1914 Australian federal election

The 1914 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 5 September 1914. The election had been called before the declaration of war in August 1914. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives and all 36 seats in the Senate were up for election, as a result of the first double dissolution being granted. The incumbent Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Joseph Cook, was defeated by the opposition Labor Party under Andrew Fisher, who returned for a third term as prime minister.

1914 Australian federal election

← 19135 September 1914 (1914-09-05)1917 →

All 75 seats in the House of Representatives
38 seats were needed for a majority in the House
All 36 seats in the Senate
Registered2,811,515 Increase1.86%
Turnout1,726,906 (73.53%)[a]
(Increase0.04 pp)
 First partySecond party
 
LeaderAndrew FisherJoseph Cook
PartyLaborLiberal
Leader since30 October 190720 January 1913
Leader's seatWide Bay (Qld)Parramatta (NSW)
Last election37 seats38 seats
Seats won42 seats32 seats
Seat changeIncrease5Decrease6
Popular vote858,451796,397
Percentage50.89%47.21%
SwingIncrease2.42%Decrease1.73%

Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.

Prime Minister before election

Joseph Cook
Commonwealth Liberal

Subsequent Prime Minister

Andrew Fisher
Labor

The Cook government is one of only two non-Labor governments in Australian history that did not last longer than the Labor government it had replaced; the other was the Howard government, which was defeated in 2007.

Additionally this marks the only time that three consecutive elections resulted in a change in government. In fact, since this election there have never been two consecutive elections resulting in a change in government. It also marks the third overall time that an election resulted in a change in government.

Fisher is one of only two Opposition Leaders from the Labor party to become prime minister with previous federal ministerial experience, the other being Anthony Albanese . This election was the second time he accomplished this, the first being in 1910. [citation needed]

This election resulted in the highest ever primary vote percentage for the Labor party at 50.89% and was the first time that the Labor party achieved more than 50% of the primary vote. The only other time this happened was in 1954.

Results

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House of Representatives

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  Labour: 42 seats
  Liberal: 32 seats
  Independent: 1 seat
House of Reps 1914–17 (FPTP) — Turnout 73.53% (Non-CV) — Informal 2.32%
PartyVotes%SwingSeatsChange
 Labor858,45150.89+2.4242+5
 Liberal796,39747.21−1.7332-6
 Independents31,9151.89−0.701+1
 Total1,686,763  75
 LaborWin42+5
 Liberal32−6

Notes
  • Independents: George Wise (Gippsland, Vic)
  • Thirteen members were elected unopposed – seven Labor and six Liberal.
Popular vote
Labor
50.89%
Liberal
47.21%
Independent
1.89%
Parliament seats
Labor
56.00%
Liberal
42.67%
Independent
1.33%

Senate

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Senate 1914–17 (FPTP BV) — Turnout 72.64% (Non-CV) — Informal N/A
PartyVotes%SwingSeats wonSeats heldChange
 Labor6,119,01852.15+3.433131+2
 Liberal5,605,30547.77−1.6155−2
 Independents9,7990.08–0.78000
 Total11,734,122  3636

Seats changing hands

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SeatPre-1914SwingPost-1914
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Corio, Vic LiberalWilliam Kendell1.43.01.2Alfred OzanneLabor 
Gippsland, Vic LiberalJames Bennett5.06.01.0George WiseIndependent 
Grampians, Vic LiberalHans Irvine3.94.20.3Edward JolleyLabor 
Indi, Vic LiberalCornelius Ahern1.83.01.0Parker MoloneyLabor 
Riverina, NSW LiberalFranc Falkiner1.03.12.1John ChanterLabor 
Werriwa, NSW LiberalAlfred Conroy5.95.90.0John LynchLabor 

