1914 Australian federal election explained

Election Name:1914 Australian federal election
Country:Australia
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1913 Australian federal election
Previous Year:1913
Next Election:1917 Australian federal election
Next Year:1917
Outgoing Members:Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1913–1914
Elected Members:Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1914–1917
Registered:2,811,515
Turnout:1,726,906 (73.53%)
(0.04 pp)
Leader1:Andrew Fisher
Leader Since1:30 October 1907
Party1:Australian Labor Party
Leaders Seat1:Wide Bay (Qld)
Popular Vote1:858,451
Percentage1:50.89%
Swing1:2.42%
Last Election1:37 seats
Seats Needed1:1
Seats1:42 seats
Seat Change1:5
Leader2:Joseph Cook
Leader Since2:20 January 1913
Party2:Liberal
Colour2:8CB4D2
Leaders Seat2:Parramatta (NSW)
Popular Vote2:796,397
Percentage2:47.21%
Swing2:1.73%
Last Election2:38 seats
Seats Needed2:0
Seats2:32 seats
Seat Change2:6
Map Size:350px
Prime Minister
Posttitle:Subsequent Prime Minister
Before Party:Commonwealth Liberal Party
After Election:Andrew Fisher
After Party:Australian Labor Party

The 1914 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 5 September 1914. The election had been called before the declaration of war in August 1914. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives and all 36 seats in the Senate were up for election, as a result of the first double dissolution being granted. The incumbent Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Joseph Cook, was defeated by the opposition Labor Party under Andrew Fisher, who returned for a third term as prime minister.

The Cook government is one of only two non-Labor governments in Australian history that did not last longer than the Labor government it had replaced; the other was the Howard government, which was defeated in 2007.

Additionally this marks the only time that three consecutive elections resulted in a change in government. In fact, since this election there have never been two consecutive elections resulting in a change in government. It also marks the third overall time that an election resulted in a change in government.

Fisher is one of only two Opposition Leaders from the Labor party to become prime minister with previous federal ministerial experience, the other being Anthony Albanese . This election was the second time he accomplished this, the first being in 1910.

This election resulted in the highest ever primary vote percentage for the Labor party at 50.89% and was the first time that the Labor party achieved more than 50% of the primary vote. The only other time this happened was in 1954.

Results

House of Representatives

See also: Results of the 1914 Australian federal election (House of Representatives).

Party! style="width:70px"
Votes%SwingSeatsChange
  Labor858,451 50.89 +2.42 42+5
  Liberal796,397 47.21 -1.73 32-6
  Independents31,915 1.89-0.70 1+1
 Total1,686,763   75
  LaborWin42+5
  Liberal32-6
----
Notes

Senate

Party! style="width:70px"
Votes%SwingSeats wonSeats heldChange
  6,119,018 52.15 +3.43 3131+2
  Liberal5,605,305 47.77 -1.61 55-2
  Independents9,799 0.08–0.78000
 Total11,734,122   3636

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1914SwingPost-1914
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Corio, Vic LiberalWilliam Kendell1.43.01.2Alfred OzanneLabor 
Gippsland, Vic LiberalJames Bennett5.06.01.0George WiseIndependent 
Grampians, Vic LiberalHans Irvine3.94.20.3Edward JolleyLabor 
Indi, Vic LiberalCornelius Ahern1.83.01.0Parker MoloneyLabor 
Riverina, NSW LiberalFranc Falkiner1.03.12.1John ChanterLabor 
Werriwa, NSW LiberalAlfred Conroy5.95.90.0John LynchLabor 

