1951 Australian Labor Party leadership election
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox election
|election_name = 1951 Australian Labor Party
Leadership election
|country = Australia
|type = presidential
|vote_type = Caucus
|ongoing = no
|previous_election = 1945 Australian Labor Party leadership election
|previous_year = 1945
|next_election = 1954 Australian Labor Party leadership spill
|next_year = 1954
|election_date = 20 June 1951
|image1 = 200x200px
|candidate1 = H. V. Evatt
|colour1 = DC241F
|popular_vote1 = Unopposed
|percentage1 =
|image2 =
|candidate2 =
|colour2 =
|popular_vote2 =
|percentage2 =
|title = Leader
|before_election = Ben Chifley
|after_election = H. V. Evatt
}}
A leadership election in the Australian Labor Party, then the opposition party in the Parliament of Australia, was held on 20 June 1951. It saw the election of Leader H. V. Evatt as leader following the death of sitting leader Ben Chifley.
As deputy leader, Evatt became acting leader of the party upon Chifley's death on 13 June. Prior to the meeting, there was speculation that Arthur Calwell would also contest the leadership, however by 19 June he had decided not to run.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18226080|title=Supporters of Evatt Confident|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=20 June 1951}} As a result, Evatt was elected unopposed. In the ballot for the deputy leadership, Calwell defeated Percy Clarey by nine votes on the third ballot, following the elimination of Eddie Ward and Allan Fraser:{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18213376|title=Labour's new head: Evatt unopposed|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|date=21 June 1951}}
class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" | Candidate ! Constituency ! 1st ballot ! 2nd ballot ! 3rd ballot |
style="background:#DC241F"|
| Melbourne (VIC) | 38 | 36 | 45 |
style="background:#DC241F"|
| Bendigo (VIC) | 18 | 27 | 36 |
style="background:#DC241F"|
| East Sydney (NSW) | 16 | 18 | {{N/A|Eliminated}} |
style="background:#DC241F"|
| Eden-Monaro (NSW) | 9 | {{N/A|Eliminated}} | {{N/A|Eliminated}} |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Australian Labor Party}}
{{Leadership spills in Australia}}