate, New South Wales

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			381,462
	Labor	1. Kerry Sibraa (elected 1) 2. Bruce Childs (elected 3) 3. John Morris (elected 5) 4. Sue West	1,268,489	41.6	−5.7
	Coalition	1. Chris Puplick (Lib) (elected 2) 2. David Brownhill (Nat) (elected 4) 3. Michael Baume (Lib) (elected 6) 4. Bronwyn Bishop (Lib) 5. Doug Moppett (Nat)	1,130,601	37.0	−1.1
	Nuclear Disarmament	1. Peter Garrett 2. Gillian Fisher 3. Marie-Anne Hockings 4. Russel Ward	294,772	9.7	+9.7
	Democrats	1. Colin Mason (elected 7) 2. Paul McLean 3. Jenny MacLeod 4. Garry Chestnut	223,095	7.3	−1.3
	Call to Australia	1. Graham McLennan 2. Tom Toogood 3. Patricia Judge 4. Kevin Hume 5. John Everingham 6. Clair Isbister 7. Elaine Nile	109,046	3.6	+0.2
	Group F	1. Bill Wentworth 2. Robert Clark 3. Raymond King 4. Myfanwy Young	17,530	0.6	+0.6
	Group H	1. Burnum Burnum 2. Rocky Thomas	4,331	0.1	+0.1
	Independent	Helen Hibbard	1,671	0.1	+0.1
	Group D	1. Henry Soper 2. Maureen Nathan 3. Peter Wright 4. Archibald Brown 5. William More 6. John Veenstra	966	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Helen Richards	634	0.0	0.0
	Group G	1. Peter Consandine 2. Brian Buckley	557	0.0	0.0
Total formal votes			3,051,692	94.4	+5.5
Informal votes			181,272	5.6	−5.5
Turnout			3,232,964	94.4	−0.5

Victoria

Elected	#	Senator	Party
1985
1985	1	Olive Zakharov		Labor
1985	2	Alan Missen		Liberal
1985	3	Robert Ray		Labor
1985	4	David Hamer		Liberal
1985	5	Barney Cooney		Labor
1985	6	Jim Short		Liberal
1985	7	John Siddons		Democrats
1982
1982	1	John Button		Labor
1982	2	Margaret Guilfoyle		Liberal
1982	3	Gareth Evans		Labor
1982	4	Austin Lewis		Liberal
1982	5	Don Chipp		Democrats

1984 Australian federal election: Senate, Victoria

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			298,787
	Labor	1. Olive Zakharov (elected 1) 2. Robert Ray (elected 3) 3. Barney Cooney (elected 5) 4. Carole Marple	1,053,488	44.0	−2.4
	Liberal	1. Alan Missen (elected 2) 2. David Hamer (elected 4) 3. Jim Short (elected 6) 4. Richard Alston 5. Zirka Yaskewych	816,362	34.2	+34.2
	Nuclear Disarmament	1. Jean Melzer 2. Venturino Venturini	174,389	7.3	+7.3
	Democrats	1. John Siddons (elected 7) 2. Janet Powell 3. Ian Price 4. Sid Spindler 5. Kenneth Peak	165,624	6.9	−5.1
	National	1. Shirley McKerrow 2. John Cromarty 3. Louise Jenkins 4. John Keating 5. Murray Buzza	95,954	4.0	+4.0
	Democratic Labour	1. Brian Handley 2. Maria Handley 3. William Mahony 4. Lois Mahony	32,472	1.3	−0.9
	Call to Australia	1. Barry Tattersall 2. Valerie Renkema 3. Edna Hall 4. John Easton	30,797	1.3	+1.3
	Pensioner	1. Neil McKay 2. Margaret Carter	19,922	0.8	+0.8
	Independent	Maurice Smith	615	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Tiger Casley	249	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Bill Kapphan	168	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Michael Krape	155	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Augustus Titter	93	0.0	0.0
Total formal votes			2,390,288	95.8	+6.5
Informal votes			104,906	4.2	−6.5
Turnout			2,495,194	95.4	−0.5

• The Liberals and Nationals contested the previous election as a Coalition in the previous election, and did not do so in this election. The Coalition vote of 1983 of 38.2% was unchanged from the combined Liberal and National vote of this election.

