1922 Australian federal election

The 1922 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 16 December 1922. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Nationalist Party, led by Prime Minister Billy Hughes lost its majority. However, the opposition Labor Party led by Matthew Charlton did not take office as the Nationalists sought a coalition with the fledgling Country Party led by Earle Page. The Country Party made Hughes's resignation the price for joining, and Hughes was replaced as Nationalist leader by Stanley Bruce.

1922 Australian federal election

← 191916 December 1922 (1922-12-16)1925 →

All 76[b] seats in the House of Representatives
38 seats were needed for a majority in the House
19 (of the 36) seats in the Senate
Registered2,980,424Increase4.58%
Turnout1,646,863(59.36%)[a]
(Decrease18.94 pp)
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
LeaderMatthew CharltonBilly HughesEarle Page
PartyLaborNationalistCountry
Leader since16 May 192214 November 19165 April 1921
Leader's seatHunter (NSW)won North Sydney (NSW)[c]Cowper (NSW)
Last election26 seats37 seats11 seats
Seats won29 + NT2614 seats
Seat changeIncrease4Decrease11Increase 3
Popular vote665,145553,920197,513
Percentage48.80%51.20%
SwingIncrease2.90%Decrease2.90%

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
 
LU
LIB
LeaderN/AN/AJames Catts
PartyLiberal UnionLiberalMajority Labor
Leader sinceN/AN/AApril 1922
Leader's seatN/AN/ACook (lost seat)
Last electionDid not contestDid not existDid not exist
Seats before0 seats0 seats1 seat
Seats won320
Seat changeIncrease 3Increase 2Decrease 1
Popular vote37,90432,16710,303
Percentage2.41%2.04%0.66%
SwingIncrease 2.41Increase 2.04Increase 0.66

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

Prime Minister before election

Billy Hughes
Nationalist

Subsequent Prime Minister

Stanley Bruce
Nationalist/Country coalition

Future Prime Minister Frank Forde and future opposition leader John Latham both entered parliament at this election.

At this election, Hughes as the sitting prime minister made his second seat transfer, in this case, from Bendigo to North Sydney.Hughes had held Bendigo since transferring there from West Sydney at the 1917 election also as the sitting prime minister.

Hughes remains the only sitting Prime Minister to transfer to another seat, not once but twice.

Aside from the 1917 and 1922 elections, all other elections have seen the sitting prime minister recontest the seat that they held prior to the election.

Results

edit

House of Representatives

edit
  Labor: 29 seats
  Nationalist: 26 seats
  Country: 14 seats
  Independent: 1 seat
  Liberal: 5 seats
House of Reps (IRV) – 1922–25—Turnout 59.36% (Non-CV) – Informal 4.51%
PartyVotes%SwingSeatsChange
 Labor665,14542.30−0.1930[d] 4
 Nationalist553,92035.23−9.8526 11
 Country197,51312.56+3.3014 3
 Liberal Union37,9042.41+2.413 3
 Liberal32,1672.04+2.042 2
 Constitutionalist11,8120.75+0.750
 Majority Labor10,3030.66+0.660
 Industrial Labor4,3310.28+0.090
 Protestant Labor3,6310.23+0.230
 NT Representation League3620.02+0.020
 Independents51,5383.28+1.861
 Total1,572,514  76 1
Two-party-preferred (estimated)
 NationalistWin51.20−2.9040+3
 Labor48.80+2.90290

Notes
  • Independents: William Watson (Fremantle, WA)
  • Five members were elected unopposed – one Labor, two Nationalist, one Country, and one Liberal.
Popular vote
Labor
42.30%
Nationalist
35.23%
Country
12.56%
Liberal
4.70%
Independent/Others
5.22%
Two-party-preferred vote
Coalition
51.20%
Labor
48.80%
Parliament seats
Coalition
53.33%
Labor
38.67%
Liberal
6.67%
Independent
1.33%

