1914 Australian federal election

{{Short description|Election for the 6th Parliament of Australia}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1914 Australian federal election

| country = Australia

| type = parliamentary

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1913 Australian federal election

| previous_year = 1913

| next_election = 1917 Australian federal election

| next_year = 1917

| outgoing_members = Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1913–1914

| elected_members = Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1914–1917

| registered = 2,811,515 {{small|{{increase}}1.86%}}

| turnout = 1,726,906 (73.53%){{efn|Turnout in contested seats}}
({{increase}}0.04 pp)

| seats_for_election = All 75 seats in the House of Representatives
38 seats were needed for a majority in the House
All 36 seats in the Senate

| election_date = {{Start date|df=yes|1914|09|05}}

| image1 = Image:Andrew Fisher 1912 (b&w).jpg

| image_size = 190x190px

| leader1 = Andrew Fisher

| leader_since1 = 30 October 1907

| party1 = Australian Labor Party

| leaders_seat1 = Wide Bay (Qld)

| popular_vote1 = 858,451

| percentage1 = 50.89%

| swing1 = {{increase}}2.42%

| last_election1 = 37 seats

| seats_needed1 = 1

| seats1 = 42 seats

| seat_change1 = {{increase}}5

| image2 = Image:Joseph Cook - Crown Studios 03.jpg

| leader2 = Joseph Cook

| leader_since2 = 20 January 1913

| party2 = Liberal

| colour2 = 8CB4D2

| leaders_seat2 = Parramatta (NSW)

| popular_vote2 = 796,397

| percentage2 = 47.21%

| swing2 = {{decrease}}1.73%

| last_election2 = 38 seats

| seats_needed2 = 0

| seats2 = 32 seats

| seat_change2 = {{decrease}}6

| map_image = 1914 Australian federal election.svg

| map_size = 350px

| map_caption = Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.

| title = Prime Minister

| posttitle = Subsequent Prime Minister

| before_election = Joseph Cook

| before_party = Commonwealth Liberal Party

| after_election = Andrew Fisher

| after_party = Australian Labor Party

}}

The 1914 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 5 September 1914. The election had been called before the declaration of war in August 1914. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives and all 36 seats in the Senate were up for election, as a result of the first double dissolution being granted. The incumbent Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Joseph Cook, was defeated by the opposition Labor Party under Andrew Fisher, who returned for a third term as prime minister.

The Cook government is one of only two non-Labor governments in Australian history that did not last longer than the Labor government it had replaced; the other was the Howard government, which was defeated in 2007.

Additionally this marks the only time that three consecutive elections resulted in a change in government. In fact, since this election there have never been two consecutive elections resulting in a change in government. It also marks the third overall time that an election resulted in a change in government.

Fisher is one of only two Opposition Leaders from the Labor party to become prime minister with previous federal ministerial experience, the other being Anthony Albanese. This election was the second time he accomplished this, the first being in 1910. {{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

This election resulted in the highest ever primary vote percentage for the Labor party at 50.89% and was the first time that the Labor party achieved more than 50% of the primary vote. The only other time this happened was in 1954.

Results

=House of Representatives=

{{see also|Results of the 1914 Australian federal election (House of Representatives)}}

File:Australian House of Representatives, 1914.svg

class="wikitable"

|+House of Reps 1914–17 (FPTP) — Turnout 73.53% (Non-CV) — Informal 2.32%File:Australia House of Representatives 1914.svg

! colspan=2 style="width:180px" | Party

! style="width:70px"| Votes

! style="width:40px"| %

! style="width:40px"| Swing

! style="width:40px"| Seats

! style="width:40px"| Change

{{Australian party style|Labor}}|

|Labor

| style="text-align:right"| 858,451

| style="text-align:right"| 50.89

| style="text-align:right"| +2.42

| style="text-align:right"| 42

| style="text-align:right"| +5

{{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}} |

|Liberal

| style="text-align:right"| 796,397

| style="text-align:right"| 47.21

| style="text-align:right"| −1.73

| style="text-align:right"| 32

| style="text-align:right"| -6

{{Australian party style|Independent}} |

|Independents

| style="text-align:right"| 31,915

| style="text-align:right"| 1.89

| style="text-align:right"| −0.70

| style="text-align:right"| 1

| style="text-align:right"| +1

|Total

| style="text-align:right"| 1,686,763

| style="text-align:right"|

| style="text-align:right"| 75

| style="text-align:right"|

{{Australian party style|Labor}}|

|Labor

| style="text-align:center"|Win

| style="text-align:right"|

| style="text-align:right"| 42

| style="text-align:right"| +5

{{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}} |

|Liberal

| style="text-align:center"|

| style="text-align:right"|

| style="text-align:right"| 32

| style="text-align:right"| −6

----

Notes

Independents: George Wise (Gippsland, Vic)
Thirteen members were elected unopposed – seven Labor and six Liberal.

