| Election Name: | 1883 Victorian colonial election |
| Country: | Victoria |
| Flag Year: | 1877 |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | July 1880 Victorian colonial election |
| Previous Year: | 1880 (July) |
| Next Election: | 1886 Victorian colonial election |
| Next Year: | 1886 |
| Election Date: | 22 February 1883 |
| Seats For Election: | All 86 seats in the Victorian Legislative Assembly |
| Leader1: | James Service |
| Party1: | Liberal-Conservative coalition |
| Colour1: | F7E894 |
| Leaders Seat1: | Castlemaine |
| Seats1: | 31 |
| Percentage1: | 28.13 |
| Leader2: | Bryan O'Loghlen |
| Party2: | Liberal-Conservative coalition |
| Leaders Seat2: | West Bourke |
| Colour2: | CEF2CE |
| Seats2: | 19 |
| Percentage2: | 18.49 |
| Premier | |
| Before Election: | Bryan O'Loghlen |
| Before Party: | Liberal-Conservative coalition |
| After Election: | James Service |
| After Party: | Liberal-Conservative coalition |
The 1883 Victorian colonial election was held on 22 February 1883 to elect the 12th Parliament of Victoria. All 86 seats in 55 electorates in the Legislative Assembly were up for election, though twelve seats were uncontested.[1]
There were 31 single-member, 20 two-member and 5 three-member electorates.[1]
The government of Sir Bryan O'Loghlen was heavily defeated at the election, with O'Loghlen himself losing his seat.[1] [2] After the election, with none of the political groupings having an outright majority, a government was formed on 8 March 1883 by a coalition led by James Service (taking the positions of Premier, Treasurer and Minister of Public Instruction), and Graham Berry (as Chief Secretary and Postmaster-General).[1] [3] [4] The coalition represented a joining of moderate conservatives (led by Service) and moderate liberals (led by Berry).[5]
| Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal (Berry faction) | 98,121 | 50.24 | 35 | |||||
| Conservative | 54,940 | 28.13 | 31 | |||||
| Liberal (O'Loghlen faction) | 36,119 | 18.49 | 19 | |||||
| Independent | 6,135 | 3.14 | 1 | |||||
| Totals | 195,315 | 86 | ||||||
O'Loghlen's tenure as Premier prior to the 1883 election had been, as later described in the Adelaide Observer, a period of "muddle and confusion". It was "by general consent" and a longing "for peace and progress" that, after the election, the political factions led by James Service and Graham Berry joined forces to form a coalition of moderate conservatives and moderate liberals. The new Government ushered in a period of "political peace and material progress" for the colony, providing stability during a period of economic growth in Victoria.[6]
Under the Premier and Treasurer, James Service, the government passed important legislation. An early priority was reforms to eliminate political patronage in the civil service and railways. The Public Services Act and the Railways Management Act, passed in 1883, enabled the establishment of the Public Service Board and the Railways Commission.[5] During its term the parliament also passed the Factories and Shops Act, legalised trade unions and the eight hours' day and introduced important land legislation, as well as clearing a backlog of long-delayed bills.[5] Towards the end of the term of the Service-Berry coalition government, Melbourne's The Age newspaper commented that "no Parliament can show a more imposing record of measures of great public utility".[7] [8]
During 1885 Service decided he would retire as Premier. He resigned on 18 February 1886 and was replaced by fellow-Conservative, Duncan Gillies, less than three weeks before a general election.[5] Berry, the Liberal leader in the coalition, also resigned before the 1886 election, after which he was appointed as the Victorian Agent-General in London. He was replaced in the coalition by fellow-Liberal Alfred Deakin.[9]