Electoral results for the district of Ballarat North

Last updated September 29, 2025

This is a list of electoral results for the electoral district of Ballarat North in Victorian state elections.

Members for Ballarat North

	Party	Term
Russell White	Country	1955-1960
Tom Evans	Liberal and Country	1960-1965
Tom Evans	Liberal	1965-1988
Steve Elder	Liberal	1988-1992

Election results

Elections in the 1980s

1988 Victorian state election: Ballarat North^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Steve Elder	14,183	47.50	−9.63
	Labor	Steve Bracks	13,123	43.95	+1.08
	National	Geoffrey Mark	1,903	6.37	+6.37
	Independent	J. Blanchard	653	2.19	+2.19
Total formal votes			29,862	98.21
Informal votes			544	1.79
Turnout			30,406	94.45
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Steve Elder	15,921	53.55	−3.58
	Labor	Steve Bracks	13,810	46.45	+3.58
	Liberal hold		Swing	−3.58

1988 Ballarat North state by-election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Steve Elder	12,831	46.25	−10.88
	Labor	Steve Bracks	11,513	41.50	−1.37
	National	Geoffrey Mark	3,396	12.24	+12.24
Total formal votes			27,740	98.29
Informal votes			483	1.71
Turnout			28,223	89.86
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Steve Elder	15,715	56.65	−0.48
	Labor	Steve Bracks	12,025	43.35	+0.48
	Liberal hold		Swing	−0.48

1985 Victorian state election: Ballarat North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Tom Evans	16,497	57.1	+5.0
	Labor	Steve Bracks	12,377	42.9	−0.5
Total formal votes			28,874	98.2
Informal votes			518	1.8
Turnout			29,392	94.5
	Liberal hold		Swing	+3.2

1982 Victorian state election: Ballarat North^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Tom Evans	13,873	52.93	−3.39
	Labor	Bill Horrocks	11,107	42.38	−1.30
	Democrats	W.A. Ross	1,231	4.70	+4.70
Total formal votes			26,211	98.56	+0.92
Informal votes			383	1.44	−0.92
Turnout			26,594	94.25	−0.60
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Tom Evans	14,396	54.92	−1.40
	Labor	Bill Horrocks	11,815	45.08	+1.40
	Liberal hold		Swing	−1.40

Elections in the 1970s

1979 Victorian state election: Ballarat North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Tom Evans	14,324	56.32	−0.47
	Labor	Bill Horrocks	11,108	43.68	+6.14
Total formal votes			25,432	97.64	−0.67
Informal votes			616	2.36	+0.67
Turnout			26,048	94.85	−0.46
	Liberal hold		Swing	−5.57

1976 Victorian state election: Ballarat North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Tom Evans	13,702	56.8	+4.1
	Labor	Jeremy Harper	9,057	37.5	−1.5
	Democratic Labor	Dennis O'Reilly	1,369	5.7	−2.3
Total formal votes			24,128	98.3
Informal votes			416	1.7
Turnout			24,544	95.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Tom Evans	14,934	61.9	+1.9
	Labor	Jeremy Harper	9,194	38.1	−1.9
	Liberal hold		Swing	+1.9

1973 Victorian state election: Ballarat North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Tom Evans	13,631	53.84	+4.34
	Labor	Jim Caddy	9,513	37.58	+2.56
	Democratic Labor	Moya Schaefer	2,171	8.58	−6.90
Total formal votes			25,315	98.08	+0.01
Informal votes			495	1.92	−0.01
Turnout			25,810	95.09	−1.05
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Tom Evans	15,477	61.14	−2.70
	Labor	Jim Caddy	9,838	38.86	+2.70
	Liberal hold		Swing	−2.70

1970 Victorian state election: Ballarat North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Tom Evans	11,266	49.50	−0.59
	Labor	Kevin Flynn	7,971	35.02	+2.09
	Democratic Labor	Walter Brown	3,522	15.48	−0.60
Total formal votes			22,759	98.07	−0.03
Informal votes			447	1.93	+0.03
Turnout			23,206	96.14	−0.54
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Tom Evans	14,350	63.84	−0.69
	Labor	Kevin Flynn	8,229	36.16	+0.69
	Liberal hold		Swing	−0.69

