1894 Western Australian colonial election

Elections were held in the Colony of Western Australia in June and July 1894 to elect 33 members to the Legislative Assembly. Less than half of the seats were contested and virtually all campaigns were fought on local issues, although a few candidates were endorsed by extraparliamentary organisations. The election presented no threat to the government of Sir John Forrest, but its aftermath saw the establishment of a credible opposition for the first time, led by George Randell.

John Forrest

George Randell

Timeline

Close of nominations

12 June: East Perth, Perth, West Perth
13 June: Fremantle, Moore, North Fremantle, South Fremantle
14 June: Bunbury, Geraldton, Roebourne, Williams
15 June: Murray, Nelson, Plantagenet, Sussex, Swan, Wellington
16 June: Greenough, Toodyay
18 June: Albany, Irwin, Northam
19 June: Ashburton, Gascoyne
21 June: York
22 June: East Kimberley, Pilbara, West Kimberley, Yilgarn
23 June: Beverley, De Grey
25 June: Murchison, Nannine

Polling day

14 June: East Perth, Perth, West Perth
15 June: Fremantle, North Fremantle, South Fremantle
18 June: Murray, Roebourne, Swan
19 June: Bunbury, Geraldton
20 June: Nelson, Plantagenet, Sussex, Toodyay, Wellington, Williams
21 June: Greenough
22 June: Albany, Northam
25 June: Irwin, Moore, York
27 June: Beverley
29 June: Ashburton, De Grey, Gascoyne
3 July: East Kimberley, Murchison, Nannine, Pilbara, West Kimberley, Yilgarn

Campaign and results

Only 15 out of the 33 seats were contested at the election, although this represented an increase of four from the 1890 election. Five of the six seats in Perth and Fremantle were contested, the exception being South Fremantle, where Elias Solomon was returned unopposed.^[1] In Perth, the major campaign issue was education – in particular, whether Catholic schools should be funded by the state. Two extraparliamentary organisations were established on either side of the debate, with the Education Defence League (led by Thomas Molloy and Timothy Quinlan) in favour and the National Education League (led by George Randell) opposed. Both leagues endorsed candidates in the three Perth electorates, with all three pro-Catholic candidates being defeated.^[2] In North Fremantle, one of the candidates, George Baker, was endorsed by the Progressive Political League (PPL), which was the political arm of the Trades and Labour Council (and a forerunner of the Labor Party). Other PPL members had been unable to meet the property qualifications necessary to stand.^[3]

Aftermath

After the election, George Randell was chosen as Leader of the Opposition, and had this status acknowledged by Forrest. Other prominent figures in the opposition were William Loton and George Leake, and there was much variation in the leadership of the opposition in the years leading up to the 1897 election.^[3]

References

^ Black, David; Prescott, 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.
^ De Garis, Brian (1991). "Self-Government and Political Parties". In Black, David (ed.). The House on the Hill: A History of the Parliament of Western Australia 1832–1990. Perth, Western Australia: Parliament of Western Australia. p. 73. ISBN 0-7309-3983-9.
^ ^a ^b De Garis, p. 73.

[1] Black, David; Prescott, 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.

[dg-2] De Garis, Brian (1991). "Self-Government and Political Parties". In Black, David (ed.). The House on the Hill: A History of the Parliament of Western Australia 1832–1990. Perth, Western Australia: Parliament of Western Australia. p. 73. ISBN 0-7309-3983-9.

[p73-3] De Garis, p. 73.

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