List of Australian federal by-elections

This is a list of by-elections and scheduled by-elections for the Australian House of Representatives from its creation in 1901 until the present day.

A by-election may be held when a member's seat in the House of Representatives becomes vacant through resignation, death or some other reasons. These vacancies are called casual vacancies.

Gains for the Australian Labor Party are highlighted in red; for the Liberal Party of Australia and its predecessors (including the Protectionist Party) in blue; for the National Party of Australia in light green; for the Australian Greens in bright green and for others in grey.

Brackets around a date indicate that the candidate was unopposed when nominations closed. These candidates were declared "elected unopposed" with effect from the date of the closing of nominations, and there was no need to hold a by-election.

42nd Parliament (2007–2010)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Higgins	5 December 2009	Peter Costello		Liberal	Kelly O'Dwyer		Liberal	Resignation
Bradfield	5 December 2009	Brendan Nelson		Liberal	Paul Fletcher		Liberal	Resignation
Lyne	6 September 2008	Mark Vaile		National	Rob Oakeshott		Independent	Resignation
Mayo	6 September 2008	Alexander Downer		Liberal	Jamie Briggs		Liberal	Resignation
Gippsland	28 June 2008	Peter McGauran		National	Darren Chester		National	Resignation
41st Parliament (2004–2007)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Werriwa	19 March 2005	Mark Latham		Labor	Chris Hayes		Labor	Resignation
40th Parliament (2001–2004)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Cunningham	19 October 2002	Stephen Martin		Labor	Michael Organ		Greens	Resignation
39th Parliament (1998–2001)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Aston	14 July 2001	Peter Nugent		Liberal	Chris Pearce		Liberal	Death (myocardial infarction)
Ryan	17 March 2001	John Moore		Liberal	Leonie Short		Labor	Resignation
Isaacs	12 August 2000	Greg Wilton		Labor	Ann Corcoran		Labor	Death (suicide)
Holt	6 November 1999	Gareth Evans		Labor	Anthony Byrne		Labor	Resignation
38th Parliament (1996–1998)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Fraser	1 February 1997	John Langmore		Labor	Steve Dargavel		Labor	Resignation
Lindsay	19 October 1996	Jackie Kelly		Liberal	Jackie Kelly		Liberal	Disqualification
Blaxland	15 June 1996	Paul Keating		Labor	Michael Hatton		Labor	Resignation
37th Parliament (1993–1996)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Wentworth	8 April 1995	John Hewson		Liberal	Andrew Thomson		Liberal	Resignation
Canberra	25 March 1995	Ros Kelly		Labor	Brendan Smyth		Liberal	Resignation
Kooyong	19 November 1994	Andrew Peacock		Liberal	Petro Georgiou		Liberal	Resignation
Mackellar	26 March 1994	Jim Carlton		Liberal	Bronwyn Bishop		Liberal	Resignation
Warringah	26 March 1994	Michael MacKellar		Liberal	Tony Abbott		Liberal	Resignation
Bonython	19 March 1994	Neal Blewett		Labor	Martyn Evans		Labor	Resignation
Fremantle	12 March 1994	John Dawkins		Labor	Carmen Lawrence		Labor	Resignation
Werriwa	29 January 1994	John Kerin		Labor	Mark Latham		Labor	Resignation
36th Parliament (1990–1993)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Wills	11 April 1992	Bob Hawke		Labor	Phil Cleary		Independent	Resignation
Menzies	11 May 1991	Neil Brown		Liberal	Kevin Andrews		Liberal	Resignation
35th Parliament (1987–1990)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Gwydir	15 April 1989	Ralph Hunt		National	John Anderson		National	Resignation
Oxley	8 October 1988	Bill Hayden		Labor	Les Scott		Labor	Resignation
Groom	9 April 1988	Tom McVeigh		National	Bill Taylor		Liberal	Resignation
Port Adelaide	26 March 1988	Mick Young		Labor	Rod Sawford		Labor	Resignation
Adelaide	6 February 1988	Chris Hurford		Labor	Mike Pratt		Liberal	Resignation
34th Parliament (1984–1987)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Scullin	8 February 1986	Harry Jenkins, Sr.		Labor	Harry Jenkins		Labor	Resignation
33rd Parliament (1983–1984)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Corangamite	18 February 1984	Tony Street		Liberal	Stewart McArthur		Liberal	Resignation
