The 1919 Australian Senate election was held on 13 December 1919 to elect 19 of the 36 senators in the Australian Senate as part of the 1919 federal election. Each state elected three senators to serve a six-year term beginning on 1 July 1920, except for Tasmania, who elected an extra senator to fill a casual vacancy.[1]

1919 Australian Senate election

← 1917 13 December 1919 1922 →

19 of the 36 seats in the Senate
19 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Edward Millen Albert Gardiner
Party Nationalist Labor
Leader's seat New South Wales New South Wales
Seats before 24 12
Seats won 18 1
Seats after 35 1
Seat change Increase11 Decrease11
Popular vote 861,990 795,858
Percentage 46.40% 42.84
Swing Decrease8.97 Decrease0.88

The election was the first to use preferential block voting following the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.[2] The Nationalist Party won 18 of the 19 contested seats to expand their majority in the Senate. This left Albert Gardiner as the only remaining Labor and non-government senator.

Australia

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1919 Australian federal election: Senate, National[1][3]
 
Party Votes % ± Seats
Seats
won
Not
up
New
total
Seat
change
  Nationalist 861,990 46.40 −8.97 18 17 35   11
  Labor 795,858 42.84 −0.88 1 0 1   11
  Farmers' and Settlers' 100,620 5.42 5.42 0 0 0  
  Victorian Farmers' Union 50,620 2.72 2.72 0 0 0  
  Independents 26,374 1.42 1.03 0 0 0  
  Country Party of Western Australia 11,853 0.64 0.64 0 0 0  
  Socialist Labor 10,508 0.57 0.06 0 0 0  
Total 1,857,823 100.00 19 17 36
Invalid/blank votes 175,114 8.61 4.71
Turnout 2,032,937 71.33 –6.36
Registered voters 2,849,862

New South Wales

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1919 Australian federal election: Senate, New South Wales[3][4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor 1. Albert Gardiner (re-elected 3)
2. Allan McDougall (defeated)
3. John Grant (defeated)
281,315 43.26 −0.25
Nationalist 1. Charles Cox (elected 1)
2. Walter Duncan (elected 2)
3. Henry Garling
242,336 37.26 −17.77
Farmers and Settlers Franc Falkiner 100,620 15.47 15.47
Independent Alfred Conroy 15,559 2.39 2.39
Socialist Labor 1. Ernie Judd
2. William Corcoran
3. Mary McMahon
10,508 1.62 0.16
Total formal votes 650,338 90.63 −5.54
Informal votes 67,227 9.37 5.54
Turnout 717,565 66.48 −4.18
 
# Senator Party
1 Charles Cox   Nationalist
2 Walter Duncan   Nationalist
3 Albert Gardiner   Labor

Victoria

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1919 Australian federal election: Senate, Victoria[3][6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist 1. Harold Elliott (elected 1)
2. James Guthrie (elected 2)
3. Edward Russell (re-elected 3)
286,440 48.67 −6.2
Labor 1. Stephen Barker (defeated)
2. Edward Findley
3. John Barnes (defeated)
251,433 42.72 −2.02
Victorian Farmers 1. Thomas Paterson
2. Richard Rees
3. Edwin Reseigh
50,620 8.60 8.60
Total formal votes 588,493 92.23 −4.56
Informal votes 49,605 7.77 4.56
Turnout 638,098 76.20 −7.72
 
# Senator Party
1 Harold Elliott   Nationalist
2 James Guthrie   Nationalist
3 Edward Russell   Nationalist

Queensland

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1919 Australian federal election: Senate, Queensland[3][8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist 1. John Adamson (elected 1)
2. Thomas Givens (re-elected 2)
3. William Glasgow (elected 3)
164,844 54.27 3.36
Labor 1. Myles Ferricks (defeated)
2. Harry Turley
3. William Maughan (defeated)
138,919 45.73 −2.24
Total formal votes 303,763 91.99 −3.25
Informal votes 26,468 8.01 3.25
Turnout 330,231 84.85 −4.17
 
