Elections were held in the colony of Queensland between 27 April 1860 to 11 May 1860 to elect all 26 members of the colony's Legislative Assembly. It was conducted in nine single-member constituencies, four two-member constituencies, and three three-member constituencies, all with a first past the post system.[3] Suffrage was limited to men who owned property. The electorates were also malapportioned to favour pastoral districts.[3] This was the first election after the separation of Queensland in December 1859.
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All 26 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland 14 Assembly seats were needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||
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 Results of the election, showing winners in each seat. Seats without member charts indicate the electorate returned one member. | |||||||||||||||||||
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There was no recognisable party structure at this election; instead the government was determined by a loose, shifting factional system. Members of the ministry generally identified as "Squatter Conservatives," and the opposition was liberal in nature, and loosely led by the Liberal Association. Premier Robert Herbert was conservative and consistently supported by a majority of the Legislative Assembly, many of whom were graziers.[3]
Key dates
editDue to problems of distance and communications, it was not possible to hold the elections on a single day.[4]
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 27 April to 9 May 1860 | Nominations for candidates for the election closed. |
| 27 April to 11 May 1860 | Polling days. |
| 29 May 1860 | Opening of new Parliament. |
Results
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Queensland colonial election, 27 April – 11 May 1860 [3] | ||||||
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| Enrolled voters | 4,790 | |||||
| Votes cast | 4,935 | Turnout | ||||
| Informal votes | 0 | Informal | 0.00 | |||
| Summary of votes by party | ||||||
| Party | Primary votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | |
| Total | 4,935 | 24 | ||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "QUEENSLAND LIBERAL ASSOCIATION". The Moreton Bay Courier. Vol. XIV, no. 870. Queensland, Australia. 24 May 1860. p. 2. Retrieved 29 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b "SKETCHES IN THE HOUSE". The Moreton Bay Courier. Vol. XIV, no. 874. Queensland, Australia. 2 June 1860. p. 2. Retrieved 29 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b c d Carr, Adam. "Queensland: Legislative Assembly". Psephos.
- ^ "Queensland General Election Dates 1860-1929" (PDF). Queensland Parliament. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.