Results of the 1959 Western Australian state election (Legislative Assembly)

Western Australian state election, 21 March 1959 Legislative Assembly << 1956–1962 >>
Enrolled voters		292,596^[1]
Votes cast		269,322		Turnout	92.05%	–0.13%
Informal votes		6,937		Informal	2.58%	–0.26%
Summary of votes by party
Party		Primary votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Labor	117,861	44.92%	–4.78%	23	– 6
	Liberal and Country	98,335	37.48%	+4.34%	17	+ 6
	Country	17,179	6.55%	+1.31%	8	± 0
	Democratic Labor	13,436	5.12%	+5.12%	0	± 0
	Ind. Lib.	10,008	3.81%	–2.92%	2	± 0
	Communist	2,216	0.84%	+0.35%	0	± 0
	Independent	3,350	1.28%	–3.42%	0	± 0
Total		262,385			50

This is a list of electoral district results of the 1959 Western Australian election.

Results by Electoral district

Albany

1959 Western Australian state election: Albany^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Jack Hall	3,041	53.8	+8.2
	Liberal and Country	Roy Wellington	1,199	21.2	+21.2
	Country	Vincent Liddelow	1,007	17.8	−16.9
	Independent	Charles Johnson	345	6.1	+6.1
	Independent	Ernest Rogers	63	1.1	+1.1
Total formal votes			5,655	98.3	−0.3
Informal votes			98	1.7	+0.3
Turnout			5,753	95.1	+1.5
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Jack Hall		59.2	+9.0
	Liberal and Country	Roy Wellington		40.8	+40.8
	Labor hold		Swing	+9.0

Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Avon Valley

1959 Western Australian state election: Avon Valley
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	James Mann	2,712	60.6	−1.5
	Country	John Stratton	1,761	39.4	+1.5
Total formal votes			4,473	97.7	+1.1
Informal votes			106	2.3	−1.1
Turnout			4,579	93.3	+1.7
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing	−1.5

Beeloo

1959 Western Australian state election: Beeloo
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Colin Jamieson	6,067	52.3	−14.5
	Liberal and Country	Gordon Clark	4,798	41.4	+8.2
	Democratic Labor	Patrick Riordan	735	6.3	+6.3
Total formal votes			11,600	97.3	+0.5
Informal votes			326	2.7	−0.5
Turnout			11,926	92.4	−0.6
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Colin Jamieson		53.3	−13.5
	Liberal and Country	Gordon Clark		46.7	+13.5
	Labor hold		Swing	−13.5

Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Blackwood

1959 Western Australian state election: Blackwood
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	John Hearman	2,239	50.8	−49.2
	Country	Duncan Muir	2,168	49.2	+49.2
Total formal votes			4,407	97.6
Informal votes			110	2.4
Turnout			4,517	92.7
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing	N/A

Boulder

1959 Western Australian state election: Boulder
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Arthur Moir	unopposed
	Labor hold		Swing

Bunbury

1959 Western Australian state election: Bunbury
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	George Roberts	3,337	54.0	+3.1
	Labor	Forrest Hay	2,847	46.0	−3.1
Total formal votes			6,184	99.0	−0.1
Informal votes			64	1.0	+0.1
Turnout			6,248	95.7	−1.4
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing	+3.1

Canning

1959 Western Australian state election: Canning
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Des O'Neil	6,514	51.0	+2.1
	Labor	Bill Gaffy	5,161	40.4	−10.7
	Democratic Labor	Michael O'Brien	1,087	8.5	+8.5
Total formal votes			12,762	98.6	+0.2
Informal votes			178	1.4	−0.2
Turnout			12,940	93.4	−0.4
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Des O'Neil		58.2	+9.3
	Labor	Bill Gaffy		41.8	−9.3
	Liberal and Country gain from Labor		Swing	+9.3

Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Claremont

1959 Western Australian state election: Claremont
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Harold Crommelin	unopposed
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Collie

1959 Western Australian state election: Collie
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Harry May	3,290	71.1	−3.4
	Independent	Norman Coote	1,335	28.9	+28.9
Total formal votes			4,625	98.8	+0.5
Informal votes			56	1.2	−0.5
Turnout			4,681	95.0	+0.7
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