# Senator Party
1 John Adamson   Nationalist
2 Thomas Givens   Nationalist
3 William Glasgow   Nationalist

Western Australia

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1919 Australian federal election: Senate, Western Australia[3][10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist 1. George Pearce (re-elected 1)
2. Patrick Lynch (re-elected 2)
3. Edmund Drake-Brockman (elected 3)
45,012 47.93 −20.23
Labor 1. Ted Needham (defeated)
2. Thomas Gorman
3. William Graham
37,055 39.45 7.61
Country 1. James Crawford
2. Victor Riseley
11,853 12.62 12.62
Total formal votes 93,920 90.98 −3.86
Informal votes 9,315 9.02 3.86
Turnout 103,235 63.12 −14.65
 
# Senator Party
1 George Pearce   Nationalist
2 Patrick Lynch   Nationalist
3 Edmund Drake-Brockman   Nationalist

South Australia

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1919 Australian federal election: Senate, South Australia[3][12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist 1. Benjamin Benny (elected 1)
2. John Newland (re-elected 2)
3. Victor Wilson (elected 3)
90,781 56.05 −1.05
Labor 1. Thomas Grealy
2. James O'Loghlin (defeated)
3. Frank Lundie
62,946 38.87 −4.03
Independent Edward Craigie 8,230 5.08 5.08
Total formal votes 161,957 90.94 −4.62
Informal votes 16,135 9.06 4.62
Turnout 178,092 66.39 −5.54
 
# Senator Party
1 Benjamin Benny   Nationalist
2 John Newland   Nationalist
3 Victor Wilson   Nationalist

Tasmania

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Following the resignation of Labor senator James Long in December 1918, Nationalist Edward Mulcahy was appointed by the Parliament of Tasmania to fill the casual vacancy.[14] As a result, Tasmania elected four senators, with the fourth senator elected sitting the remainder of Long's term ending on 30 June 1920.[15]

1919 Australian federal election: Senate, Tasmania[3][15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist 1. John Millen (elected 1)
2. George Foster (elected 2)
3. Herbert Payne (elected 3)
4. Edward Mulcahy (elected 4)
32,577 54.89 −2.07
Labor 1. David O'Keefe (defeated)
2. James Guy (defeated)
3. Walter Woods
24,190 40.76 0.28
Independent Cyril Cameron 1,771 2.98 −3.03
Independent David Blanshard 814 1.37 1.37
Total formal votes 59,352 90.32 −5.96
Informal votes 6,364 9.68 5.96
Turnout 65,716 58.66 −17.35
 
# Senator Party
1 John Millen   Nationalist
2 George Foster   Nationalist
3 Herbert Payne   Nationalist
4 Edward Mulcahy   Nationalist

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Carr, Adam. "1919 Senate". Psephos. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  2. ^ McAllister, Ian (2013). "Reforming the Senate Electoral System". Australasian Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Barber, Stephen; Johnson, Sue (17 July 2014). "Federal election results 1901–2014" (PDF). Parliamentary Library. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  4. ^ Carr, Adam. "1919 Senate NSW". Psephos. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  5. ^ "1919 Senators elected NSW". Parliamentary Handbook. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  6. ^ Carr, Adam. "1919 Senate VIC". Psephos. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  7. ^ "1919 Senators elected VIC". Parliamentary Handbook. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  8. ^ Carr, Adam. "1919 Senate QLD". Psephos. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  9. ^ "1919 Senators elected QLD". Parliamentary Handbook. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  10. ^ Carr, Adam. "1919 Senate WA". Psephos. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  11. ^ "1919 Senators elected WA". Parliamentary Handbook. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  12. ^ Carr, Adam. "1919 Senate SA". Psephos. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  13. ^ "1919 Senators elected SA". Parliamentary Handbook. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  14. ^ Bennett, Scott (2000). "Mulcahy, Edward (1850–1927)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  15. ^ a b Carr, Adam. "1919 Senate TAS". Psephos. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  16. ^ "1919 Senators elected TAS". Parliamentary Handbook. Retrieved 19 December 2024.