{{bar box

| title=Popular vote

| titlebar=#ddd

| width=650px

| barwidth=410px

| bars=

{{bar percent|Labor|{{party color|Australian Labor Party}}|50.89}}

{{bar percent|Independent|{{party color|Independent (politician)}}|1.89}}

}}

{{bar box

| title=Parliament seats

| titlebar=#ddd

| width=650px

| barwidth=410px

| bars=

{{bar percent|Labor|{{party color|Australian Labor Party}}|56.00}}

{{bar percent|Independent|{{party color|Independent (politician)}}|1.33}}

}}

=Senate=

class="wikitable"

|+Senate 1914–17 (FPTP BV) — Turnout 72.64% (Non-CV) — Informal N/AFile:Australia Senate 1914.svg

! colspan=2 style="width:180px" | Party

! style="width:70px"| Votes

! style="width:40px"| %

! style="width:40px"| Swing

! style="width:40px"| Seats won

! style="width:40px"| Seats held

! style="width:40px"| Change

{{Australian party style|Labor}} |

| Labor

| align=right| 6,119,018

| align=right| 52.15

| align=right| +3.43

| align=right| 31

| align=right| +2

{{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}} |

| Liberal

| align=right| 5,605,305

| align=right| 47.77

| align=right| −1.61

| align=right| 5

| align=right| −2

{{Australian party style|Independent}} |

| Independents

| align=right| 9,799

| align=right| 0.08

| align=right| –0.78

| align=right| 0

| Total

| align=right| 11,734,122

| align=right|

| align=right| 36

| align=right|

Seats changing hands

class="wikitable" ! rowspan="2"\| Seat ! colspan="4"\| Pre-1914 ! rowspan="2"\| Swing ! colspan="4"\| Post-1914
colspan="2"\| Party ! Member ! Margin ! Margin ! Member ! colspan="2"\| Party
Corio, Vic \| {{Australian party style\|Commonwealth Liberal}}\| \| Liberal \| William Kendell \| style="text-align:right;"\| 1.4 \| style="text-align:right;"\| 3.0 \| style="text-align:right;"\| 1.2 \| Alfred Ozanne \| Labor \| {{Australian party style\|Labor}}\|
Gippsland, Vic \| {{Australian party style\|Commonwealth Liberal}}\| \| Liberal \| James Bennett \| style="text-align:right;"\| 5.0 \| style="text-align:right;"\| 6.0 \| style="text-align:right;"\| 1.0 \| George Wise \| Independent \| {{Australian party style\|Independent}}\|
Grampians, Vic \| {{Australian party style\|Commonwealth Liberal}}\| \| Liberal \| Hans Irvine \| style="text-align:right;"\| 3.9 \| style="text-align:right;"\| 4.2 \| style="text-align:right;"\| 0.3 \| Edward Jolley \| Labor \| {{Australian party style\|Labor}}\|
Indi, Vic \| {{Australian party style\|Commonwealth Liberal}}\| \| Liberal \| Cornelius Ahern \| style="text-align:right;"\| 1.8 \| style="text-align:right;"\| 3.0 \| style="text-align:right;"\| 1.0 \| Parker Moloney \| Labor \| {{Australian party style\|Labor}}\|
Riverina, NSW \| {{Australian party style\|Commonwealth Liberal}}\| \| Liberal \| Franc Falkiner \| style="text-align:right;"\| 1.0 \| style="text-align:right;"\| 3.1 \| style="text-align:right;"\| 2.1 \| John Chanter \| Labor \| {{Australian party style\|Labor}}\|
Werriwa, NSW \| {{Australian party style\|Commonwealth Liberal}}\| \| Liberal \| Alfred Conroy \| style="text-align:right;"\| 5.9 \| style="text-align:right;"\| 5.9 \| style="text-align:right;"\| 0.0 \| John Lynch \| Labor \| {{Australian party style\|Labor}}\|

class="wikitable"

! rowspan="2"| Seat

! colspan="4"| Pre-1914

! rowspan="2"| Swing

! colspan="4"| Post-1914

colspan="2"| Party

! Member

! Margin

! Member

! colspan="2"| Party

Corio, Vic

| {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}|

| Liberal

| William Kendell

| style="text-align:right;"| 1.4

| style="text-align:right;"| 3.0

| style="text-align:right;"| 1.2

| Alfred Ozanne

| Labor

| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|

Gippsland, Vic

| {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}|

| Liberal

| James Bennett

| style="text-align:right;"| 5.0

| style="text-align:right;"| 6.0

| style="text-align:right;"| 1.0

| George Wise

| Independent

| {{Australian party style|Independent}}|

Grampians, Vic

| {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}|

| Liberal

| Hans Irvine

| style="text-align:right;"| 3.9

| style="text-align:right;"| 4.2

| style="text-align:right;"| 0.3

| Edward Jolley

| Labor

| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|

Indi, Vic

| {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}|

| Liberal

| Cornelius Ahern

| style="text-align:right;"| 1.8

| style="text-align:right;"| 3.0

| style="text-align:right;"| 1.0

| Parker Moloney

| Labor

| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|

Riverina, NSW

| {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}|

| Liberal

| Franc Falkiner

| style="text-align:right;"| 1.0

| style="text-align:right;"| 3.1

| style="text-align:right;"| 2.1

| John Chanter

| Labor

| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|

Werriwa, NSW

| {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}|

| Liberal

| Alfred Conroy

| style="text-align:right;"| 5.9

| style="text-align:right;"| 0.0

| John Lynch

| Labor

| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|

Post-election pendulum

class="toccolours" align="left" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin-right: .5em; margin-top: .4em;font-size: 90%;"

COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="red" |Government seats

style="background-color:white" colspan=4 align="center" |Australian Labor Party

COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="red" |Marginal

align="left" bgcolor="FFDDDD" |Werriwa (NSW)

| align="left" bgcolor="FFDDDD" |John Lynch