Senate

edit
Senate (P BV) – 1922–1925—Turnout 57.99% (Non-CV) – Informal 9.44%
PartyVotes%SwingSeats wonSeats heldChange
 Labor715,21945.70+2.861112+11
 Nationalist567,08436.23−10.16824−11
 Country203,26712.99+4.20000
 Liberal Union43,7062.79+2.79000
 Socialist Labor8,5510.55+0.55000
 Majority Labor3,8130.24+0.24000
 Independents23,4471.50+0.08000
 Total1,565,087  1936

Seats changing hands

edit
SeatPre-1922SwingPost-1922
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Adelaide, SA NationalistReginald Blundell0.88.03.6George Edwin YatesLabor 
Balaclava, Vic NationalistWilliam WattN/A100.0100.0William WattLiberal 
Barker, SA NationalistJohn LivingstonN/AN/A2.3Malcolm CameronLiberal Union 
Barton, NSW Nationalistnotional – new seatN/A13.87.6Frederick McDonaldLabor 
Boothby, SA NationalistWilliam StoryN/AN/A4.7Jack Duncan-HughesLiberal Union 
Calare, NSW LaborThomas Lavelle2.38.55.3Neville HowseNationalist 
Darwin, Tas NationalistGeorge Bell4.0N/A0.4Joshua WhitsittCountry 
Denison, Tas NationalistWilliam Laird Smith3.94.30.4David O'KeefeLabor 
Fremantle, WA NationalistReginald BurchellN/A56.96.9William WatsonIndependent 
Gippsland, Vic NationalistGeorge Wise5.218.112.9Thomas PatersonCountry 
Grey, SA NationalistAlexander Poynton1.85.53.7Andrew LaceyLabor 
Henty, Vic IndependentFrederick Francis2.98.75.8Frederick FrancisNationalist 
Kalgoorlie, WA NationalistGeorge Foley1.47.17.4Albert GreenLabor 
Kooyong, Vic NationalistRobert Best14.314.90.6John LathamLiberal 
Macquarie, NSW LaborSamuel Nicholls3.20.60.2Arthur ManningNationalist 
New England, NSW NationalistAlexander Hay*7.3N/A8.5Victor ThompsonCountry 
Northern Territory, NTnew division0.4H. G. NelsonLabor 
Richmond, NSW NationalistWalter Massy-Greene22.524.03.3Roland GreenCountry 
Riverina, NSW NationalistJohn ChanterN/A54.34.3William KillenCountry 
Wakefield, SA NationalistRichard FosterN/AN/A5.3Richard FosterLiberal Union 
Wannon, Vic NationalistArthur Rodgers4.14.90.8John McNeillLabor 
Wilmot, Tas NationalistLlewellyn Atkinson10.2N/A11.2Llewellyn AtkinsonCountry 
  • Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.
  • *Alexander Hay contested his seat as an independent