Cottesloe

1959 Western Australian state election: Cottesloe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Ross Hutchinson	5,058	59.9	−8.1
	Labor	Edmund Edwards	3,379	40.1	+40.1
Total formal votes			8,437	98.8	+1.8
Informal votes			99	1.2	−1.8
Turnout			8,536	92.2	+0.2
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing	N/A

Dale

1959 Western Australian state election: Dale
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Gerald Wild	2,626	45.4	−11.3
	Country	Arthur Mills	1,450	25.1	+25.1
	Independent Labor	William Williams	1,054	18.2	+18.2
	Country	Andrew McPhail	653	11.3	+11.3
Total formal votes			5,783	96.8	−0.4
Informal votes			188	3.2	+0.4
Turnout			5,971	93.6	+1.0
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Gerald Wild	3,065	53.0	−3.7
	Country	Arthur Mills	2,718	47.0	+47.0
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing	N/A

Darling Range

1959 Western Australian state election: Darling Range
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Ray Owen	1,799	38.8	−61.2
	Liberal and Country	John Kostera	1,389	30.0	+30.0
	Labor	Henry Harris	1,211	26.1	+26.1
	Democratic Labor	Michael Coyne	236	5.1	+5.1
Total formal votes			4,635	98.0
Informal votes			94	2.0
Turnout			4,729	91.5
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Country	Ray Owen	2,803	60.5	−39.5
	Liberal and Country	John Kostera	1,832	39.5	+39.5
	Country hold		Swing	N/A

East Perth

1959 Western Australian state election: East Perth
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Herb Graham	3,557	49.6	−16.2
	Liberal and Country	John Martin	2,835	39.6	+5.4
	Democratic Labor	John Deane	773	10.8	+10.8
Total formal votes			7,165	97.8	0.0
Informal votes			163	2.2	0.0
Turnout			7,328	89.2	−0.2
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Herb Graham	3,818	53.3	−12.5
	Liberal and Country	John Martin	3,347	46.7	+12.5
	Labor hold		Swing	−12.5

Eyre

1959 Western Australian state election: Eyre
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Emil Nulsen	2,685	68.9	−31.1
	Liberal and Country	Orlando Stuart	1,214	31.1	+31.1
Total formal votes			3,899	99.2
Informal votes			31	0.8
Turnout			3,930	87.0
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

Fremantle

1959 Western Australian state election: Fremantle
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Harry Fletcher	5,389	69.7	−21.5
	Democratic Labor	Henry Miller	1,981	25.6	+25.6
	Communist	Paddy Troy	367	4.7	−4.1
Total formal votes			7,737	95.6	−0.3
Informal votes			356	4.4	+0.3
Turnout			8,093	89.6	+0.1
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

Preferences were not distributed.

Gascoyne

1959 Western Australian state election: Gascoyne
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Daniel Norton	1,080	70.8	+1.1
	Liberal and Country	Thomas Orr	446	29.2	−1.1
Total formal votes			1,526	98.8	+1.0
Informal votes			19	1.2	−1.0
Turnout			1,545	87.1	+2.7
	Labor hold		Swing	+1.1

Geraldton

1959 Western Australian state election: Geraldton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Bill Sewell	3,257	59.9	0.0
	Liberal and Country	Gerald Throssell	1,778	32.7	+12.8
	Democratic Labor	Septimus Waldon	399	7.3	+7.3
Total formal votes			5,434	99.1	+0.5
Informal votes			50	0.9	−0.5
Turnout			5,484	91.3	−0.4
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Bill Sewell		61.0	−1.2
	Liberal and Country	Gerald Throssell		39.0	+1.2
	Labor hold		Swing	−1.2

Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Greenough

1959 Western Australian state election: Greenough
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	David Brand	unopposed
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Guildford-Midland

1959 Western Australian state election: Guildford-Midland
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Brady	7,689	94.0	0.0
	Communist	John Gandini	493	6.0	0.0
Total formal votes			8,182	90.8	−4.5
Informal votes			824	9.2	+4.5
Turnout			9,006	92.6	+0.5
	Labor hold		Swing	0.0

Harvey

1959 Western Australian state election: Harvey
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Iven Manning	unopposed
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Kalgoorlie

