Elections since 1856

The tables below provide statistical information on periodic elections of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly. Prior to 1882 elections were sometimes held over more than one day, and it was not until 1961 that elections for both Houses were regularly held on the same day.

Legislative Council Elections

Date Total Seats Contested % Turnout
Seats Enrolment Number Votes cast

5 Aug. 1856

 30 10,775 - 5,354

 
31 Aug. to 2 Oct. 1858 6 - - 5,105

 
31 Aug. to 2 Oct. 1860 6 - 2 2,714

 
1 Sep. to 2 Oct. 1862 6 - 2 2,171

 
2 Sep. to 3 Oct. 1864 6 9,709 4 3,923

 
31 Aug. to 2 Oct. 1866 6 11,602 2 2,329

 
16 Sep. to 2 Nov. 1868 6 11,604 3 3,327

 
24 Aug. to 10 Dec. 1870 6 22,168 2 2,149

 
Aug. to Sep. 1872 6 22,875 2 3,500

 
12-25 Mar. 1874 6 24,237 1 1,120

 
15 Aug. to 15 Nov. 1876 6 27,719 3 6,871

 
17 Aug. to 16 Sep. 1878 6 31,807 2 7,987

 
20 Mar. to 14 July 1880 6 32,873 3 4,367

 
30 Nov. 1882 7 98,735 7 29,340

 
11 Sep. 1884 7 104,705 3 15,371

 
3 Sep. 1886 7 113,957 6 19,955

 
31 Aug. 1888 7 130,336 3 15,070

 
11 Sep. 1890 14 151,803 2 31,134 47.3
8 Sep. 1892 14 163,286 2 25,300 41.6
13 Sep. 1894 14 87,730 None contested

 

 
12 Sep. 1895 14 87,317 1 17,177 29.7
10 Sep. 1896 14 138,706 1 12,834 48.3
8 Sep. 1898 14 130,577 None contested

 

 
13 Sep. 1900 14 129,363 None contested

 

 
12 Sep. 1901 14 60,170 None contested

 

 
11 Sep. 1902 14 134,087 None contested

 

 
1 June 1904 18 177,954 11 110,293 60.0
4 June 1907 18 180,799 7 78,536 34.6
2 June 1910 17 240,584 9 136,515 35.2
6 June 1913 17 270,209 5 180,822 26.4
1 June 1916 17 300,341 5 92,429 37.7
5 June 1919 17 317,619 5 133,065 30.4
31 May 1922 17 353,467 7 161,749 30.0
4 June 1925 17 399,510 8 172,875 32.4
2 June 1928 17 444,278 10 268,164 31.8
6 June 1931 17 469,349 9 239,975 38.9
9 June 1934 17 469,395 6 160,980 29.4
12 June 1937 17 449,694 11 265,193 78.8
15 June 1940 17 471,843 8 235,784 75.8
12 June 1943 17 485,637 4 117,404 71.2
I5 June 1946 17 517,727 12 393,907 74.0
18 June 1949 17 550,472 13 340,206 87.9
21 June 1952 17 1,395,650 14 1,078,959 92.1
18 June 1955 17 1,430,130 14 1,216,010 91.5
21 June 1958 17 1,488,293 15 1,387,097 92.5
15 July 1961 17 1,554,856 17 1,554,856 94.4
27 June 1964 17 1,635,311 17 1,635,311 94.4
29 Apr. 1967 18 1,723,981 18 1,723,981 94.3
30 May 1970 18 1,827,595 18 1,827,595 94.5
19 May 1973 18 2,088,984 18 2,088,984 93.5
20 Mar. 1976 22 2,267,282 22 2,267,282 92.7
5 May 1979 22 2,350,407 22 2,350,407 93.2
3 Apr. 1982 22 2,453,642 22 2,453,642 93.9
2 Mar. 1985 22 2,641,477 22 2,641,477 93.2
1 Oct. 1988 22 2,739,614 22 2,739,614 92.3
3 Oct. 1992 22 2,855,471 22 2,855,471 95.2
30 Mar. 1996 22 3,000,076 22 3,000,076 94.1
18 Sep. 1999 22 3,130,338 22 3,130,338 93.2
30th Nov. 2002 22 3,228,206 22 3,228,206 93.2
25th Nov. 2006 8 3,353,845 8 3,353,845
27th Nov. 2010 8 3,582,232 8 3,328,866 92.9

Sources: C. A. Hughes and D. Aitkin, Voting for the Australian State Upper Houses, 1890-1984, Canberra, Department of Political Science, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, 1986; D. Jaensch and C. A. Hughes, 'Politics', in W. Vamplew (ed.), Australians Historical Statistics, Fairfax, Syme and Weldon Associates, Broadway, 1987, 407; State Electoral Office, Victoria.

