1910 Australian federal election

13 April 1910 (1910-04-13)
All 75 seats in the House of Representatives 38 seats were needed for a majority in the House 18 (of the 36) seats in the Senate
Registered	2,267,482 7.49%
Turnout	1,349,626 (59.52%)[lower-alpha 1] (12.04 pp)
First party Second party   Leader Andrew Fisher Alfred Deakin Party Labor Liberal Leader since 30 October 1907 26 May 1909 Leader's seat Wide Bay (Qld.) Ballaarat (Vic.) Last election 26 seats New party Seats before 27 seats 42 seats Seats won 42 seats 31 seats Seat change 15 11 Popular vote 649,538 591,248 Percentage 49.12% 44.71% Swing 13.33% 8.01
Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.
Prime Minister before election Alfred Deakin Commonwealth Liberal Subsequent Prime Minister Andrew Fisher Labor

The 1910 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 13 April 1910. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party (formed by the fusion of the Protectionist Party and the Anti-Socialist Party in 1909) led by Prime Minister Alfred Deakin was defeated by the opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) led by Andrew Fisher.

The election represented a number of landmarks: it was Australia's first elected federal majority government; Australia's first elected Senate majority; the world's first labour party majority government at a national level; after the 1904 Chris Watson minority and Fisher's former minority government the world's third labour party government at a national level; the first time it controlled both houses of a bicameral legislature; and the first time that a prime minister, in this case Deakin, was defeated at an election. It also remains the only election in Australia's federal history to have occurred following expiration of a full three-year parliamentary term by the "effluxion of time".^[1] This was the first time the Labor Party won a federal election.

Two referendums to approve proposed amendments to the Constitution were held on the same day. The State Debts referendum was carried, but the Surplus Revenue referendum was not carried.

Future Prime Minister James Scullin and future opposition leader Matthew Charlton both entered parliament at this election. Scullin lost his seat at the subsequent 1913 election and did not re-enter parliament until 1922.

Background

After the 1906 election, the House of Representatives first met on 20 February 1907. Prime Minister Alfred Deakin allowed the parliament to run to its maximum permissible length under section 28 of the constitution (three years). Its final meeting ended on 8 December 1909, and it was then prorogued until 19 February 1910 at which point it expired by "effluxion of time". This remains the only occasion to date where the House has been allowed to expire, rather than being dissolved earlier by the Governor-General. The writs for the election were issued on 28 February, producing the longest gap between federal elections in Australian history.^[2]

Results

House of Representatives

See also: Results of the 1910 Australian federal election (House of Representatives)

  Labor: 42 seats

   Liberal: 31 seats

  Independent: 2 seats

House of Reps 1910–13 (FPTP) — Turnout 62.80% (Non-CV) — Informal 2.00%

Party		Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Labor	649,538	49.12	+12.48	42	16
	Liberal	591,248	44.71	−8.01	31	11
	Socialist Labor	628	0.05	+0.05	0
	Young Australia	590	0.04	+0.04	0
	Independent	80,478	6.09	−2.22	2	3
	Total	1,322,482			75
	Labor	Win			42	+16
	Liberal				31	+31

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Notes

• Independents: William Lyne (Hume, NSW), George Wise (Gippsland, Vic)
• Four members were elected unopposed: two Labor and two Liberal.

Popular vote Labor   49.12% Liberal   44.71% Independent/Other   6.17%

Parliament seats Labor   56.00% Liberal   41.33% Independent   2.67%

Senate

Senate 1910–13 (FPTP BV) — Turnout 62.16% (Non-CV) — Informal N/A

Party		Votes	%	Swing	Seats won	Seats held	Change
	Labor	2,021,090	50.30	+11.57	18	22	+7
	Liberal	1,830,353	45.55	N/A	0	14	-6
	Independents	134,976	3.36	+2.46	0	0	−1
	Other	31,700	0.79		0	0	0
	Total	4,018,119			18	36

Seats changing hands

• Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.
• Electorates listed as previously won by a margin of 100% were contested in 1906 as Anti-Socialists v Protectionists (Echuca and Hume) or by two Protectionists (Corio and Gippsland): these parties merged to form the Commonwealth Liberal Party on 26 May 1909.

Post-election pendulum

See also

• Candidates of the 1910 Australian federal election
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1910–1913
• Members of the Australian Senate, 1910–1913

Notes

Notes

Citations

References

• University of WA election results in Australia since 1890