1958 Australian federal election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox election
|election_name = 1958 Australian federal election
|country = Australia
|type = parliamentary
|ongoing = no
|previous_election = 1955 Australian federal election
|previous_year = 1955
|next_election = 1961 Australian federal election
|next_year = 1961
| outgoing_members = Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1955–1958
| elected_members = Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1958–1961
| registered = 5,384,624 {{small|{{increase}} 4.10%}}
| turnout = 5,141,109 (95.48%)
({{increase}}0.48 pp)
|seats_for_election = All 124{{efn|The Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory each had one seat, but members for the territories did not have full voting rights until 1966 and did not count toward government formation.}} seats of the House of Representatives
62 seats were needed for a majority in the House
32 (of the 60) seats of the Senate
|election_date = 22 November 1958
|image1 = File:Portrait_Menzies_1950s.jpg
| image_size = 190x190px
|leader1 = Robert Menzies
|leader_since1 = 23 September 1943
|party1 = Liberal/Country coalition
|leaders_seat1 = Kooyong (Vic.)
|last_election1 = 75 seats
|seats1 = 77
|seat_change1 = {{increase}}2
|popular_vote1 = 2,298,512
|percentage1 = 46.55%
|swing1 = {{decrease}}1.12
|1data1 = 54.10%
|2data1 = {{decrease}}0.10
|image2 =Image:Herbert V. Evatt.jpg
|leader2 = H. V. Evatt
|leader_since2 = 13 June 1951
|party2 = Australian Labor Party
|leaders_seat2 = Hunter (NSW) (won seat)
|last_election2 = 47 seats
|seat_change2 = {{decrease}}2
|popular_vote2 = 2,137,890
|percentage2 = 42.81%
|swing2 = {{decrease}}1.84
|1data2 = 45.90%
|2data2 = {{increase}}0.10
|1blank = TPP
|2blank = TPP swing
| map_image = 1958 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
|before_election = Robert Menzies
|before_party = Liberal/Country coalition
| posttitle = Subsequent Prime Minister
|after_election = Robert Menzies
|after_party = Liberal/Country coalition
}}
The 1958 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 22 November 1958. All 122 seats in the House of Representatives and 32 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Liberal–Country coalition led by Prime Minister Robert Menzies defeated the opposition Labor Party, led by H. V. Evatt.
Issues
In spite of a major global downturn in early 1958, the Coalition was returned to power and there was an even swing against the Labor Party. This was due largely to support for the breakaway Democratic Labor Party. This was the first Australian election campaign to be fought using television as a medium for communicating with voters. Menzies was interviewed on television, while opposition figures H. V. Evatt and Arthur Calwell took part in debates with ministers Harold Holt and William McMahon. Somewhat surprisingly Menzies emerged as a confident and effective television performer.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} This may have contributed to the better than expected result for the government.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}
Results
=House of Representatives=
{{main|Results of the 1958 Australian federal election (House of Representatives)}}
| class="wikitable"
|+ House of Reps (IRV) — 1958–61—Turnout 95.48% (CV) — Informal 2.87%File:1958 Australian House.svg ! colspan=3 style="width:180px" | Party !style="width:70px"| Votes !style="width:40px"| % !style="width:40px"| Swing !style="width:40px"| Seats !style="width:40px"| Change |
| rowspan=3|
| colspan=2| Liberal–Country coalition | align=right| 2,298,512 | align=right| 46.55 | align=right| –1.12 | align=right| 77 | align=right| +2 |
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}} |
|Liberal{{Pad|100px}} |align=right|1,859,180 |align=right|37.23 |align=right|−2.53 |align=right|58 |align=right|+1 |
| {{Australian party style|Country}} |
|Country{{Pad|100px}} |align=right|465,320 |align=right|9.32 |align=right|+1.41 |align=right|19 |align=right|+1 |
| {{Australian party style|Labor}} |
|colspan=2|Labor |align=right|2,137,890 |align=right|42.81 |align=right|−1.84 |align=right|47{{efn|Including Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory}} |align=right|−2 |
| {{Australian party style|dlp}} |
|colspan=2| Democratic Labor |align=right|389,688 |align=right|7.80 |align=right|+2.63 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |
| {{Australian party style|QLP}} |
|colspan=2| Queensland Labor |align=right|80,035 |align=right|1.60 |align=right|+1.60 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |
| {{Australian party style|Communist}} |
|colspan=2| Communist |align=right|26,337 |align=right|0.53 |align=right|–0.63 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |
| {{Australian party style|Australian Nationalist}} |
|colspan=2| Nationalist |align=right|3,577 |align=right|0.07 |align=right|+0.07 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |
| {{Australian party style|Independent}} |
|colspan=2| Independent |align=right|31,466 |align=right|0.63 |align=right|–0.74 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |
|
|colspan=2| Total |align=right|4,993,493 |align=right| |align=right| |align=right|122 |align=right| |
| colspan=8 align=center| Two-party-preferred {{Nobold|(estimated)}} |
|---|
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}} |
|colspan=2|Liberal–Country coalition |align=center|Win |align=right|54.10 |align=right|−0.10 |align=right|77 |align=right|+2 |
| {{Australian party style|Labor}} |
|colspan=2|Labor |align=center| |align=right|45.90 |align=right|+0.10 |align=right|45 |align=right|−2 |
{{bar box
| title=Popular vote
| titlebar=#ddd
| width=600px
| barwidth=410px
| bars=
{{bar percent|Labor|{{party color|Australian Labor Party}}|42.81}}
{{bar percent|Liberal|{{party color|Liberal Party of Australia}}|37.23}}
{{bar percent|DLP/QLP|#008080|9.41}}
{{bar percent|Country|{{party color|National Party of Australia}}|9.32}}
{{bar percent|Other|#777777|1.23}}
}}
{{bar box
| title=Two-party-preferred vote
