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