| Election Name: | 1892 Victorian colonial election |
| Country: | Victoria |
| Flag Year: | 1877 |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1889 Victorian colonial election |
| Previous Year: | 1889 |
| Next Election: | 1894 Victorian colonial election |
| Next Year: | 1894 |
| Election Date: | 20 April 1892 |
| Seats For Election: | All 95 seats in the Victorian Legislative Assembly |
| Leader1: | William Shiels |
| Party1: | Liberal |
| Colour1: | F7E894 |
| Leaders Seat1: | Normanby |
| Seats1: | 56 |
| Percentage1: | 52.91 |
| Leader2: | James Patterson |
| Party2: | Conservative |
| Leaders Seat2: | Castlemaine |
| Colour2: | 8EB5D1 |
| Seats2: | 28 |
| Percentage2: | 27.11 |
| Leader3: | William Trenwith |
| Party3: | Labour |
| Color3: | FF0000 |
| Leaders Seat3: | Richmond |
| Percentage3: | 19.72 |
| Swing3: | 1.14% |
| Seats3: | 11 |
| Premier | |
| Before Election: | William Shiels |
| Before Party: | Liberal |
| After Election: | William Shiels |
| After Party: | Liberal |
The 1892 Victorian colonial election was held on 20 April 1892 to elect the 15th Parliament of Victoria. All 95 seats in the Legislative Assembly were up for election, though 13 were uncontested.[1] [2]
This was the first election contested by the Labour Party, which was led by William Trenwith.[3]
In February 1892, Premier James Munro, who was deeply in debt, asked his Cabinet to appoint him Victorian Agent-General in London. He then resigned as Premier and immediately took ship from Port Melbourne.
The Liberals turned to William Shiels as a "clean" new leader, and he became the new Premier on 16 February 1892.
13 seats were uncontested at this election, and therefore retained by the incumbent member:
Ararat, Clunes and Allandale, Daylesford, Donald and Swan Hill, Gippsland East, Gippsland North, Numurkah and Nathalia, Warrenheip, Warrnambool (9)
| Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | 102,010 | 52.91 | 56 | |||||
| Conservative | 52,260 | 27.11 | 28 | |||||
| Labour | 37,777 | 19.72 | +19.72 | 11 | 11 | |||
| Independent | 280 | 0.15 | 0 | |||||
| Independent Labour | 205 | 0.11 | 0 | |||||
| Formal votes | 192,792 | |||||||
The Shiels government was defeated on a vote of confidence on 18 January 1893, and was succeeded by Conservative James Patterson. Patterson himself was defeated on a vote of confidence on 28 August 1894, and sought a dissolution of the house.[3] The Liberals returned to government in 1894, led by George Turner.[3]