1918 South Australian state election

State elections were held in South Australia on 6 April 1918. All 46 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Union government led by Premier of South Australia Archibald Peake defeated the opposition Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition Andrew Kirkpatrick. Each district elected multiple members, with voters casting multiple votes.

1918 South Australian state election
6 April 1918 (1918-04-06)
All 46 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly
24 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Archibald Peake Andrew Kirkpatrick Crawford Vaughan
Party Liberal Union Labor National Labor
Leader since 5 June 1909 14 July 1917
Leader's seat Alexandra Upper house Sturt
Last election 20 seats 26 seats
Seats won 22 seats 17 seats 6 seats
Seat change 2 9
Percentage 27.94% 44.54% 18.66%
Swing 23.64 1.36
Premier before election

Archibald Peake
Liberal Union

 Elected Premier

Archibald Peake
Liberal Union

The 1918 election was the first at which any women stood as candidates. Selina Siggins (Adelaide) and Jeanne Young (Sturt) both ran unsuccessfully as independents.[1]

Background

The Crawford Vaughan Labor government fell in July 1917 due to the Australian Labor Party split of 1916 on conscription, and was replaced by a Peake Liberal minority government. This was replaced by the Peake Liberal-National Labor coalition government in August 1917. Peake initially formed a ministry of liberals, but after complaints from National Labor who had supported him in the confidence motion, he included three National Labor members. Crawford Vaughan, National Labor leader, did not take a place in the ministry. The Liberal and National Labor parties went to the election in coalition.

The first new parties emerged since the two-party system was introduced from the 1910 state election − the Farmers and Settlers Association (F&S), Single Tax (ST) and the Farmers and Producers Country Party (FPCP). The United Labor Party was renamed to the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party on 14 September 1917.[2]

Results
House of Assembly (FPTP) — Turnout 51.9% (Non-CV) — Informal 1.4%
  Party Votes % Swing Seats Change
  Australian Labor Party 144,204 44.54 -1.36 17 -9
  Liberal Union 90,453 27.94 -23.64 22 +2
  National Labor 60,417 18.66 * 6 *
  Farmers and Settlers 13,844 4.28 * 1 *
  Single Tax League 1,398 0.43 * 0 *
  Farmers and Producers 1,033 0.32 * 0 *
  Independent 12,432 3.84 +1.32 0 0
  Total 323,781     46
  Liberal/National coalition WIN 28 *
  Australian Labor Party 17 -9

See also

Notes
  1. Helen Jones (1986). In Her Own Name: Women in South Australian History. Wakefield Press. p. 228.
  2. What's in a name?: Trove 15 Sep 1917

References
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