Post-election pendulum

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Government seats
Australian Labor Party
Marginal
Werriwa (NSW)John LynchALP00.0
Grampians (Vic)Edward JolleyALP00.3
Indi (Vic)Parker MoloneyALP01.0
Corio (Vic)Alfred OzanneALP01.2
Ballaarat (Vic)Charles McGrathALP01.2
Riverina (NSW)John ChanterALP02.1
Macquarie (NSW)Ernest CarrALP03.3
Gwydir (NSW)William WebsterALP03.8
Grey (SA)Alexander PoyntonALP04.0
Illawarra (NSW)George BurnsALP04.2
Hunter (NSW)Matthew CharltonALP04.6
Bendigo (Vic)John ArthurALP05.1
Boothby (SA)George DankelALP05.3
Denison (Tas)William Laird SmithALP05.9
Fairly safe
Bass (Tas)Jens JensenALP06.0
Darwin (Tas)King O'MalleyALP06.1
Fremantle (WA)Reginald BurchellALP06.3
Oxley (Qld)James SharpeALP06.8
East Sydney (NSW)John WestALP07.3
Fawkner (Vic)Joseph HannanALP09.3
Safe
Brisbane (Qld)William FinlaysonALP10.3
Darling (NSW)William SpenceALP10.5
Dalley (NSW)Robert HoweALP11.3
Cook (NSW)James CattsALP11.7
Wide Bay (Qld)Andrew FisherALP14.3 vs QFU
Maribyrnong (Vic)James FentonALP14.3
Herbert (Qld)Fred BamfordALP14.4
Bourke (Vic)Frank AnsteyALP15.9
Adelaide (SA)George Edwin YatesALP16.4
Capricornia (Qld)William HiggsALP17.4
South Sydney (NSW)Edward RileyALP18.8
Melbourne (Vic)William MaloneyALP19.3
Very safe
Hindmarsh (SA)William ArchibaldALP24.4
West Sydney (NSW)Billy HughesALP25.3
Barrier (NSW)Josiah ThomasALP29.7
Batman (Vic)Frank BrennanALPunopposed
Kalgoorlie (WA)Hugh MahonALPunopposed
Kennedy (Qld)Charles McDonaldALPunopposed
Maranoa (Qld)Jim PageALPunopposed
Melbourne Ports (Vic)James MathewsALPunopposed
Newcastle (NSW)David WatkinsALPunopposed
Yarra (Vic)Frank TudorALPunopposed
Non-government seats
Liberal Party
Marginal
Hume (NSW)Robert PattenLIB01.0
Calare (NSW)Henry PigottLIB01.2
Corangamite (Vic)Chester ManifoldLIB01.6
Lilley (Qld)Jacob StummLIB02.3
Wakefield (SA)Richard FosterLIB02.4
Flinders (Vic)William IrvineLIB02.7
Nepean (NSW)Richard OrchardLIB02.7
Robertson (NSW)William FlemingLIB03.4
Lang (NSW)Elliot JohnsonLIB03.5
Wannon (Vic)Arthur RodgersLIB03.6
Dampier (WA)Henry GregoryLIB03.9
Perth (WA)James FowlerLIB05.8
Fairly safe
Wentworth (NSW)Willie KellyLIB06.5
New England (NSW)Percy AbbottLIB06.7
Barker (SA)John LivingstonLIB06.7
Darling Downs (Qld)Littleton GroomLIB06.9
Moreton (Qld)Hugh SinclairLIB07.3
Henty (Vic)James BoydLIB07.7
Echuca (Vic)Albert PalmerLIB08.2
Balaclava (Vic)William WattLIB08.4
Parkes (NSW)Bruce SmithLIB08.5
Eden-Monaro (NSW)Austin ChapmanLIB09.2
Swan (WA)John ForrestLIB09.2
Safe
Wilmot (Tas)Llewellyn AtkinsonLIB10.9
Kooyong (Vic)Robert BestLIB13.3 vs IND
North Sydney (NSW)Granville RyrieLIB17.6
Very safe
Angas (SA)Paddy GlynnLIBunopposed
Cowper (NSW)John ThomsonLIBunopposed
Franklin (Tas)William McWilliamsLIBunopposed
Parramatta (NSW)Joseph CookLIBunopposed
Richmond (NSW)Walter Massy-GreeneLIBunopposed
Wimmera (Vic)Sydney SampsonLIBunopposed
Independents
Gippsland (Vic)George WiseIND01.0 vs LIB

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Turnout in contested seats

References

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