1959 Western Australian state election: Kalgoorlie
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Tom Evans	3,038	70.2	−0.3
	Liberal and Country	Percy Millington	817	18.9	−10.6
	Independent	Harold Illingworth	476	11.0	+11.0
Total formal votes			4,331	98.8	+0.6
Informal votes			52	1.2	−0.6
Turnout			4,383	92.5	−0.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Tom Evans		75.6	+5.1
	Liberal and Country	Percy Millington		24.4	−5.1
	Labor hold		Swing	+5.1

Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Katanning

1959 Western Australian state election: Katanning
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Crawford Nalder	unopposed
	Country hold		Swing

Kimberley

1959 Western Australian state election: Kimberley
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Rhatigan	650	64.0	−36.0
	Liberal and Country	Nolan McDaniel	366	36.0	+36.0
Total formal votes			1,016	97.6
Informal votes			25	2.4
Turnout			1,041	75.2
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

Leederville

1959 Western Australian state election: Leederville
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Guy Henn	3,991	46.5	−2.7
	Labor	Ted Johnson	3,497	40.8	−10.0
	Democratic Labor	John Antill	1,089	12.7	+12.7
Total formal votes			8,577	98.2	−0.1
Informal votes			158	1.8	+0.1
Turnout			8,735	94.3	+0.5
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Guy Henn	4,951	57.7	+8.5
	Labor	Ted Johnson	3,626	42.3	−8.5
	Liberal and Country gain from Labor		Swing	+8.5

Maylands

1959 Western Australian state election: Maylands
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Merv Toms	5,299	58.2	+1.8
	Liberal and Country	Walter Bonnett	3,802	41.8	+18.6
Total formal votes			9,296	97.9	+0.2
Informal votes			195	2.1	−0.2
Turnout			9,296	93.5	+0.1
	Labor hold		Swing	−0.3

Melville

1959 Western Australian state election: Melville
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Tonkin	unopposed
	Labor hold		Swing

Merredin-Yilgarn

1959 Western Australian state election: Merredin-Yilgarn
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Lionel Kelly	3,388	72.3	+14.9
	Liberal and Country	Ronald Lee	1,299	27.7	+9.6
Total formal votes			4,687	97.4	−1.0
Informal votes			123	2.6	+1.0
Turnout			4,810	91.0	−2.0
	Labor hold		Swing	+13.1

Middle Swan

1959 Western Australian state election: Middle Swan
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	James Hegney	5,364	55.4	−44.6
	Liberal and Country	Francis Wilson	3,699	38.2	+38.2
	Democratic Labor	Brian Peachey	623	6.4	+6.4
Total formal votes			9,686	97.9
Informal votes			205	2.1
Turnout			9,891	91.9
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	James Hegney		56.3	−43.7
	Liberal and Country	Francis Wilson		43.7	+43.7
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Moore

1959 Western Australian state election: Moore
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Edgar Lewis	unopposed
	Country hold		Swing

Mount Hawthorn

1959 Western Australian state election: Mount Hawthorn
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Bill Hegney	6,406	56.3	−6.7
	Liberal and Country	Hugh O'Doherty	4,795	42.1	+8.8
	Communist	Edward Zeffertt	183	1.6	−2.1
Total formal votes			11,384	96.6	+0.5
Informal votes			398	3.4	−0.5
Turnout			11,782	93.4	+0.6
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Bill Hegney		57.7	−8.6
	Liberal and Country	Hugh O'Doherty		42.3	+8.6
	Labor hold		Swing	−8.6

Mount Lawley

1959 Western Australian state election: Mount Lawley
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Edward Oldfield	4,963	44.8	−23.0
	Liberal and Country	Alexander Barras	4,705	42.5	+10.3
	Democratic Labor	Ernest Parker	1,412	12.7	+12.7
Total formal votes			11,080	97.2	+2.2
Informal votes			321	2.8	−2.2
Turnout			11,401	93.6	−0.3
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Independent	Edward Oldfield	5,547	50.1	−17.7
	Liberal and Country	Alexander Barras	5,533	49.9	+17.7
	Independent hold		Swing	−17.7

Mount Marshall

1959 Western Australian state election: Mount Marshall
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	George Cornell	unopposed
	Country hold		Swing

