| Election Name: | 1897 Western Australian colonial election |
| Country: | Western Australia |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1894 Western Australian colonial election |
| Previous Year: | 1894 |
| Next Election: | 1901 Western Australian state election |
| Next Year: | 1901 |
| Seats For Election: | All 44 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly |
| Election Date: | 27 April – 26 May 1897 |
| Leader1: | John Forrest |
| Leader Since1: | 22 December 1890 |
| Party1: | Ministerialist |
| Color1: | 6797EA |
| Leaders Seat1: | Bunbury |
| Percentage1: | 49.80% |
| Last Election1: | 19 seats |
| Seats1: | 29 seats |
| Seat Change1: | 10 |
| Leader2: | George Leake |
| Leader Since2: | 1895 |
| Party2: | Oppositionist |
| Color2: | F5DEB6 |
| Leaders Seat2: | Albany |
| Percentage2: | 27.35% |
| Last Election2: | 13 seats |
| Seats2: | 8 seats |
| Seat Change2: | 5 |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| Premier | |
| Before Election: | John Forrest |
| Before Party: | Ministerialist |
| After Election: | John Forrest |
| After Party: | Ministerialist |
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia between 27 April and 26 May 1897 to elect 44 members to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. The Ministerialist group led by John Forrest won a third term in office as a result of the elections. The poll took place based on boundaries established in the Constitution Act Amendment Act 1896, which increased the number of members from 33 mainly by adding new seats in the Goldfields region, and had been called a year earlier than was necessary.[1] In 18 of the 44 seats, only one candidate nominated and polls were not held.
As payment of members was not introduced until 1900, the Political Labour Party, formed in 1896, had found it difficult to attract candidates who could afford to enter Parliament, but three of its candidates ran for election, and Charles Oldham, a former president of the Trades and Labor Council, became the first Labour member of Parliament in Western Australia.
See also: Results of the Western Australian colonial election, 1897.
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Notes:
The Ministerialists' total of 29 seats includes 16 which were uncontested, representing 4,297 of the 23,318 enrolled voters. A further two seats, won by George Leake (Albany, Oppositionist) and Elias Solomon (South Fremantle, Independent) representing 1,907 enrolled voters were also uncontested.