Election results
1944
| Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communist | 4,149 | 52.29 | +52.29 | 5 |  5 | ||
| Independent | 3,084 | 38.86 | 2 | ||||
| Labor | 703 | 8.85 | 1 | ||||
| Formal votes | 7,936 | 100.0 | |||||
| Kearsley Shire New South Wales | |
|---|---|
| Established | 7 March 1906 |
| Abolished | 1 January 1957 |
| Council seat | Cessnock |
| Region | Hunter |
Kearsley Shire was a local government area in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia.
Kearsley Shire was proclaimed (as Cessnock Shire) on 7 March 1906, one of 134 shires created after the passing of the Local Government (Shires) Act 1905 . [1]
The shire's name and boundaries were often changed. The Municipality of Cessnock was excised from the Shire on 1 November 1926. [2] The balance of the Shire was renamed Kearsley Shire [ citation needed ]. The shire absorbed the Municipality of Greta on 1 January 1934. [3] On 6 June 1944, part of the shire merged with Tarro Shire and Bolwarra Shire to form Lower Hunter Shire, part merged with the Municipality of East Maitland, Municipality of West Maitland and Municipality of Morpeth to form the Municipality of Maitland and the balance reconstituted as Kearsley Shire. [4]
The shire office was in Cessnock. [5] Other towns and villages in the shire included Branxton, Greta and Kearsley. [3] [5] [6]
Kearsley Shire amalgamated with the Municipality of Cessnock to form Municipality of Greater Cessnock on 1 January 1957. [7]
Kearsley Shire Council was composed of four two-member wards (also known as ridings) − A Riding, B Riding, C Riding and D Riding.
At the 1944 election, the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) won a majority with five out of eight seats. According to the CPA's official newspaper, Tribune, this was the first time a communist party had won a local government majority in the English-speaking world. [8] [9]
Ahead of the 1947 local elections, the state Labor government introduced compulsory voting for local elections, seen as an attempt to give them an advantage and harm the Communist Party. Ultimately, no CPA members were re-elected in Kearsley (although their actual number of votes rose, their percent of the vote went down). [10]
| Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communist | 4,149 | 52.29 | +52.29 | 5 | 5 | ||
| Independent | 3,084 | 38.86 | 2 | ||||
| Labor | 703 | 8.85 | 1 | ||||
| Formal votes | 7,936 | 100.0 | |||||
The Communist Party of Australia (CPA), known as the Australian Communist Party (ACP) from 1944 to 1951, was an Australian communist party founded in 1920. The party existed until roughly 1991, with its membership and influence having been in a steady decline since its peak in 1945. Like most communist parties in the West, the party was heavily involved in the labour movement and the trade unions. Its membership, popularity and influence grew significantly during most of the interwar period before reaching its climax in 1945, where the party achieved a membership of slightly above 22,000 members. At its peak it was the largest communist party in the Anglophone countries on a population basis, and held industrial strength greater than the parties of "India, Latin America, and most of Western Europe".
Local Government (Shires) Act 1905 was a landmark New South Wales statute notable for the compulsory incorporation of local government areas for around 40% of the area of New South Wales. The Act created 134 rural shires, many surrounding a small urban area separately and voluntarily incorporated under the Municipalities Act 1858 and the following Municipalities Act 1867 and Municipalities Act 1897 As well as the compulsory incorporation of rural areas, the Local Government (Shires) Act repealed the Municipalities Act - bringing local government under one legislative framework.
Ashford Shire was a local government area in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia.
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Upper Hunter Shire was a local government area in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia.
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Bolwarra Shire was a local government area in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia.
Tarro Shire was a local government area in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia.
The Shire of Woy Woy was a local government area on the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, centred on the town of Woy Woy. The shire was proclaimed on 1 August 1928 as a result of the proclamation of the separation of the D Riding of Erina Shire and had its council seat at Woy Woy, but covered the majority of the Woy Woy peninsula including Woy Woy Bay, Umina, Blackwall, Kariong, Pearl Beach, and Patonga. Woy Woy Shire was abolished on 1 January 1947 with the reorganisation of local government in the Central Coast region following the end of the Second World War, with the council area amalgamated into Gosford Shire.
The Municipality of Cessnock was a local government area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia.
The 1944 New South Wales local elections were held on 2 December 1944 to elect the councils of the 301 local government areas (LGAs) in New South Wales.
The 1944 Kearsley Shire Council election was held on 2 December 1944 to elect eight councillors to Kearsley Shire. The election was held as part of the statewide local government elections in New South Wales, Australia.
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