Murchison

1959 Western Australian state election: Murchison
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Everard O'Brien	1,638	47.0	−12.1
	Liberal and Country	Richard Burt	1,555	44.6	+3.7
	Democratic Labor	George Jensen	295	8.5	+8.5
Total formal votes			3,488	98.7	+1.5
Informal votes			47	1.3	−1.5
Turnout			3,535	87.8	+2.7
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Richard Burt	1,778	51.0	+10.1
	Labor	Everard O'Brien	1,710	49.0	−10.1
	Liberal and Country gain from Labor		Swing	+10.1

Murray

1959 Western Australian state election: Murray
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Ross McLarty	unopposed
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Narrogin

1959 Western Australian state election: Narrogin
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	William Manning	3,750	72.3	+50.9
	Labor	Percy Munday	1,434	27.7	−1.1
Total formal votes			5,184	98.8	+0.7
Informal votes			61	1.2	−0.7
Turnout			5,245	93.2	+0.1
	Country hold		Swing	+6.8

Nedlands

1959 Western Australian state election: Nedlands
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Charles Court	unopposed
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

North Perth

1959 Western Australian state election: North Perth
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Ray O'Connor	3,490	46.3	+0.6
	Labor	Stan Lapham	3,321	44.1	−10.2
	Democratic Labor	William Sawyer	725	9.6	+9.6
Total formal votes			7,536	97.6	+0.2
Informal votes			188	2.4	−0.2
Turnout			7,724	91.9	−0.2
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Ray O'Connor	4,060	53.9	+8.2
	Labor	Stan Lapham	3,476	46.1	−8.2
	Liberal and Country gain from Labor		Swing	+8.2

Northam

1959 Western Australian state election: Northam
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Albert Hawke	2,911	57.6	−18.8
	Liberal and Country	Lawrence Solomon	1,860	36.8	+36.8
	Democratic Labor	Brian McGinty	285	5.6	+5.6
Total formal votes			5,056	99.2	+1.3
Informal votes			43	0.8	−1.3
Turnout			5,099	94.3	+2.8
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Albert Hawke		58.4	−18.0
	Liberal and Country	Lawrence Solomon		41.6	+41.6
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Pilbara

1959 Western Australian state election: Pilbara
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Arthur Bickerton	656	62.0	−4.9
	Liberal and Country	Neil Radley	402	38.0	+4.9
Total formal votes			1,058	97.4	−1.3
Informal votes			28	2.6	+1.3
Turnout			1,086	76.1	−5.2
	Labor hold		Swing	−4.9

Roe

1959 Western Australian state election: Roe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Charles Perkins	2,669	58.1	−41.9
	Independent Country	Edward Biglin	1,922	41.9	+41.9
Total formal votes			4,591	98.4
Informal votes			74	1.6
Turnout			4,665	91.7
	Country hold		Swing	N/A

South Fremantle

1959 Western Australian state election: South Fremantle
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Dick Lawrence	8,186	87.5	+11.2
	Communist	George Kendrick	1,173	12.5	+12.5
Total formal votes			9,359	90.6	−5.6
Informal votes			973	9.4	+5.6
Turnout			10,332	89.8	−0.6
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

South Perth

1959 Western Australian state election: South Perth
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent Liberal	Bill Grayden	5,045	54.5	+27.9
	Liberal and Country	George Strickland	4,208	45.5	+18.4
Total formal votes			9,253	97.2	−0.8
Informal votes			266	2.8	+0.8
Turnout			9,519	93.4	0.0
	Independent Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

Stirling

1959 Western Australian state election: Stirling
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Arthur Watts	unopposed
	Country hold		Swing

Subiaco

1959 Western Australian state election: Subiaco
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Hugh Guthrie	3,943	46.7	+18.3
	Labor	Percival Potter	3,891	46.1	−1.2
	Democratic Labor	Ronald Bulbeck	604	7.2	+7.2
Total formal votes			8,438	98.1	+0.8
Informal votes			165	1.9	−0.8
Turnout			8,603	92.5	+0.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Hugh Guthrie	4,442	52.6	+4.3
	Labor	Percival Potter	3,996	47.4	−4.3
	Liberal and Country gain from Labor		Swing	+4.3