| titlebar=#ddd
| width=600px
| barwidth=410px
| bars=
{{bar percent|Coalition|{{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}|54.10}}
{{bar percent|Labor|{{party color|Australian Labor Party}}|45.90}}
}}
{{bar box
| title=Parliament seats
| titlebar=#ddd
| width=600px
| barwidth=410px
| bars=
{{bar percent|Coalition|{{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}|63.11}}
{{bar percent|Labor|{{party color|Australian Labor Party}}|36.89}}
}}
=Senate=
| class="wikitable"
|+ Senate (STV) — 1958–61—Turnout 95.48% (CV) — Informal 10.29%File:1958 Australian Senate.svg ! colspan=3 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 |
| rowspan=4|
| colspan=2| Liberal–Country coalition | align=right| 2,084,193 | align=right| 45.19 | align=right| –3.49 | align=right| 16 | align=right| 32 | align=right| +2 |
|
| Liberal–Country joint ticket | align=right| 1,077,586 | align=right| 23.36 | align=right| –16.02 | align=right| 9 | align=right| N/A | align=right| N/A |
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}} |
| Liberal | align=right| 953,856 | align=right| 20.68 | align=right| +12.02 | align=right| 6 | align=right| 25 | align=right| +1 |
| {{Australian party style|Country}} |
| Country | align=right| 52,751 | align=right| 1.14 | align=right| +0.51 | align=right| 1 | align=right| 7 | align=right| +1 |
| {{Australian party style|Labor}} |
|colspan=2| Labor |align=right|1,973,027 |align=right|42.78 |align=right|+2.17 |align=right|15 |align=right|26 |align=right|–2 |
| {{Australian party style|dlp}} |
|colspan=2| Democratic Labor |align=right|314,755 |align=right|6.82 |align=right|+0.72 |align=right|1 |align=right|2 |align=right|0 |
| {{Australian party style|Communist}} |
|colspan=2| Communist |align=right|134,263 |align=right|2.91 |align=right|−0.73 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |
| {{Australian party style|QLP}} |
|colspan=2| Queensland Labor |align=right|73,037 |align=right|1.66 |align=right|+1.66 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |
| {{Australian party style|opposition (wa)}} |
|colspan=2| Loyalist |align=right|4,459 |align=right|0.10 |align=right|+0.10 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |
| {{Australian party style|nationalist}} |
|colspan=2| True Democrat |align=right|4,337 |align=right|0.09 |align=right|+0.09 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |
| {{Australian party style|Republican}} |
|colspan=2| Republican |align=right|3,715 |align=right|0.08 |align=right|+0.08 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |
| {{Australian party style|Independent}} |
|colspan=2| Independents |align=right|20,273 |align=right|0.44 |align=right|–0.46 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |align=right|0 |
|
|colspan=2| Total |align=right|4,612,059 |align=right| |align=right| |align=right|32 |align=right|60 |align=right| |
;Notes
- The Democratic Labor Party was the renamed "Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist)" from the 1955 election.
Seats changing hands
| class="wikitable"
!rowspan="2"| Seat !colspan="4"| Pre-1958 !rowspan="2"| Swing !colspan="4"| Post-1958 |
| colspan="2"| Party
! Member ! Margin ! Margin ! Member !colspan="2"| Party |
|---|
| Braddon, Tas
|{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |Liberal |style="text-align:right;"|8.9 |style="text-align:right;"|9.3 |style="text-align:right;"|0.4 |Labor |{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |
| Griffith, Qld
|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |Labor |style="text-align:right;"|1.3 |style="text-align:right;"|1.4 |style="text-align:right;"|0.1 |Liberal |{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |
| Herbert, Qld
|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |Labor |style="text-align:right;"|6.6 |style="text-align:right;"|8.1 |style="text-align:right;"|1.5 |Liberal |{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |
| Indi, Vic
|{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |Liberal |style="text-align:right;"|N/A |style="text-align:right;"|28.6 |style="text-align:right;"|6.5 |Country |{{Australian party style|Nationals}}| |
| Kalgoorlie, WA
|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |Labor |style="text-align:right;"|N/A |style="text-align:right;"|11.4 |style="text-align:right;"|0.3 |Liberal |{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |
| Moore, WA
|{{Australian party style|Nationals}}| |Country |style="text-align:right;"|100.0 |style="text-align:right;"|52.9 |style="text-align:right;"|2.9 |Liberal |{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |
| St George, NSW
|{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |Liberal |style="text-align:right;"|2.4 |style="text-align:right;"|2.5 |style="text-align:right;"|0.1 |Labor |{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |
| Stirling, WA
|{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |Labor |style="text-align:right;"|2.8 |style="text-align:right;"|3.0 |style="text-align:right;"|0.2 |Liberal |{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |
| Wimmera, Vic
|{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |Liberal |style="text-align:right;"|N/A |style="text-align:right;"|22.7 |style="text-align:right;"|5.9 |Country |{{Australian party style|Nationals}}| |
- Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.
See also
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
- [http://elections.uwa.edu.au/ University of WA] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118085343/http://elections.uwa.edu.au/ |date=18 January 2015 }} election results in Australia since 1890
- [http://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/Australian_Electoral_History/House_of_Representative_1949_Present.htm AEC 2PP vote]
- [http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1958/1958senate.shtml Adam Carr's Election Archive - Senate 1958]
{{Australian elections}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Australian Federal Election, 1958}}
Category:Federal elections in Australia