| Election Name: | 1959 Tasmanian state election |
| Country: | Tasmania |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1956 Tasmanian state election |
| Previous Year: | 1956 |
| Next Election: | 1964 Tasmanian state election |
| Next Year: | 1964 |
| Seats For Election: | All 35 seats to the House of Assembly |
| Election Date: | 2 May 1959 |
| Leader1: | Eric Reece |
| Leader Since1: | 26 August 1958 |
| Party1: | Australian Labor Party (Tasmanian Branch) |
| Leaders Seat1: | Braddon |
| Last Election1: | 15 seats |
| Seats1: | 17 seats |
| Seat Change1: | 2 |
| Percentage1: | 44.5% |
| Swing1: | 5.77 |
| Leader2: | Tim Jackson |
| Leader Since2: | 26 June 1956 |
| Party2: | Liberal Party of Australia (Tasmanian Division) |
| Leaders Seat2: | Franklin |
| Last Election2: | 15 seats |
| Seats2: | 16 seats |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| Percentage2: | 41.05% |
| Swing2: | 2.54 |
| Map Size: | 350px |
| Premier | |
| Posttitle: | Resulting Premier |
| Before Election: | Eric Reece |
| Before Party: | Australian Labor Party (Tasmanian Branch) |
| After Election: | Eric Reece |
| After Party: | Australian Labor Party (Tasmanian Branch) |
The 1959 Tasmanian state election was held on 2 May 1959 in the Australian state of Tasmania to elect 35 members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. The number of members were increased from this election from 30 to 35. The election used the Hare-Clark proportional representation system[1] — seven members were elected from each of five electorates.
The two previous elections had resulted in a parliamentary deadlock due to an even number of seats (30) in the House of Assembly. Prior to the 1959 election, the number of seats was increased to 35.[2]
Robert Cosgrove had retired as Premier of Tasmania, and had been replaced by Eric Reece on 26 August 1958.
See also: Results of the Tasmanian state election, 1959.
The Labor Party won the most seats in the newly expanded House of Assembly, but not enough to govern in a majority as two seats were won by Independents. The 1959 election was the last occasion in which an ungrouped independent (Bill Wedd) won a seat in Tasmania.[3]
Former Labor Treasurer Dr Reg Turnbull won two quotas in his own right as an independent in Bass, representing 5.64% of the statewide result.
| Bass | Braddon | Denison | Franklin | Wilmot | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31.6% | 52.2% | 39.5% | 46.3% | 53.5% | ||
| 36.3% | 42.4% | 39.8% | 43.8% | 43.2% | ||
| Other | 32.1% | 5.4% | 20.7% | 10.0% | 3.4% |
| Electorate | Seats won | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | width=20 | width=20 | width=20 | width=20 | width=20 | width=20 | width=20 | |||||||
| Braddon | ||||||||||||||
| Denison | ||||||||||||||
| Franklin | ||||||||||||||
| Wilmot | ||||||||||||||
| width=20 | Labor | ||
| Liberal | |||
| Independent |