Toodyay

1959 Western Australian state election: Toodyay
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Rolinson	1,541	34.2	−15.1
	Country	James Craig	1,433	31.8	−18.9
	Country	Joseph Farrell	1,422	31.6	+31.6
	Independent Labor	John Acott	106	2.4	+2.4
Total formal votes			4,502	97.7	0.0
Informal votes			108	2.3	0.0
Turnout			4,610	91.9	+3.0
Two-party-preferred result
	Country	James Craig	2,773	61.6	+10.9
	Labor	John Rolinson	1,729	38.4	−10.9
	Country hold		Swing	+10.9

Vasse

1959 Western Australian state election: Vasse
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	William Bovell	3,984	78.1	−21.9
	Democratic Labor	George Shervington	1,119	21.9	+21.9
Total formal votes			5,103	97.4
Informal votes			134	2.6
Turnout			5,237	94.2
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing	N/A

Victoria Park

1959 Western Australian state election: Victoria Park
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Hugh Andrew	4,878	51.3	−10.9
	Liberal and Country	David Hooper	3,188	33.5	−4.3
	Independent	Harold Hawthorne	789	8.3	+8.3
	Democratic Labor	William Carter	663	7.0	+7.0
Total formal votes			9,518	97.9	+0.1
Informal votes			199	2.1	−0.1
Turnout			9,717	92.7	−0.1
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Hugh Andrew		56.4	−5.8
	Liberal and Country	David Hooper		43.6	+5.8
	Labor hold		Swing	−5.8

Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Warren

1959 Western Australian state election: Warren
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joseph Rowberry	2,684	53.4	−46.6
	Liberal and Country	Walter Muir	2,025	40.3	+40.3
	Democratic Labor	Paul Brennan	319	6.4	+6.4
Total formal votes			5,028	98.9
Informal votes			55	1.1
Turnout			5,083	96.6
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Joseph Rowberry		54.3	−45.7
	Liberal and Country	Walter Muir		45.7	+45.7
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Wembley Beaches

1959 Western Australian state election: Wembley Beaches
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Les Nimmo	7,884	52.0	+14.5
	Labor	Frederick Marshall	5,951	39.3	−10.2
	Democratic Labor	William Coyne	1,327	8.8	+8.8
Total formal votes			15,162	98.6	+0.9
Informal votes			212	1.4	−0.9
Turnout			15,374	95.2	+0.2
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Les Nimmo		59.4	+11.3
	Labor	Frederick Marshall		40.6	−11.3
	Liberal and Country gain from Labor		Swing	+11.3

Two party preferred vote was estimated.

West Perth

1959 Western Australian state election: West Perth
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Stanley Heal	3,421	50.7	−7.1
	Liberal and Country	Raymond Nowland	3,322	49.3	+7.1
Total formal votes			6,743	97.9	+0.6
Informal votes			145	2.1	−0.6
Turnout			6,888	87.9	−0.8
	Labor hold		Swing	−7.1

References

^ Prescott, David Black with the assistance of Valerie (1997). Election statistics : Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996. Perth, [W.A.]: Western Australian Parliamentary History Project and Western Australian Electoral Commission. ISBN 0730984095.

[1] Prescott, David Black with the assistance of Valerie (1997). Election statistics : Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996. Perth, [W.A.]: Western Australian Parliamentary History Project and Western Australian Electoral Commission. ISBN 0730984095.

[1]

Results of the 1959 Western Australian state election (Legislative Assembly)

Results by Electoral district

Albany

Avon Valley

Beeloo

Blackwood

Boulder

Bunbury

Canning

Claremont

Collie

Cottesloe

Dale

Darling Range

East Perth

Eyre

Fremantle

Gascoyne

Geraldton

Greenough

Guildford-Midland

Harvey

Kalgoorlie

Katanning

Kimberley

Leederville

Maylands

Melville

Merredin-Yilgarn

Middle Swan

Moore

Mount Hawthorn

Mount Lawley

Mount Marshall

Murchison

Murray

Narrogin

Nedlands

North Perth

Northam

Pilbara

Roe

South Fremantle

South Perth

Stirling

Subiaco

Toodyay

Vasse

Victoria Park

Warren

Wembley Beaches

West Perth

See also

References