Hughes	18 February 1984	Les Johnson		Labor	Robert Tickner		Labor	Resignation
Richmond	18 February 1984	Doug Anthony		National	Charles Blunt		National	Resignation
Moreton	5 November 1983	James Killen		Liberal	Donald Cameron		Liberal	Resignation
Bruce	28 May 1983	Billy Snedden		Liberal	Ken Aldred		Liberal	Resignation
Wannon	7 May 1983	Malcolm Fraser		Liberal	David Hawker		Liberal	Resignation
32nd Parliament (1980–1983)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Flinders	4 December 1982	Phillip Lynch		Liberal	Peter Reith		Liberal	Resignation
Lowe	13 March 1982	William McMahon		Liberal	Michael Maher		Labor	Resignation
Wentworth	11 April 1981	Robert Ellicott		Liberal	Peter Coleman		Liberal	Resignation
Boothby	21 February 1981	John McLeay		Liberal	Steele Hall		Liberal	Resignation
Curtin	21 February 1981	Victor Garland		Liberal	Allan Rocher		Liberal	Resignation
McPherson	21 February 1981	Eric Robinson		Liberal	Peter White		Liberal	Death (sudden)
31st Parliament (1977–1980)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Grayndler	23 June 1979	Frank Stewart		Labor	Leo McLeay		Labor	Death (myocardial infarction)
Werriwa	23 September 1978	Gough Whitlam		Labor	John Kerin		Labor	Resignation
30th Parliament (1975–1977)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Cunningham	25 October 1977	Rex Connor		Labor	Stewart West		Labor	Death (coronary occlusion)
29th Parliament (1974–1975)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Bass	28 June 1975	Lance Barnard		Labor	Kevin Newman		Liberal	Resignation
28th Parliament (1972–1974)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Parramatta	22 September 1973	Nigel Bowen		Liberal	Philip Ruddock		Liberal	Resignation
27th Parliament (1969–1972)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Murray	20 March 1971	John McEwen		Country	Bruce Lloyd		Country	Resignation
Chisholm	19 September 1970	Wilfrid Kent Hughes		Liberal	Tony Staley		Liberal	Death
Australian Capital Territory	30 May 1970	Jim Fraser		Labor	Kep Enderby		Labor	Death (cancer)
26th Parliament (1966–1969)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Bendigo	7 June 1969	Noel Beaton		Labor	David Kennedy		Labor	Resignation
Gwydir	7 June 1969	Ian Allan		Country	Ralph Hunt		Country	Resignation
Higgins	24 February 1968	Harold Holt		Liberal	John Gorton		Liberal	Presumed death (drowning)
Capricornia	30 September 1967	George Gray		Labor	Doug Everingham		Labor	Death (pulmonary oedema)
Corio	22 July 1967	Hubert Opperman		Liberal	Gordon Scholes		Labor	Resignation
25th Parliament (1963–1966)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Kooyong	2 April 1966	Robert Menzies		Liberal	Andrew Peacock		Liberal	Resignation
Dawson	26 February 1966	George Shaw		Country	Rex Patterson		Labor	Death
Riverina	27 February 1965	Hugh Roberton		Country	Adam Armstrong		Country	Resignation
Robertson	5 December 1964	Roger Dean		Liberal	William Bridges-Maxwell		Liberal	Resignation
Angas	20 June 1964	Alexander Downer, Sr.		Liberal	Geoffrey Giles		Liberal	Resignation
Parramatta	20 June 1964	Garfield Barwick		Liberal	Nigel Bowen		Liberal	Resignation
Denison	15 February 1964	Athol Townley		Liberal	Adrian Gibson		Liberal	Death (long illness)
24th Parliament (1961–1963)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
East Sydney	28 September 1963	Eddie Ward		Labor	Leonard Devine		Labor	Death (heart attack)
Grey	1 June 1963	Edgar Russell		Labor	Jack Mortimer		Labor	Death
Batman	1 September 1962	Alan Bird		Labor	Sam Benson		Labor	Death
23rd Parliament (1958–1961)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Higinbotham	10 December 1960	Frank Timson		Liberal	Don Chipp		Liberal	Death
Calare	5 November 1960	John Howse		Liberal	John England		Country	Resignation
Balaclava	16 July 1960	Percy Joske		Liberal	Ray Whittorn		Liberal	Resignation
Bendigo	16 July 1960	Percy Clarey		Labor	Noel Beaton		Labor	Death
Hunter	9 April 1960	H. V. Evatt		Labor	Bert James		Labor	Resignation
La Trobe	9 April 1960	Richard Casey		Liberal	John Jess		Liberal	Resignation
