| Election Name: | 1877 Victorian colonial election |
| Country: | Victoria |
| Flag Year: | 1877 |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Victoria (1877).svg |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1874 Victorian colonial election |
| Previous Year: | 1874 |
| Next Election: | 1878 Victorian colonial election |
| Next Year: | 1880 (Feb) |
| Election Date: | 11 May 1877 |
| Seats For Election: | All 86 seats in the Victorian Legislative Assembly |
| Leader1: | Graham Berry |
| Party1: | Liberal (Protectionist) |
| Colour1: | F7E894 |
| Leaders Seat1: | Geelong |
| Seats1: | 56 |
| Percentage1: | 51.46 |
| Leader2: | Sir James McCulloch |
| Party2: | Conservative (Free Trade) |
| Leaders Seat2: | Warrnambool |
| Colour2: | 8EB5D1 |
| Seats2: | 14 |
| Percentage2: | 23.75 |
| Premier | |
| Before Election: | Sir James McCulloch |
| Before Party: | Conservative |
| After Election: | Graham Berry |
| After Party: | Liberal |
The 1877 Victorian colonial election was held on 11 May 1877 to elect the 9th Parliament of Victoria. It was the first election in Victoria in which all electorates voted on the same day. All 86 seats in 55 electorates in the Legislative Assembly were up for election, though four seats were uncontested.[1]
There were 31 single-member, 20 two-member and 5 three-member electorates.[1] [2]
The conservative (or free trade) government of Sir James McCulloch was heavily defeated by the liberal (or protectionist) opposition led by Graham Berry, who formed a new government on May 21.[1] [3]
| Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal (Protectionist) | 93,557 | 51.46 | 56 | |||||
| Conservative (Free Trade) | 43,168 | 23.75 | 14 | |||||
| Independent | 41,295 | 22.72 | 15 | |||||
| Doubtful | 3,771 | 2.07 | 1 | |||||
| Totals | 181,791 | 86 | ||||||
After McCulloch's crushing defeat he retired from politics without returning to parliament. He resigned from the seat of Warrnambool in May 1878.[4] After McCulloch's retirement, James Service emerged as the leader of the numerically depleted Opposition. Service's politics were more of a pragmatic and constitutionalist nature.[5]
This term of government was dominated by Berry's struggle with the Legislative Council after that body rejected an appropriations bill in December 1877. On 8 January 1878 ('Black Wednesday') Berry responded by dismissing large numbers of public servants and judges in an effort to discredit the council.[1] A compromise was reached in April, which left the council's powers intact. Berry left for Britain in December 1878 in an effort to persuade the Colonial Office to reform the Legislative Council. However, his efforts at constitutional reform were inconclusive and he returned to Melbourne after six months to face divisions in his party as well as a general economic depression (dubbed the 'Berry Blight') for which his opponents held him responsible.[6] [7]