1918 Queensland state election

{{Short description|none}}

{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1918 Queensland state election

| country = Queensland

| type = parliamentary

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1915 Queensland state election

| previous_year = 1915

| next_election = 1920 Queensland state election

| next_year = 1920

| seats_for_election = All 72 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland
37 Assembly seats were needed for a majority

| turnout = 80.27 ({{decrease}} 7.87 pp)

| election_date = {{Start date|df=yes|1918|03|16}}

| image1 = 170x170px

| leader1 = T. J. Ryan

| leader_since1 = {{start date|df=yes|1912|09|06}}

| party1 = Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)

| leaders_seat1 = Barcoo

| popular_vote1 = 180,709

| percentage1 = 53.68%

| swing1 = {{increase}} 1.62

| last_election1 = 45 seats, 52.06%

| seats1 = 48

| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 3

| image2 = 170x170px

| leader2 = Edward Macartney

| leader_since2 = {{start date|df=yes|1918|02|15}}

| party2 = National Party (Queensland, 1917)

| leaders_seat2 = Toowong

| popular_vote2 = 150,225

| percentage2 = 44.62%

| swing2 = {{increase}} 2.65

| last_election2 = New party

| seats2 = 22

| seat_change2 = {{increase}} 22

| title = Premier

| before_election = T. J. Ryan

| before_party = Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)

| after_election = T. J. Ryan

| after_party = Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)

}}

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.{{cite book|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/tolmie-james-8827|title=Australian Dictionary of Biography|first=M.|last=French|chapter=Tolmie, James (1862–1939) |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University|accessdate=28 June 2018|via=Australian Dictionary of Biography}}

Results

{{see also|Results of the Queensland state election, 1918}}

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.

{{Australian elections/Title row

| title = Queensland state election, 16 March 1918{{cite web|url=http://elections.uwa.edu.au/elecdetail.lasso?keyvalue=777|title=UWA 1918 election study}}

| house = Legislative Assembly

| series = Queensland state election

| back = 1915

| forward = 1920

| enrolled = 424,416

| total_votes = 336,647

| turnout % = 80.27

| turnout chg = -7.87

| informal = N/A

| informal % = 1.18

| informal chg = -0.39

}}

{{Australian elections/Party summary|

|government = yes

|party_id = Labor QLD |party=Labor

|votes = 180,709

|votes % = 53.68

|votes chg = +1.62

|seats = 48

|seats chg = +3

}}

{{Australian elections/Party summary|

|party_id = National QLD 1917

|party=National

|votes = 150,225

|votes % = 44.62

|votes chg = +2.65

|seats = 22

|seats chg = +1

}}

{{Australian elections/Party summary|

|party_id = Independent

|votes = 3,311

|votes % = 0.98

|votes chg = +0.06

|seats = 2

|seats chg = +1

}}

{{Australian elections/Total row |

|total_votes = 336,647

|total_seats = 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.

class="wikitable"

|colspan=7 |

SeatIncumbent membercolspan=2|Former partycolspan=2|New party
Albert

|John Appel

|{{Australian party style|National}}| 

|Farmers' Union

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National Party

Aubigny

|Arthur Moore

|{{Australian party style|National}}| 

|Farmers' Union

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National Party

Cunningham

|Francis Grayson

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

|Liberal Party

|{{Australian party style|Independent}}| 

|Independent National

Drayton

|William Bebbington

|{{Australian party style|National}}| 

|Farmers' Union

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National Party

Murilla

|Godfrey Morgan

|{{Australian party style|National}}| 

|Farmers' Union

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National Party

Nanango

|Robert Hodge

|{{Australian party style|National}}| 

|Farmers' Union

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National Party

Pittsworth

|Percy Bayley

|{{Australian party style|National}}| 

|Farmers' Union

|{{Australian party style|Independent}}| 

|Independent National

= Seats changing hands at election=

class="wikitable"

|colspan=7 |

SeatIncumbent membercolspan=2|PartyNew membercolspan=2|Party
Bulimba

|Hugh McMinn

|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

|Labor

|Walter Barnes

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National

Burke

|William Murphy

|{{Australian party style|Independent}}| 

|Independent

|Darby Riordan

|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

|Labor

Burrum

|Colin Rankin

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National

|Albert Whitford

|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

|Labor

Kurilpa

|William Hartley

|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

|Labor

|James Fry

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National

Lockyer

|William Armstrong

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National

|Cuthbert Butler

|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

|Labor

Logan

|James Stodart

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National

|Alfred James

|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

|Labor

Oxley

|Thomas Jones

|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

|Labor

|Cecil Elphinstone

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National

Rosewood

|Henry Stevens

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National

|William Cooper

|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

|Labor

Toowoomba

|James Tolmie

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National

|Frank Brennan

|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

|Labor

Wide Bay

|Charles Booker

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|National

|Andrew Thompson

|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

|Labor

Windsor

|Herbert McPhail

|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

|Labor

|Charles Taylor

|{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| 

|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