Legislative Assembly Elections

Date Total Seats Contested % Turnout
Seats Enrolment Number Enrolment
23 Sep. to 24 Oct. 1856 60 60,021 54 56,140 -
26 Aug. to 26 Sep. 1859 78 - - - -
2-19 Aug. 1861 78 168,841 71 155,866 45.8
5, 21 Oct.;3 Nov.1864 78 106,355 57 80,229 58.2
30 Dec. 1865; 15,29 Jan. 1866 78 111,996 71 96,267 55.2
21 Jan.; 7, 20 Feb. 1868 78 115,842 67 102,724 61.6
14 Feb.;3, 16 Mar.1871 78 127,508 68 120,033 60.9
25 Mar.; 9, 22 Apr. 1874 78 143,486 70 124,884 64.1
11 May 1877 86 181,441 82 174,669 64.6
28 Feb. 1880 86 210,034 84 206,178 64.7
14 July 1880 86 200,784 79 183,369 65.9
22 Feb. 1883 86 196,611 74 165,951 65.0
5 Mar. 1886 86 215,830 75 186,304 64.7
28 Mar. 1889 95 243,730 85 220,973 66.6
20 Apr. 1892 95 278,812 82 246,214 65.1
20 Sep. 1894 95 234,552 79 196,482 70.9
14 Oct. 1897 95 254,155 82 224,987 70.3
1 Nov. 1900 95 280,810 66 203,421 63.4
1 Oct. 1902 95 290,241 70 216,063 65.4
1 June 1904 68 277,006 56 235,897 63.4
15 Mar. 1907 65 261,080 45 191,123 61.3
29 Dec. 1908 65 263,876 40 164,919 53.6
16 Nov. 1911 65 701,451 56 619,644 63.6
26 Nov. 1914 65 810,026 49 593,334 53.9
15 Nov. l917 65 828,230 51 658,488 54.2
21 Oct. 1920 65 868,848 54 735,054 63.7
30 Aug. 1921 65 871,456 46 569,704 57.3
26 June 1924 65 900,427 45 626,250 59.2
9 Apr. 1927 65 993,211 57 850,494 91.8
30 Nov. 1929 65 1,029,170 45 682,190 93.7
14 May 1932 65 1,055,301 44 729,332 94.2
2 Mar. 1935 65 1,099,251 53 904,191 94.4
2 Oct. 1937 65 1,136,596 45 848,680 94.0
16 Mar. 1940 65 1,162,967 44 841,864 93.4
12 June 1943 65 1,261,630 51 1,015,750 87.0
10 Nov. 1945 65 1,276, 949 54 1,019,063 88.0
8 Nov. 1947 65 1,345,530 62 1,291,515 93.4
13 May 1950 65 1,362,851 62 1,294,159 94.4
6 Dec. 1952 65 1,402,705 52 1,119,488 93.6
28 May 1955 66 1,422,588 65 1,402,806 94.0
31 May 1958 66 1,478,065 66 1,478,065 94.2
15 July 1961 66 1,554,856 66 1,554,856 94.4
27 June 1964 66 1,635,311 66 1,635,311 94.4
29 Apr. 1967 73 1,723,981 73 1,723,981 94.3
30 May 1970 73 1,827,595 73 1,827,595 94.6
19 May 1973 73 2,088,984 73 2,088,984 93.5
20 Mar. 1976 81 2,267,282 81 2,267,282 92.7
5 May 1979 81 2,350,407 81 2,350,407 93.3
3 Apr. 1982 81 2,453,642 81 2,453,642 94.0
2 Mar. 1985 88 2, 641,477 88 2,641,477 93.2
1 Oct. 1988 88 2,739,614 88 2,739,614 92.3
3 Oct. 1992 88 2,855,471 88 2,855,471 95.1
30 Mar. 1996 88 3,000,076 88 3,000,076 94.1
18 Sep. 1999 88 3,130,338 88 3,130,338 93.2
30th Nov. 2002 88 3,228,206 88 3,228,206 93.2
25th Nov. 2006 88 3,353,845 88 3,353,845 91.5
27th Nov. 2010 88 3,582,232 88 3,328,866 92.9

Sources: Electoral returns, Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, 1856-1890, C. A Hughes and B. D. Graham, A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics 1890-1964, Australian National University Press, Canberra, 1968; C. A. Hughes, Australian Government and Politics, 1965-1974, Australian National University Press, Canberra, 1977; idem, A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics, 1975-1984, Australian National University Press, Sydney, 1986; D. Jaensch and C. A. Hughes, 'Politics', in W. Vamplew (ed.), Australians Historical Statistics, Fairfax, Syme and Weldon Associates, Broadway, 1987, 399: State Electoral Office, Victoria.

Last Updated: Friday, 17 December 2010 15:45