Timeline of Australian elections explained

This article provides a timeline of elections in Australia, including all the colonial, state, territorial and federal elections. The information starts from when each state or territory held its first election, and continues through to the present day.

About the tables

The background colour indicates which party won the election.All six states and both territories have established limits on the length of a parliamentary term, with the federal parliament limited to three years, and all state and territorial parliaments limited to a four-year term. In addition the federal government have changed to fixed election dates every three years, and both territories and all states except Tasmania have changed to fixed election dates every four years. For these legislatures, the box is shown as running until the next scheduled election, but one could still be earlier if the government falls due to a motion of no confidence.

width=50Colourwidth=200Partywidth=50Colourwidth=200Party
LaborLiberal
Country/NationalLiberal National
Country LiberalUnited Australia
CPNPNationalist
Free Trade/Anti-SocialistCommonwealth Liberal
ProgressiveLiberal and Country League
LiberalProtectionist
OppositionLiberal Reform
NonpartisanMinisterial

1851–1900

width=60 Yearwidth=40 WAwidth=40 SAwidth=40 Qldwidth=40 NSWwidth=40 Vicwidth=40 Tas
18561st1st1st
18571st
18582nd
18593rd2nd
18602nd1st4th
18613rd2nd
18623rd3rd
18632nd
18644th
18654th5th
18665th4th
18673rd
18685th4th6th
1869
18706th5th6th
18717th6th7th5th
18727th6th
18737th
18748th
18758th8th
1876
18779th9th7th
18789th8th
187910th
188010th11th
188110th
188211th8th
18839th12th
188411th
188512th
188613th9th
188712th13th
188810th
188914th14th
18901st13th
189115th10th
189215th
189314th11th
18942nd16th16th
189517th
189615th12th
189717th12th
189818th
189916th13th
190018th
width=60 Yearwidth=40 WAwidth=40 SAwidth=40 Qldwidth=40 NSWwidth=40 Vicwidth=40 Tas

1901–1973

width=60 Yearwidth=40 WAwidth=40 SAwidth=40 Qldwidth=40 NSWwidth=40 Vicwidth=40 Tas width=50 Federal
height=5 rowspan=1 rowspan=2 rowspan=2 rowspan=1 rowspan=2 rowspan=3
19014th19th1st
190217th14th19th
190314th2nd
19045th15th20th20th
190518th
190619th3rd
190716th21st21st
190817th22nd
190918th16th
191020th22nd4th
19118th23rd
191219th17th
191323rd18th5th
19149th24th6th
191522nd20th
191619th
191710th24th25th7th
191821st
191920th8th
192022nd25th26th
192111th27th
192226th21st9th
192323rd
192412th25th28th
192527th22nd10th
192624th
192713th28th29th
192823rd11th
192930th12th
193014th27th29th
193124th
193226th
193315th28th
193425th
193527th32nd
193616th
193733rd26th
193829th28th
193917th
194034th
194130th29th33rd27th
1942
194318th35th17th
194431st30th34th
194536th
194628th18th
194732nd31st35th
194829th
1949
195033rd32nd36th38th30th
1951
195239th
195321st34th33rd37th
1954
195531st
195622nd35th34th38th32nd
195735th
1958
195936th39th33rd
196036th
1961
196237th40th
196337th
196434th
196538th
196638th
1967
196839th
196939th
197040th
197127th
197240th36th28th
197341st
width=60 Yearwidth=40 WAwidth=40 SAwidth=40 Qldwidth=40 NSWwidth=40 Vicwidth=40 Tas width=50 Federal

1974–present

width=60 Yearwidth=40 WAwidth=40 SAwidth=40 NTwidth=40 Qldwidth=40 NSWwidth=40 ACTwidth=40 Vicwidth=40 Tas width=50 Federal
height=5 rowspan=1 rowspan=2 rowspan=1 rowspan=3 rowspan=3 rowspan=3 rowspan=1
19741st41st29th
197542nd
197645th37th
197743rd2nd42nd
197846th
197938th
19803rd43rd
198147th
198245th49th
198331st4th44th33rd
198448th34th
198546th50th
198632nd45th
19875th35th
198851st
198933rd47th46th1st41st
19906th36th
1991
199247th2nd
199337th
19947th
199548th51st
1996
19978th
199849th44th
199952nd54th
2000
200136th9th50th5th
200250th55th45th
200353rd
200451st6th
200537th10th
200651st52nd56th46th
200754th42nd
200811th7th
200953rd
201052nd47th43rd
2011
201212th8th
2013
201453rd58th
201555th
201613th9th
201740th56th
201859th
2019
202014th57th10th
202141st
202255th60th47th
202358th
202415th58th11th
202542nd48th
202656th61st
202759th
202852nd
width=60 Yearwidth=40 WAwidth=40 SAwidth=40 NTwidth=40 Qldwidth=40 NSWwidth=40 ACTwidth=40 Vicwidth=40 Tas width=50 Federal

See also

References

Web site: Australian Politics and Elections Database, The University of Western Australia . . . Australian Politics and Elections Database . University of Western Australia . February 1, 2018.