Post-election pendulum

edit
Government seats
Nationalist/Country coalition
Marginal
Macquarie (NSW)Neville HowseNAT00.2
Darwin (Tas)Joshua WhitsittCP00.4 v NAT
Corio (Vic)John ListerNAT00.8
Bendigo (Vic)Geoffry HurryNAT01.7
Herbert (Qld)Fred BamfordNAT01.7
Brisbane (Qld)Donald CameronNAT02.0
Richmond (NSW)Roland GreenCP03.3
Oxley (Qld)James BayleyNAT03.3
Bass (Tas)Syd JacksonNAT03.6
Corangamite (Vic)William GibsonCP03.9
Riverina (NSW)William KillenCP04.3
Lang (NSW)Elliot JohnsonNAT04.4
Maranoa (Qld)James HunterCP04.4
Calare (NSW)Neville HowseNAT05.3
Flinders (Vic)Stanley BruceNAT05.6 v LIB
Henty (Vic)Frederick FrancisNAT05.8 v NAT
Fairly safe
Franklin (Tas)Alfred SeabrookNAT06.3
Fawkner (Vic)George MaxwellNAT08.0
North Sydney (NSW)Billy HughesNAT08.2 v Const.
New England (NSW)Victor ThompsonCP08.5
Darling Downs (Qld)Littleton GroomNAT08.6
Perth (WA)Edward MannNAT08.9
Moreton (Qld)Josiah FrancisNAT09.5
Safe
Wide Bay (Qld)Edward CorserNAT10.5
Eden-Monaro (NSW)Austin ChapmanNAT11.1
Wilmot (Tas)Llewellyn AtkinsonCP11.2
Robertson (NSW)Sydney GardnerNAT11.8
Parkes (NSW)Charles MarrNAT11.8
Wentworth (NSW)Walter MarksNAT11.9
Gippsland (Vic)Thomas PatersonCP12.9 v NAT
Indi (Vic)Robert CookCP13.2
Lilley (Qld)George MackayNAT15.2 v IND
Parramatta (NSW)Eric BowdenNAT15.4
Cowper (NSW)Earle PageCP17.3 v NAT
Very safe
Echuca (Vic)William HillCP20.3 v NAT
Wimmera (Vic)Percy StewartCP21.2 v IND
Forrest (WA)John ProwseCP29.5 v NAT
Martin (NSW)Herbert PrattenNATunopposed
Swan (WA)Henry GregoryCPunopposed
Warringah (NSW)Granville RyrieNATunopposed
Non-government seats
Australian Labor Party and Liberal Party
Marginal
Gwydir (NSW)Lou CunninghamALP00.1 v CP
Northern Territory (NT)H. G. NelsonALP00.4 v IND
Denison (Tas)David O'KeefeALP00.4
Kooyong (Vic)John LathamLIB00.6 v NAT
Wannon (Vic)John McNeillALP00.8
Ballaarat (Vic)Charles McGrathALP01.7
Barker (SA)Malcolm CameronLIB02.3 v ALP
Capricornia (Qld)Frank FordeALP02.5
Batman (Vic)Frank BrennanALP03.3
Adelaide (SA)George Edwin YatesALP03.6 v LIB
Grey (SA)Andrew LaceyALP03.7
Werriwa (NSW)Bert LazzariniALP03.9
Boothby (SA)Jack Duncan-HughesLIB04.7 v ALP
Hume (NSW)Parker MoloneyALP04.9
Wakefield (SA)Richard FosterLIB05.3 v ALP
Fairly safe
Kalgoorlie (WA)Albert GreenALP07.4
Barton (NSW)Frederick McDonaldALP07.6
Angas (SA)Moses GabbALP08.0 v LIB
Reid (NSW)Percy ColemanALP08.6
East Sydney (NSW)John WestALP09.1
Safe
Kennedy (Qld)Charles McDonaldALP11.6
South Sydney (NSW)Edward RileyALP11.7
Maribyrnong (Vic)James FentonALP13.2
Darling (NSW)Arthur BlakeleyALP15.1
Hindmarsh (SA)Norman MakinALP18.6
Newcastle (NSW)David WatkinsALP19.4
Very safe
Bourke (Vic)Frank AnsteyALP20.1
Dalley (NSW)William MahonyALP20.9
Melbourne Ports (Vic)James MathewsALP23.1
Cook (NSW)Edward Charles RileyALP24.9
West Sydney (NSW)William LambertALP25.4 v IND
Melbourne (Vic)William MaloneyALP27.2
Yarra (Vic)James ScullinALP28.0
Balaclava (Vic)William WattLIBunopposed
Hunter (NSW)Matthew CharltonALPunopposed
Independents
Fremantle (WA)William WatsonIND06.9 v ALP

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Turnout in contested seats
  2. ^ The Northern Territory had one seat, but members for the territories did not have full voting rights until 1966 and did not count toward government formation.
  3. ^ Hughes' seat prior to the election was Bendigo (Vic.). He ran for the New South Wales seat of North Sydney and won.
  4. ^ Including Northern Territory

References

edit
edit