Australian federal election, 1955

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Australian federal election, 1955
Flag of Australia.svg
  1954 10 December 1955 1958  

All 122 seats of the House of Representatives
62 seats were needed for a majority in the House
30 (of the 60) seats of the Senate

 First partySecond party
  Portrait Menzies 1950s.jpg Herbert V. Evatt.jpg
Leader Robert Menzies H. V. Evatt
Party Liberal/Country coalition Labor
Leader since23 September 194313 June 1951
Leader's seat Kooyong (Vic.) Barton (NSW)
Last election64 seats57 seats
Seats won75 seats47 seats
Seat changeIncrease2.svg11Decrease2.svg10
Percentage54.20%45.80%
SwingIncrease2.svg4.90Decrease2.svg4.90

Prime Minister before election

Robert Menzies
Liberal/Country coalition

Subsequent Prime Minister

Robert Menzies
Liberal/Country coalition

Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1955. All 122 seats in the House of Representatives and 30 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election. An early election was called to bring the House and Senate elections back in line; the previous election in 1954 had been House-only. The incumbent Liberal–Country coalition led by Prime Minister Robert Menzies increased its majority over the opposition Labor Party, led by H. V. Evatt.

Contents

Future Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and future opposition leader Billy Snedden both entered parliament at this election.

Results

House of Representatives

Labor: 47 seats
Liberal: 56 seats
Country: 18 seats Australian Federal Election, 1955.svg
  Labor: 47 seats
  Liberal: 56 seats
  Country: 18 seats
House of Reps (IRV) — 1955–58—Turnout 95.00% (CV) — Informal 2.88%
PartyVotes%SwingSeatsChange
  Liberal–Country coalition 2,093,43047.67+0.1075+11
  Liberal  1,745,98539.75+0.7557+10
  Country  347,4457.91–0.6618+1
  Labor 1,961,35944.65–5.4247–10
  Anti-Communist Labor 227,0835.17+5.1700
  Communist 51,0011.16–0.0900
  Independents 60,0421.37+0.2600
 Total4,392,915  122+1
Two-party-preferred (estimated)
  Liberal–Country coalition WIN54.20+4.9075+11
  Labor 45.804.904710
Popular Vote
Labor
44.65%
Liberal
39.75%
Country
7.91%
ALP AC
5.17%
Independent
1.37%
Communist
1.16%
Two Party Preferred Vote
Coalition
54.20%
Labor
45.80%
Parliament Seats
Coalition
61.48%
Labor
38.52%

Senate

Senate (STV) — 1955–58—Turnout 95.01% (CV) — Informal 9.63%
PartyVotes%SwingSeats WonSeats HeldChange
  Liberal–Country coalition 2,161,46048.68+4.251730–1
 Liberal–Country joint ticket1,748,87839.38+12.938N/AN/A
  Liberal 384,7328.66–9.32824–2
  Country 27,8500.63+0.6316+1
  Labor 1,803,33540.61–10.001228–1
  Anti-Communist Labor 271,0676.10+6.1012+2
  Communist 161,8693.64+0.59000
  Henry George Justice 3,3660.08–0.22000
  Independents 39,9280.90+0.36000
 Total4,441,025  3060

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1955SwingPost-1955
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Ballaarat, Vic  Labor Bob Joshua*2.610.77.9 Dudley Erwin Liberal 
Hume, NSW  Labor Arthur Fuller 2,23.52.2 Charles Anderson Country 
Maribyrnong, Vic  Labor Arthur Drakeford 16.17.50.1 Philip Stokes Liberal 
Perth, WA  Labor Tom Burke 2.33.81.5 Fred Chaney Liberal 
Philip, NSW  Labor Joe Fitzgerald 8.95.71.1 William Aston Liberal 
St George, NSW  Labor Nelson Lemmon 2.75.83.4 Bill Graham Liberal 

See also

Notes

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    References