Queensland

Elected	#	Senator	Party
1985
1985	1	Margaret Reynolds		Labor
1985	2	Ron Boswell		National
1985	3	David MacGibbon		Liberal
1985	4	Gerry Jones		Labor
1985	5	Glen Sheil		National
1985	6	John Black		Labor
1985	7	Michael Macklin		Democrats
1982
1982	1	George Georges		Labor
1982	2	Flo Bjelke-Petersen		National
1982	3	Warwick Parer		Liberal
1982	4	Mal Colston		Labor
1982	5	Stan Collard		National

1984 Australian federal election: Senate, Queensland

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			176,095
	Labor	1. Margaret Reynolds (elected 1) 2. Gerry Jones (elected 4) 3. John Black (elected 6) 4. Bryant Burns	558,623	39.7	+0.1
	National	1. Ron Boswell (elected 2) 2. Glen Sheil (elected 5) 3. Patrick Behan 4. Alan Metcalfe	406,829	28.9	−0.2
	Liberal	1. David MacGibbon (elected 3) 2. William Everingham 3. Olive-Orme Scott-Young 4. Christopher Gilbert 5. Maurice Thomson	244,753	17.4	+2.5
	Democrats	1. Michael Macklin (elected 7) 2. Ray Hollis 3. John Elfick 4. Cheryl Kernot	129,636	9.2	+1.3
	Nuclear Disarmament	1. Patsy Goodwin 2. Bernard Hockings	62,102	4.4	+4.4
	Conservative	1. Fast Bucks 2. Peter Livesey	4,731	0.3	+0.3
	Group B	1. Hugh Bruce 2. Michael Carr	1,317	0.1	+0.1
	Independent	Frank Bologna	335	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Raymond Medwin	207	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Norman Eather	94	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Cyril McKenzie	86	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Dietar Soegemeier	39	0.0	0.0
Total formal votes			1,408,752	97.0	+5.6
Informal votes			43,919	3.0	−5.6
Turnout			1,452,671	93.4	+0.8

Western Australia

Elected	#	Senator	Party
1985
1985	1	Patricia Giles		Labor
1985	2	Noel Crichton-Browne		Liberal
1985	3	Peter Cook		Labor
1985	4	Reg Withers		Liberal
1985	5	Jim McKiernan		Labor
1985	6	Sue Knowles		Liberal
1985	7	Jo Vallentine		NDP
1982
1982	1	Peter Walsh		Labor
1982	2	Fred Chaney		Liberal
1982	3	Ruth Coleman		Labor
1982	4	Peter Durack		Liberal
1982	5	Gordon McIntosh		Labor

1984 Australian federal election: Senate, Western Australia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			96,467
	Labor	1. Patricia Giles (elected 1) 2. Peter Cook (elected 3) 3. Jim McKiernan (elected 5) 4. John Crouch	334,371	43.3	−6.0
	Liberal	1. Noel Crichton-Browne (elected 2) 2. Reg Withers (elected 4) 3. Sue Knowles (elected 6) 4. Murray Nixon	313,738	40.7	−0.3
	Nuclear Disarmament	1. Jo Vallentine (elected 7) 2. Lindsay Matthews	52,365	6.8	+6.8
	Democrats	1. Jack Evans 2. Richard Jeffreys 3. Jean Jenkins	37,369	4.8	−2.0
	Family Movement	1. Brian Peachey 2. Beryl Van Lyn 3. Nellie Clark 4. John Gilmour 5. Kenneth Wright 6. Roland Bott	18,041	2.3	+2.3
	National	1. Bruce Currie 2. Eric Blight 3. Mort Schell 4. Graham Barrett-Lennard	13,739	1.7	+0.6
	Group E	1. Frank Nesci 2. Nellie Stuart	1,033	0.1	+0.1
	Independent	Peter van Tongeren	861	0.1	+0.1
	Independent	Frank Ash	154	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Martin Suter	62	0.0	0.0
Total formal votes			771,733	95.3	+3.1
Informal votes			37,739	4.7	−3.1
Turnout			809,472	94.2	+1.2

South Australia

Elected	#	Senator	Party
1985
1985	1	Nick Bolkus		Labor
1985	2	Baden Teague		Liberal
1985	3	Graham Maguire		Labor
1985	4	Don Jessop		Liberal
1985	5	Rosemary Crowley		Labor
1985	6	Amanda Vanstone		Liberal
1985	7	David Vigor		Democrats
1982
1982	1	Ron Elstob		Labor
1982	2	Tony Messner		Liberal
1982	3	Janine Haines		Democrats
1982	4	Dominic Foreman		Labor
1982	5	Robert Hill		Liberal

