1956 South Australian state election
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All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly 20 seats were needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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State elections were held in South Australia on 3 March 1956. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV defeated the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition Mick O'Halloran.[1][2]
A redistribution occurred in 1955 based upon the results of the census held in June 1954.[3][4]
| Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | |
| Australian Labor Party | 129,853 | 47.37 | -3.60 | 15 | +1 | |
| Liberal and Country League | 100,569 | 36.69 | +0.23 | 21 | 0 | |
| Anti-Communist Labor Party | 20,384 | 7.44 | * | 0 | 0 | |
| Communist Party of Australia | 3,185 | 1.16 | -0.32 | 0 | 0 | |
| Independent | 20,118 | 7.34 | -3.76 | 3 | -1 | |
| Total | 274,109 | 39 | ||||
| Liberal and Country League | WIN | 51.30 | +4.30 | 21 | 0 | |
| Australian Labor Party | 48.70 | -4.30 | 15 | +1 |
- The LCL did not contest ten seats, Labor did not contest sixteen seats. The primary vote was counted on seats contested, while the two-party vote was estimated for all seats.
Background
Labor won one seat, rural Murray from the LCL. The LCL won two seats, rural Wallaroo from Labor and rural Chaffey from an independent. An independent won one seat, rural Burra from the LCL.[1][2]
Post-election pendulum
| LCL SEATS (21) | |||
| Marginal | |||
| Wallaroo | Leslie Heath | LCL | 2.0% |
| Chaffey | Harold King | LCL | 5.2% v IND |
| Fairly Safe | |||
| Glenelg | Baden Pattinson | LCL | 8.0% |
| Torrens | John Coumbe | LCL | 8.2% |
| Safe | |||
| Unley | Colin Dunnage | LCL | 10.2% |
| Victoria | Leslie Harding | LCL | 11.7% |
| Onkaparinga | Howard Shannon | LCL | 20.1% v IND |
| Gouger | Rufus Goldney | LCL | 20.5% v IND |
| Angas | Berthold Teusner | LCL | 27.6% v IND |
| Gumeracha | Thomas Playford | LCL | 38.6% v COM |
| Eyre | George Bockelberg | LCL | undistributed |
| Albert | Malcolm McIntosh | LCL | unopposed |
| Alexandra | David Brookman | LCL | unopposed |
| Barossa | Condor Laucke | LCL | unopposed |
| Burnside | Geoffrey Clarke | LCL | unopposed |
| Flinders | Glen Pearson | LCL | unopposed |
| Light | George Hambour | LCL | unopposed |
| Mitcham | Robin Millhouse | LCL | unopposed |
| Rocky River | James Heaslip | LCL | unopposed |
| Stirling | William Jenkins | LCL | unopposed |
| Yorke Peninsula | Cecil Hincks | LCL | unopposed |
| LABOR SEATS (15) | |||
| Marginal | |||
| Murray | Gabe Bywaters | ALP | 1.4% |
| West Torrens | Fred Walsh | ALP | 1.4% |
| Millicent | Jim Corcoran | ALP | 2.3% |
| Frome | Mick O'Halloran | ALP | 4.3% |
| Fairly safe | |||
| Norwood | Don Dunstan | ALP | 7.2% |
| Safe | |||
| Enfield | Joe Jennings | ALP | 17.9% |
| Edwardstown | Frank Walsh | ALP | 24.3% v DLP |
| Adelaide | Sam Lawn | ALP | 31.7% v DLP |
| Port Adelaide | James Stephens | ALP | 32.1% v DLP |
| Gawler | John Clark | ALP | unopposed |
| Hindmarsh | Cyril Hutchens | ALP | unopposed |
| Port Pirie | Charles Davis | ALP | unopposed |
| Semaphore | Harold Tapping | ALP | unopposed |
| Stuart | Lindsay Riches | ALP | unopposed |
| Whyalla | Ron Loveday | ALP | unopposed |
| CROSSBENCH SEATS (3) | |||
| Burra | Percy Quirke | IND | 1.2% v LCL |
| Mount Gambier | John Fletcher | IND | 6.1% v ALP |
| Ridley | Tom Stott | IND | 11.0% v LCL |
See also
- Results of the South Australian state election, 1956 (House of Assembly)
- Members of the South Australian House of Assembly, 1956-1959
- Members of the South Australian Legislative Council, 1956-1959
- Playmander
Notes
- ^ a b Jaensch, Dean (March 2007). "The 1956 General Election - Formed the 35th Parliament". History of South Australian elections 1857-2006: House of Assembly, Volume 1. State Electoral Office South Australia. pp. 274–276. ISBN 9780975048634 – via Electoral Commission of South Australia.
- ^ a b Tilby Stock, Jenny (1996). "The 'Playmander', Its origins, operation and effect on South Australia". In O'Neil, Bernard; Raftery, Judith; Round, Kerrie (eds.). Playford's South Australia: essays on the history of South Australia, 1933-1968. Association of Professional Historians. pp. 73–90. ISBN 9780646290928 – via Professional Historians Association (South Australia).
- ^ "To Take Place Next Year: Redistribution of Federal Boundaries". The Morning Bulletin. 8 October 1954. Retrieved 14 January 2016 – via Trove.
- ^ "Redistribution soon in Victoria". The Argus. 5 November 1954. Retrieved 14 January 2016 – via Trove.
- ^ "Electoral system and voting for the South Australian House of Assembly from 1890: Election held on 3 March 1956". Australian Politics and Elections Database. University of Western Australia. Retrieved 14 January 2016.