22nd Parliament (1955–1958)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Parramatta	8 March 1958	Howard Beale		Liberal	Garfield Barwick		Liberal	Resignation
Richmond	15 September 1957	Larry Anthony		Country	Doug Anthony		Country	Resignation
Wentworth	8 December 1956	Eric Harrison		Liberal	Les Bury		Liberal	Resignation
Barker	13 October 1956	Archie Cameron		Liberal	Jim Forbes		Liberal	Death (myocardial infarction)
Cunningham	(11 April 1956)	Billy Davies		Labor	Victor Kearney		Labor	Death
21st Parliament (1954–1955)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Cook	21 May 1955	Thomas Sheehan		Labor	Jim Cope		Labor	Death
20th Parliament (1951–1954)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Gwydir	19 December 1953	Thomas Treloar		Country	Ian Allan		Country	Death
Corangamite	29 August 1953	Allan McDonald		Liberal	Daniel Mackinnon		Liberal	Death (cancer)
Lang	29 August 1953	Daniel Mulcahy		Labor	Frank Stewart		Labor	Death
Dalley	9 May 1953	Sol Rosevear		Labor	Arthur Greenup		Labor	Death (coronary occlusion)
Bradfield	20 December 1952	Billy Hughes		Liberal	Harry Turner		Liberal	Death
Werriwa	29 November 1952	Hubert Lazzarini		Labor	Gough Whitlam		Labor	Death (cerebral haemorrhage)
Flinders	18 October 1952	Rupert Ryan		Liberal	Keith Ewert		Labor	Death (cardiac failure)
Lyne	22 March 1952	James Eggins		Country	Philip Lucock		Country	Death
Balaclava	28 July 1951	Thomas White		Liberal	Percy Joske		Liberal	Resignation
Macquarie	28 July 1951	Ben Chifley		Labor	Anthony Luchetti		Labor	Death (heart attack)
19th Parliament (1949–1951)
No by-elections held
18th Parliament (1946–1949)
No by-elections held
17th Parliament (1943–1946)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Henty	30 March 1946	Arthur Coles		Independent	Henry Gullett		Liberal	Resignation
Wimmera	9 February 1946	Alexander Wilson		Independent	Winton Turnbull		Country	Resignation
Fremantle	18 August 1945	John Curtin		Labor	Kim Beazley		Labor	Death
16th Parliament (1940–1943)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Boothby	24 May 1941	John Price		United Australia	Grenfell Price		United Australia	Death
Swan	21 December 1940	Henry Gregory		Country	Thomas Marwick		Country	Death
Kalgoorlie	16 November 1940	Albert Green		Labor	Herbert Johnson		Labor	Death
15th Parliament (1937–1940)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Corio	2 March 1940	Richard Casey		United Australia	John Dedman		Labor	Resignation
Wilmot	27 May 1939	Joseph Lyons		United Australia	Lancelot Spurr		Labor	Death (heart attack)
Griffith	20 May 1939	Frank Baker		Labor	William Conelan		Labor	Death
Wakefield	10 December 1938	Charles Hawker		United Australia	Sydney McHugh		Labor	Death (plane crash)
14th Parliament (1934–1937)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Gwydir	8 May 1937	Aubrey Abbott		Country	William Scully		Labor	Resignation
Darling Downs	19 December 1936	Littleton Groom		United Australia	Arthur Fadden		Country	Death (cerebrovascular disease)
Kennedy	12 December 1936	Darby Riordan		Labor	Bill Riordan		Labor	Death
Fawkner	17 August 1935	George Maxwell		United Australia	Harold Holt		United Australia	Death
Newcastle	1 June 1935	David Watkins		Labor	David Watkins		Labor	Death (cancer)
13th Parliament (1931–1934)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Flinders	11 November 1933	Stanley Bruce		United Australia	James Fairbairn		United Australia	Resignation
East Sydney	6 February 1932	John Clasby		United Australia	Eddie Ward		Labor (NSW)	Death
12th Parliament (1929–1931)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
East Sydney	7 March 1931	John West		Labor	Eddie Ward		Labor	Death
Parkes	31 January 1931	Edward McTiernan		Labor	Charles Marr		Nationalist	Resignation
Franklin	14 December 1929	William McWilliams		Independent	Charles Frost		Labor	Death (angina pectoris)
11th Parliament (1928–1929)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Balaclava	3 August 1929	William Watt		Nationalist	Thomas White		Nationalist	Resignation
10th Parliament (1925–1928)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Wide Bay	(3 September 1928)	Edward Corser		Nationalist	Bernard Corser		Country	Death
