Australian federal election, 1934

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Australian federal election, 1934
Flag of Australia.svg
  1931 15 September 1934 1937  

All 74 seats of the Australian House of Representatives
38 seats were needed for a majority in the House
18 (of the 36) seats of the Australian Senate

 First partySecond partyThird party
  Joseph Lyons.jpg James H. Scullin.jpg JackLang.jpg
Leader Joseph Lyons James Scullin Jack Lang
Party UAP/Country coalition Labor Labor (NSW)
Leader since7 May 193126 April 192831 July 1923
Leader's seat Wilmot Yarra Did not run
Last election50 seats14 seats4 seats
Seats won42 seats18 seats9 seats
Seat changeDecrease2.svg8Increase2.svg4Increase2.svg5
Percentage53.50%46.50%
SwingDecrease2.svg5.00Increase2.svg5.00

Prime Minister before election

Joseph Lyons
United Australia

Subsequent Prime Minister

Joseph Lyons
UAP/Country coalition

Federal elections were held in Australia on 15 September 1934. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent United Australia Party led by Prime Minister of Australia Joseph Lyons with coalition partner the Country Party led by Earle Page defeated the opposition Australian Labor Party led by James Scullin. Labor's share of the primary vote fell to an even lower number than in the 1931 election due to the Lang Labor split, but it was able to pick up an extra four seats on preferences and therefore improve on its position. The Coalition suffered an eight-seat swing, forcing Lyons to take the Country Party into his government (the UAP had governed alone in the previous term).

Elections in Australia discussion of elections conducted in Australia

Elections in Australia take place periodically to elect the legislature of the Commonwealth of Australia, as well as for each Australian state and territory. Elections in all jurisdictions follow similar principles, though there are minor variations between them. The elections for the Australian Parliament are held under the federal electoral system, which is uniform throughout the country, and the elections for state and territory Parliaments are held under the electoral system of each state and territory.

Australian House of Representatives Lower house of Australia

The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Senate. Its composition and powers are established in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia.

Australian Senate upper house of the Australian Parliament

The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia. There are a total of 76 Senators: 12 are elected from each of the six states regardless of population and 2 from each of the two autonomous internal territories. Senators are popularly elected under the single transferable vote system of proportional representation.

Contents

Future Prime Ministers Robert Menzies and John McEwen both entered parliament at this election.

Robert Menzies Australian politician, 12th Prime Minister of Australia

Sir Robert Gordon Menzies,, was an Australian politician who twice served as Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1939 to 1941 and again from 1949 to 1966. He played a central role in the creation of the Liberal Party of Australia, defining its policies and its broad outreach. He is Australia's longest-serving prime minister, serving over 18 years in total.

John McEwen Australian politician, 18th Prime Minister of Australia

Sir John McEwen, was an Australian politician who served as the 18th Prime Minister of Australia, holding office from 19 December 1967 to 10 January 1968 in a caretaker capacity after the disappearance of Harold Holt. He was the leader of the Country Party from 1958 to 1971.

Results

United Australia: 28 seats
Labor: 18 seats
Lang Labor: 9 seats
Country: 14 seats
Liberal-Country League: 5 seats Australian Federal Election, 1934.svg
  United Australia: 28 seats
  Labor: 18 seats
  Lang Labor: 9 seats
  Country: 14 seats
  Liberal-Country League: 5 seats
House of Reps (IRV) — 1934–37—Turnout 95.17% (CV) — Informal 3.44%
PartyVotes%SwingSeatsChangeNote
  United Australia Party 1,170,97832.973.13286
  Australian Labor Party 952,25126.810.2818+4(1 elected
unopposed)
  Australian Labor Party (NSW) 510,48014.37+3.809+5
  Country Party 447,96812.61+0.36142
  Social Credit Party 166,5894.69*00
  Liberal & Country League (SA)142,5834.01*5+5
  Communist Party of Australia 47,4991.340-6
 Independents113,0373.185.0401
 Total3,551,385  741
  UAP/Country coalition WIN53.50−5.0042−8
  Australian Labor Party 46.50+5.0018+4

The member for Northern Territory, Adair Blain (Independent), had voting rights only for issues affecting the Territory, and so is not included in this table.