1984 Australian federal election: Senate, South Australia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			101,997
	Labor	1. Nick Bolkus (elected 1) 2. Graham Maguire (elected 3) 3. Rosemary Crowley (elected 5) 4. Vic Heron	340,115	41.7	−2.9
	Liberal	1. Baden Teague (elected 2) 2. Don Jessop (elected 4) 3. Amanda Vanstone (elected 6) 4. Robert Giles	306,027	37.5	−2.9
	Democrats	1. David Vigor (elected 7) 2. John Coulter 3. Mike Elliott 4. Sandra Kanck	91,329	11.2	−0.9
	Nuclear Disarmament	1. Frances Mowling 2. Ian Modistach 3. Douglas Peers	37,834	4.6	+4.6
	Call to Australia	1. Bob Brown 2. Dean Davis 3. William Pomery	22,429	2.7	+2.7
	National	1. John Bannon 2. Judith Jackson 3. Ray Rothe 4. Helen Scott 5. Audrey Pobke	10,756	1.3	−0.4
	Pensioner	1. Wilfred Scott 2. Kenneth Perry	4,052	0.5	+0.5
	Group F	1. Judy Gillett 2. Brian Sones 3. Eugene Sibelle	1,328	0.2	+0.2
	Group D	1. Joe Rossi 2. Warwick Stallard 3. Giovanni Melino 4. Gizella Farkas	840	0.1	+0.1
	Family Movement	1. Bob Boyd 2. Fred Tanner	800	0.1	+0.1
	Independent	Herman Bersee	199	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Peter Gagliardi	169	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Edward Dyer	92	0.0	0.0
Total formal votes			815,970	94.6	+3.4
Informal votes			46,399	5.4	−3.4
Turnout			862,369	95.2	+0.2

Tasmania

Elected	#	Senator	Party
1985
1985	1	Terry Aulich		Labor
1985	2	Brian Archer		Liberal
1985	3	Ray Devlin		Labor
1985	4	John Watson		Liberal
1985	5	John Coates		Labor
1985	6	Michael Townley		Liberal
1985	7	Norm Sanders		Democrats
1982
1982	1	Peter Rae		Liberal
1982	2	Don Grimes		Labor
1982	3	Brian Harradine		Independent
1982	4	Shirley Walters		Liberal
1982	5	Michael Tate		Labor

1984 Australian federal election: Senate, Tasmania

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			32,724
	Labor	1. Terry Aulich (elected 1) 2. Ray Devlin (elected 3) 3. John Coates (elected 5) 4. John White	108,900	41.6	+8.8
	Liberal	1. Brian Archer (elected 2) 2. John Watson (elected 4) 3. Michael Townley (elected 6) 4. Eric Abetz 5. Des Cooper 6. Michael Chabrel	106,427	40.6	−2.0
	Group C (Harradine Group)	1. Kath Venn 2. Colin Sacco	22,992	8.8	−9.0
	Democrats	1. Norm Sanders (elected 7} 2. Lyn Hewitt	15,897	6.1	−0.7
	Nuclear Disarmament	1. Ian Paulin 2. Anne Parker	7,574	2.9	+2.9
Total formal votes			261,790	94.2	+1.6
Informal votes			16,155	5.8	−1.6
Turnout			277,945	95.8	−0.2

Australian Capital Territory

Elected	#	Senator	Party
1984
1984	1	Susan Ryan		Labor
1984	2	Margaret Reid		Liberal

1984 Australian federal election: Senate, Australian Capital Territory

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			45,608
	Labor	1. Susan Ryan (elected 1) 2. Hugh Saddler	60,763	44.4	−10.9
	Liberal	1. Margaret Reid (elected 2) 2. David Walters	43,699	31.9	+0.2
	Nuclear Disarmament	1. John Conway 2. Jan Barratt	14,025	10.3	+10.3
	Democrats	1. John Hatton 2. Julia Knyvett	12,571	9.2	−2.7
	Referendum First	1. Allan Nelson 2. Tony Spagnolo	5,808	4.2	+4.2
Total formal votes			136,866	96.6	−0.1
Informal votes			4,813	3.4	+0.1
Turnout			141,679	94.2	−1.8

Northern Territory

Elected	#	Senator	Party
1984
1984	1	Bernie Kilgariff		CLP
1984	2	Ted Robertson		Labor

1984 Australian federal election: Senate, Northern Territory

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			19,004
	Country Liberal	1. Bernie Kilgariff (elected 1) 2. Patricia Davies	27,972	48.9	+0.8
	Labor	1. Ted Robertson (elected 2) 2. Warren Snowdon	26,040	45.4	−0.6
	Democrats	1. Betty Pearce 2. Fay Lawrence	2,449	4.2	−1.1
	Independent	Vincent Forrester	548	0.9	+0.9
Total formal votes			57,009	96.8	+1.5
Informal votes			1,862	3.2	−1.5
Turnout			58,871	85.5	+4.1

See also

• 1984 Australian federal election
• Candidates of the Australian federal election, 1984
• Members of the Australian Senate, 1985–1987

References

1. "Federal Election Results 1949-1993" (PDF). Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
2. "1984 Senate". Psephos Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 26 June 2022.

External links

• Adam Carr's Election Archive