Elections in the 1960s

1967 Victorian state election: Ballarat North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Tom Evans	11,169	50.09	−0.51
	Labor	Kevin Flynn	7,342	32.93	+1.18
	Democratic Labor	Walter Brown	3,787	16.98	−0.66
Total formal votes			22,298	98.10	−0.56
Informal votes			431	1.90	+0.56
Turnout			22,729	96.68	−0.01
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Tom Evans	14,388	64.53	−1.07
	Labor	Kevin Flynn	7,910	35.47	+1.07
	Liberal hold		Swing	−1.07

1964 Victorian state election: Ballarat North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Tom Evans	11,061	50.60	+14.67
	Labor	John Hayes	6,940	31.75	−5.07
	Democratic Labor	Walter Brown	3,857	17.64	−1.32
Total formal votes			21,858	98.66	+0.12
Informal votes			297	1.34	−0.12
Turnout			22,155	96.69	+0.99
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Tom Evans	14,339	65.60	+5.82
	Labor	John Hayes	7,519	34.40	−5.82
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing	+5.82

1961 Victorian state election: Ballarat North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Philip Gray	7,842	36.82	+7.13
	Liberal and Country	Tom Evans	7,653	35.93	+15.63
	Democratic Labor	Walter Brown	4,038	18.96	+3.24
	Country	Alexander Hoffert	1,765	8.29	−26.00
Total formal votes			21,298	98.54	−0.02
Informal votes			315	1.46	+0.02
Turnout			21,613	95.70	−0.57
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Tom Evans	12,732	59.78	+22.45
	Labor	Philip Gray	8,566	40.22	+40.22
	Liberal and Country gain from Country		Swing	+22.45

1960 Ballarat North state by-election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Philip Gray	6,870	33.55	+3.86
	Liberal and Country	Tom Evans	5,617	27.43	+7.13
	Country	Alexander Hoffert	3,891	19.00	−15.29
	Democratic Labor	Walter Brown	3,423	16.71	+0.99
	Independent	Albert Woodward	673	3.28	+3.28
Total formal votes			20,474	98.14	−0.42
Informal votes			389	1.86	+0.42
Turnout			20,863	93.92	−2.35
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Tom Evans	12,069	58.95	+21.62
	Labor	Philip Gray	8,405	41.05	+41.05
	Liberal and Country gain from Country		Swing	+21.62

Elections in the 1950s

1958 Victorian state election: Ballarat North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Russell White	7,151	34.29	−3.61
	Labor	Ron House	6,192	29.69	+4.93
	Liberal and Country	Tom Evans	4,233	20.30	+3.40
	Democratic Labor	James Meere	3,279	15.72	−4.72
Total formal votes			20,855	98.56	+0.14
Informal votes			304	1.44	−0.14
Turnout			21,159	96.27	−0.12
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Country	Russell White	13,069	62.67	−8.58
	Liberal and Country	Tom Evans	7,786	37.33	+37.33
	Country hold		Swing	−8.58

1955 Victorian state election: Ballarat North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Country	Russell White	7,405	37.90
	Labor	Jack Smethurst	4,840	24.76
	Labor (A-C)	Thomas Lane	3,996	20.44
	Liberal and Country	Arthur Nicholson	3,305	16.90
Total formal votes			19,546	98.42
Informal votes			313	1.58
Turnout			19,859	96.39
Two-party-preferred result
	Country	Russell White	13,927	71.25
	Labor	Jack Smethurst	5,619	28.75
	Country win		(new seat)

References

↑ Cleary, Colin (2007). Ballarat Labor. Epsom, Victoria: Colin Cleary. ISBN 978-0-646-47526-4.
↑ Hughes, Colin A., Don Aitken (1987). Voting for the Australian state lower houses, 1975-1984. Canberra: Dept. of Political Science, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. ISBN 0909779244.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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[1] Cleary, Colin (2007). Ballarat Labor. Epsom, Victoria: Colin Cleary. ISBN 978-0-646-47526-4.

[2] Hughes, Colin A., Don Aitken (1987). Voting for the Australian state lower houses, 1975-1984. Canberra: Dept. of Political Science, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. ISBN 0909779244.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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