Division of Northern Territory former Australian federal electoral division

The Division of Northern Territory was an Australian Electoral Division in the Northern Territory for the Parliament of Australia. Throughout its existence, it was the only Division in the Northern Territory. At the redistribution of 21 December 2000, the Division was divided into two new divisions, which were named the Division of Solomon, which covered the area immediately around Darwin, and the Division of Lingiari, which covered the remainder of the territory.

Adair Blain Australian politician

Adair Macalister Blain was a long serving independent member of the Australian House of Representatives.

Popular Vote
United Australia
33.17%
Labor
26.81%
Labor (NSW)
14.37%
Country
12.61%
Social Credit
4.69%
LCL
4.01%
Independent
3.18%
Communist
1.34%
Two Party Preferred Vote
Coalition
53.50%
Labor
46.50%
Parliament Seats
Coalition
56.76%
Labor
24.32%
Labor (NSW)
12.16%
LCL
6.76%
Senate (P BV) — 1934–37—Turnout 95.03% (CV) — Informal 11.35%
PartyVotes%SwingSeats WonSeats HeldChange
  Australian Labor Party 923,15128.081.18037
  United Australia Party 679,42220.664.591026+5
 UAP/Country (Joint Ticket)599,72318.2411.926
  Country Party 470,28314.30*27+2
  Australian Labor Party (NSW) 435,04513.23+1.12000
  Social Credit Party 91,5962.79*000
  Communist Party of Australia 73,5062.24+1.30000
  Independents 15,1050.461.81000
 Total3,287,831  1836

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1934SwingPost-1934
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Barker, SA  United Australia Malcolm Cameron N/A6.418.7 Archie Cameron Country 
Bass, Tas  United Australia Allan Guy 14.514.80.3 Claude Barnard Labor 
Batman, Vic  United Australia Samuel Dennis 14.514.80.3 Frank Brennan Labor 
Corangamite, Vic  Country William Gibson N/A7.215.7 Geoffrey Street United Australia 
Darling, NSW  Labor Arthur Blakeley N/A63.513.5 Joe Clark Labor (NSW) 
Denison, Tas  United Australia Arthur Hutchin 5.05.30.3 Gerald Mahoney Labor 
Franklin, Tas  United Australia Archibald Blacklow 13.015.42.4 Charles Frost Labor 
Fremantle, WA  United Australia William Watson 5.56.61.1 John Curtin Labor 
Maribyrnong, Vic  United Australia James Fenton 0.47.16.7 Arthur Drakeford Labor 
Northern Territory, NT  Labor H. G. Nelson N/A7.51.8 Adair Blain Independent 
Werriwa, NSW  Country Walter McNicoll 1.73.22.5 Bert Lazzarini Labor (NSW) 

See also

This is a list of the members of the Australian House of Representatives in the 14th Australian Parliament, which was elected at the 1934 election on 15 September 1934. The incumbent United Australia Party led by Prime Minister of Australia Joseph Lyons with coalition partner the Country Party led by Earle Page defeated the opposition Australian Labor Party led by James Scullin. Labor's share of the primary vote fell to an even lower number than in the 1931 election due to the Lang Labor split, but it was able to pick up an extra four seats on preferences and therefore improve on its position.

This is a list of members of the Australian Senate from 1935 to 1938. Half of its members were elected at the 19 December 1931 election and had terms starting on 1 July 1932 and finishing on 30 June 1938; the other half were elected at the 15 September 1934 election and had terms starting on 1 July 1935 and finishing on 30 June 1941. The process for filling casual vacancies was complex. While senators were elected for a six year term, people appointed to a casual vacancy only held office until the earlier of the next election for the House of Representatives or the Senate.

Notes

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    The history of the Australian Labor Party has its origins in the Labour parties founded in the 1890s in the Australian colonies prior to federation. Labor tradition ascribes the founding of Queensland Labour to a meeting of striking pastoral workers under a ghost gum tree in Barcaldine, Queensland in 1891. The Balmain, New South Wales branch of the party claims to be the oldest in Australia. Labour as a parliamentary party dates from 1891 in New South Wales and South Australia, 1893 in Queensland, and later in the other colonies.

    References