Post-election pendulum

COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="red" Government seats
Australian Labor Party
COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="red" Marginal
Werriwa (NSW)John LynchALP00.0
Grampians (Vic)Edward JolleyALP00.3
Indi (Vic)Parker MoloneyALP01.0
Corio (Vic)Alfred OzanneALP01.2
Ballaarat (Vic)<-- NOTE: Spelt BALLAARAT until 1977 election, do not change -->Charles McGrathALP01.2
Riverina (NSW)John ChanterALP02.1
Macquarie (NSW)Ernest CarrALP03.3
Gwydir (NSW)William WebsterALP03.8
Grey (SA)Alexander PoyntonALP04.0
Illawarra (NSW)George BurnsALP04.2
Hunter (NSW)Matthew CharltonALP04.6
Bendigo (Vic)John ArthurALP05.1
Boothby (SA)George DankelALP05.3
Denison (Tas)William Laird SmithALP05.9
COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="red" Fairly safe
Bass (Tas)Jens JensenALP06.0
Darwin (Tas)King O'MalleyALP06.1
Fremantle (WA)Reginald BurchellALP06.3
Oxley (Qld)James SharpeALP06.8
East Sydney (NSW)John WestALP07.3
Fawkner (Vic)Joseph HannanALP09.3
COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="red" Safe
Brisbane (Qld)William FinlaysonALP10.3
Darling (NSW)William SpenceALP10.5
Dalley (NSW)Robert HoweALP11.3
Cook (NSW)James CattsALP11.7
Wide Bay (Qld)Andrew FisherALP14.3 vs QFU
Maribyrnong (Vic)James FentonALP14.3
Herbert (Qld)Fred BamfordALP14.4
Bourke (Vic)Frank AnsteyALP15.9
Adelaide (SA)George Edwin YatesALP16.4
Capricornia (Qld)William HiggsALP17.4
South Sydney (NSW)Edward RileyALP18.8
Melbourne (Vic)William MaloneyALP19.3
COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="red" Very safe
Hindmarsh (SA)William ArchibaldALP24.4
West Sydney (NSW)Billy HughesALP25.3
Barrier (NSW)Josiah ThomasALP29.7
Batman (Vic)Frank BrennanALPunopposed
Kalgoorlie (WA)Hugh MahonALPunopposed
Kennedy (Qld)Charles McDonaldALPunopposed
Maranoa (Qld)Jim PageALPunopposed
Melbourne Ports (Vic)James MathewsALPunopposed
Newcastle (NSW)David WatkinsALPunopposed
Yarra (Vic)Frank TudorALPunopposed
COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="blue" Non-government seats
Liberal Party
COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="blue" Marginal
Hume (NSW)Robert PattenLIB01.0
Calare (NSW)Henry PigottLIB01.2
Corangamite (Vic)Chester ManifoldLIB01.6
Lilley (Qld)Jacob StummLIB02.3
Wakefield (SA)Richard FosterLIB02.4
Flinders (Vic)William IrvineLIB02.7
Nepean (NSW)Richard OrchardLIB02.7
Robertson (NSW)William FlemingLIB03.4
Lang (NSW)Elliot JohnsonLIB03.5
Wannon (Vic)Arthur RodgersLIB03.6
Dampier (WA)Henry GregoryLIB03.9
Perth (WA)James FowlerLIB05.8
COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="blue" Fairly safe
Wentworth (NSW)Willie KellyLIB06.5
New England (NSW)Percy AbbottLIB06.7
Barker (SA)John LivingstonLIB06.7
Darling Downs (Qld)Littleton GroomLIB06.9
Moreton (Qld)Hugh SinclairLIB07.3
Henty (Vic)James BoydLIB07.7
Echuca (Vic)Albert PalmerLIB08.2
Balaclava (Vic)William WattLIB08.4
Parkes (NSW)Bruce SmithLIB08.5
Eden-Monaro (NSW)Austin ChapmanLIB09.2
Swan (WA)John ForrestLIB09.2
COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="blue" Safe
Wilmot (Tas)Llewellyn AtkinsonLIB10.9
Kooyong (Vic)Robert BestLIB13.3 vs IND
North Sydney (NSW)Granville RyrieLIB17.6
COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="blue" Very safe
Angas (SA)Paddy GlynnLIBunopposed
Cowper (NSW)John ThomsonLIBunopposed
Franklin (Tas)William McWilliamsLIBunopposed
Parramatta (NSW)Joseph CookLIBunopposed
Richmond (NSW)Walter Massy-GreeneLIBunopposed
Wimmera (Vic)Sydney SampsonLIBunopposed
COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="gray" Independents
Gippsland (Vic)George WiseIND01.0 vs LIB

See also

External links