1918 Queensland state election
16 March 1918 (1918-03-16)
All 72 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland
37 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
Turnout80.27 (Decrease 7.87 pp)
  First party Second party
 
Leader T. J. Ryan Edward Macartney
Party Labor National
Leader since 6 September 1912 (1912-09-06) 15 February 1918 (1918-02-15)
Leader's seat Barcoo Toowong
Last election 45 seats, 52.06% New party
Seats won 48 22
Seat change Increase 3 Increase 22
Popular vote 180,709 150,225
Percentage 53.68% 44.62%
Swing Increase 1.62 Increase 2.65
Premier before election

T. J. Ryan
Labor

 Elected Premier

T. J. Ryan
Labor

Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 16 March 1918 to elect the 72 members of the state's Legislative Assembly.

Background

The election was the second for the Labor government of T. J. Ryan, who had been premier since 1 June 1915. The National opposition (previously known as the Ministerialists) were led by Edward Macartney who replaced Digby Denham after the 1915 election when they were reduced to 21 seats. In turn, he was replaced by James Tolmie within three months but returned to the post shortly before the election when the latter fell ill.[1]

Results

The election saw the Labor government returned to office with an increased vote and seat count for both Labor and the National Party from the 1915 election.

Queensland state election, 16 March 1918[2]
Legislative Assembly
<< 1915–1920 >>

Enrolled voters 424,416
Votes cast 336,647 Turnout 80.27 -7.87
Informal votes N/A Informal 1.18 -0.39
Summary of votes by party
Party Primary votes  % Swing Seats Change
  Labor 180,709 53.68 +1.62 48 +3
  National 150,225 44.62 +2.65 22 +1
  Independent 3,311 0.98 +0.06 2 +1
Total 336,647     72  

Seats changing party representation

This table lists changes in party representation at the 1918 election.

Party changes before election

The following seats changed party representation before the election due to the merger of Farmers Union and Liberal Party members.

SeatIncumbent memberFormer partyNew party
Albert John Appel   Farmers' Union   National Party
Aubigny Arthur Moore   Farmers' Union   National Party
Cunningham Francis Grayson   Liberal Party   Independent National
Drayton William Bebbington   Farmers' Union   National Party
Murilla Godfrey Morgan   Farmers' Union   National Party
Nanango Robert Hodge   Farmers' Union   National Party
Pittsworth Percy Bayley   Farmers' Union   Independent National

Seats changing hands at election

SeatIncumbent memberPartyNew memberParty
Bulimba Hugh McMinn   Labor Walter Barnes   National
Burke William Murphy   Independent Darby Riordan   Labor
Burrum Colin Rankin   National Albert Whitford   Labor
Kurilpa William Hartley   Labor James Fry   National
Lockyer William Armstrong   National Cuthbert Butler   Labor
Logan James Stodart   National Alfred James   Labor
Oxley Thomas Jones   Labor Cecil Elphinstone   National
Rosewood Henry Stevens   National William Cooper   Labor
Toowoomba James Tolmie   National Frank Brennan   Labor
Wide Bay Charles Booker   National Andrew Thompson   Labor
Windsor Herbert McPhail   Labor Charles Taylor   National
  • Members listed in italics did not recontest their seats.

Aftermath

T.J. Ryan resigned as premier a year after the state election to run successfully for the federal seat of West Sydney in 1919. Ryan was replaced as premier by Ted Theodore. Theodore called the 1920 election one year into his premiership and two years after the 1918 election. Macartney was later replaced for a second time, this time by William Vowles. Within a few months though, Vowles created the Queensland Country Party. However, because Vowles had created the Country Party using most of the rural-based National MLAs, Vowles was able to remain as Opposition Leader.

See also

References

  1. ↑ French, M. "Tolmie, James (1862–1939)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 28 June 2018 – via Australian Dictionary of Biography.
  2. ↑ "UWA 1918 election study".
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