Martin	16 June 1928	Herbert Pratten		Nationalist	Frederick Pratten		Nationalist	Death (cerebral haemorrhage)
Warringah	21 May 1927	Granville Ryrie		Nationalist	Archdale Parkhill		Nationalist	Resignation
Dalley	26 February 1927	William Mahony		Labor	Ted Theodore		Labor	Resignation
Eden-Monaro	6 March 1926	Austin Chapman		Nationalist	John Perkins		Nationalist	Death (cerebrovascular disease)
9th Parliament (1922–1925)
No by-elections held
8th Parliament (1919–1922)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Yarra	18 February 1922	Frank Tudor		Labor	James Scullin		Labor	Death
Parramatta	10 December 1921	Joseph Cook		Nationalist	Herbert Pratten		Nationalist	Resignation
West Sydney	3 September 1921	T. J. Ryan		Labor	William Lambert		Labor	Death (pneumonia)
Maranoa	30 July 1921	James Page		Labor	James Hunter		Country	Death
Kalgoorlie	18 December 1920	Hugh Mahon		Labor	George Foley		Nationalist	Expulsion
Ballaarat	10 July 1920	Edwin Kerby		Nationalist	Charles McGrath		Labor	Election declared void
7th Parliament (1917–1919)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Echuca	20 September 1919	Albert Palmer		Nationalist	William Hill		VFU	Death
Corangamite	14 December 1918	Chester Manifold		Nationalist	William Gibson		VFU	Death (pneumonia)
Swan	26 October 1918	John Forrest		Nationalist	Edwin Corboy		Labor	Death
Flinders	11 May 1918	William Irvine		Nationalist	Stanley Bruce		Nationalist	Resignation
Grampians	27 October 1917	Charles Salmon		Nationalist	Edmund Jowett		Nationalist	Death
Darwin	30 June 1917	Charles Howroyd		Nationalist	William Spence		Nationalist	Death
6th Parliament (1914–1917)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Wide Bay	11 December 1915	Andrew Fisher		Labor	Edward Corser		Liberal	Resignation
Dalley	(6 May 1915)	Robert Howe		Labor	William Mahony		Labor	Death
Grampians	20 February 1915	Edward Jolley		Labor	Charles Salmon		Liberal	Death
Bendigo	6 February 1915	John Arthur		Labor	Alfred Hampson		Labor	Death (kidney disease)
5th Parliament (1913–1914)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Adelaide	10 January 1914	Ernest Roberts		Labor	Edwin Yates		Labor	Death (heart disease)
Kalgoorlie	(22 December 1913)	Charles Frazer		Labor	Hugh Mahon		Labor	Death (pneumonia)
4th Parliament (1910–1913)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Werriwa	1 June 1912	David Hall		Labor	Benjamin Bennett		Labor	Resignation
Boothby	11 November 1911	Lee Batchelor		Labor	David Gordon		Liberal	Death (heart attack)
North Sydney	11 March 1911	George Edwards		Liberal	Granville Ryrie		Liberal	Death
Batman	8 February 1911	Henry Beard		Labor	Frank Brennan		Labor	Death
Kooyong	24 August 1910	William Knox		Liberal	Robert Best		Liberal	Resignation
3rd Parliament (1906–1910)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Wakefield	28 August 1909	Frederick Holder		Independent	Richard Foster		Liberal	Death (cerebral haemorrhage)
Adelaide	13 June 1908	Charles Kingston		Protectionist	Ernest Roberts		Labor	Death (stroke)
Echuca	10 July 1907	Albert Palmer		Anti-Socialist	Albert Palmer		Anti-Socialist	Election declared void
2nd Parliament (1903–1906)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Riverina	18 May 1904	Robert Blackwood		Free Trade	John Chanter		Protectionist	Election declared void
Melbourne	30 March 1904	Malcolm McEacharn		Protectionist	William Maloney		Labor	Election declared void
Wilmot	26 February 1904	Edward Braddon		Free Trade	Norman Cameron		Free Trade	Death
1st Parliament (1901–1903)
By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
East Sydney	4 September 1903	George Reid		Free Trade	George Reid		Free Trade	Resigned to recontest
Tasmania	26 March 1902	Frederick Piesse		Free Trade	William Hartnoll		Free Trade	Death
Darling Downs	14 September 1901	William Henry Groom		Protectionist	Littleton Groom		Protectionist	Death

See also

• Casual vacancies in the Australian Parliament
• List of New South Wales state by-elections
• List of Victorian state by-elections
• List of Queensland state by-elections
• List of Western Australian state by-elections
• List of South Australian state by-elections
• List of Northern Territory by-elections