1914 Australian federal election

1914 Australian federal election

5 September 1914 (1914-09-05)
All 75 seats in the House of Representatives 38 seats were needed for a majority in the House All 36 seats in the Senate
Registered	2,811,515 1.86%
Turnout	1,726,906 (73.53%) (0.04 pp)
First party Second party   Leader Andrew Fisher Joseph Cook Party Labor Liberal Leader since 30 October 1907 20 January 1913 Leader's seat Wide Bay (Qld) Parramatta (NSW) Last election 37 seats 38 seats Seats won 42 seats 32 seats Seat change 5 6 Popular vote 858,451 796,397 Percentage 50.89% 47.21% Swing 2.42% 1.73%
Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.
Prime Minister before election Joseph Cook Commonwealth Liberal Subsequent Prime Minister Andrew Fisher Labor

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)

  Labour: 42 seats

  Liberal: 32 seats

  Independent: 1 seat

House of Reps 1914–17 (FPTP) — Turnout 73.53% (Non-CV) — Informal 2.32%

Party		Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Labor	858,451	50.89	+2.42	42	+5
	Liberal	796,397	47.21	−1.73	32	-6
	Independents	31,915	1.89	−0.70	1	+1
	Total	1,686,763			75
	Labor	Win			42	+5
	Liberal				32	−6

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Notes

• Independents: George Wise (Gippsland, Vic)
• Thirteen members were elected unopposed – seven Labor and six Liberal.

Popular vote Labor   50.89% Liberal   47.21% Independent   1.89%

Parliament seats Labor   56.00% Liberal   42.67% Independent   1.33%

Senate

Senate 1914–17 (FPTP BV) — Turnout 72.64% (Non-CV) — Informal N/A

Party		Votes	%	Swing	Seats won	Seats held	Change
	Labor	6,119,018	52.15	+3.43	31	31	+2
	Liberal	5,605,305	47.77	−1.61	5	5	−2
	Independents	9,799	0.08	–0.78	0	0	0
	Total	11,734,122			36	36

Seats changing hands

Seat	Pre-1914				Swing	Post-1914
	Party		Member	Margin		Margin	Member	Party
Corio, Vic		Liberal	William Kendell	1.4	3.0	1.2	Alfred Ozanne	Labor
Gippsland, Vic		Liberal	James Bennett	5.0	6.0	1.0	George Wise	Independent
Grampians, Vic		Liberal	Hans Irvine	3.9	4.2	0.3	Edward Jolley	Labor
Indi, Vic		Liberal	Cornelius Ahern	1.8	3.0	1.0	Parker Moloney	Labor
Riverina, NSW		Liberal	Franc Falkiner	1.0	3.1	2.1	John Chanter	Labor
Werriwa, NSW		Liberal	Alfred Conroy	5.9	5.9	0.0	John Lynch	Labor

See also

• Candidates of the 1914 Australian federal election
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1914–1917
• Members of the Australian Senate, 1914–1917

External links

• University of WA election results in Australia since 1890