1973 South Australian state election

State elections were held in South Australia on 10 March 1973. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan won a second term in government, defeating the Liberal and Country League led by Leader of the Opposition Bruce Eastick.

1973 South Australian state election

10 March 1973 (1973-03-10)

All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly
24 seats were needed for a majority
10 (of the 20) seats of the South Australian Legislative Council
  First party Second party
 
Leader Don Dunstan Bruce Eastick
Party Labor Liberal and Country League
Leader since 1 June 1967 15 March 1972
Leader's seat Norwood Light
Last election 27 seats 20 seats
Seats won 26 seats 20 seats
Seat change 1 0
Percentage 54.5% 45.5%
Swing 1.2 1.2

Premier before election

Don Dunstan
Labor

Elected Premier

Don Dunstan
Labor

Background

Parliamentary elections for both houses of the Parliament of South Australia were held in South Australia in 1973, which saw Don Dunstan and the Australian Labor Party win a second successive term, against the Liberal and Country League (LCL) led by Bruce Eastick.

It was only the second time that a Labor government in South Australia had been re-elected for a second term, the first being the early Thomas Price Labor government. It would be the first five-year-incumbent Labor government however.

Moderate Liberal Movement forces within the LCL broke away to form its own party led by Steele Hall after the election in 1973. The LCL became the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia a year after the election.

The Country Party also won a seat for the first time in Flinders, and finished second after preferences with no Labor candidate in five LCL seats − Rocky River, Mallee, Alexandra, Goyder and Victoria.

A 1973 Semaphore by-election and a 1974 Goyder by-election were triggered. Labor and the Liberal Movement easily retained their respective seats.

Key dates

  • Issue of writ: 20 February 1973
  • Close of nominations: 27 February 1973
  • Polling day: 10 March 1973
  • Return of writ: On or before 10 April 1973

Results

House of Assembly

South Australian state election, 10 March 1973[1]
House of Assembly
<< 19701975 >>

Enrolled voters 696,290
Votes cast 655,937 Turnout 94.20% -0.83%
Informal votes 26,794 Informal 4.08% +2.02%
Summary of votes by party
Party Primary votes % Swing Seats Change
  Labor 324,135 51.52% –0.12% 26 - 1
  Liberal and Country 250,312 39.79% –3.97% 20 ± 0
  Country 24,810 3.94% +2.05% 1 + 1
  Independent 27,178 4.32% +2.86% 0 ± 0
  Other 2,708 0.43% * 0 ± 0
Total 629,143     47  
Two-party-preferred
  Labor 54.50% +1.20%
  Liberal and Country 45.50% –1.20%

Legislative Council

South Australian state election, 10 March, 1973[2]
Legislative Council
<< 19681975 >>

Enrolled voters 383,758
Votes cast 357,971 Turnout 93.3 –1.9
Informal votes 27,140 Informal 7.6 +1.7
Summary of votes by party
Party Primary votes % Swing Seats
won
Seats
held
  Labor 174,082 52.6 –5.3 4 6
  Liberal and Country 152,921 46.2 +4.2 6 14
  Australia 2,618 0.8 +0.8 0 0
  Independent 1,210 0.4 +0.4 0 0
Total 330,831     10 20

Post-election pendulum

LABOR SEATS (26)
Marginal
Gilles Jack Slater ALP 5.8%
Fairly safe
Millicent Des Corcoran ALP 6.5%
Coles Len King ALP 9.2%
Peake Don Simmons ALP 9.6%
Norwood Don Dunstan ALP 9.6%
Safe
Henley Beach Glen Broomhill ALP 10.2%
Mitchell Ron Payne ALP 11.0%
Unley Gil Langley ALP 11.6%
Brighton Hugh Hudson ALP 12.0%
Mount Gambier Allan Burdon ALP 14.0%
Mawson Don Hopgood ALP 14.1%
Tea Tree Gully Molly Byrne ALP 14.1%
Ascot Park Geoff Virgo ALP 14.7%
Playford Terry McRae ALP 14.8%
Adelaide Jack Wright ALP 16.7%
Elizabeth Peter Duncan ALP 19.6%
Florey Charles Wells ALP 20.4%
Albert Park Charles Harrison ALP 21.7%
Price John Ryan ALP 22.5%
Pirie Dave McKee ALP 23.9% v IND
Whyalla Max Brown ALP 24.7%
Semaphore Reg Hurst ALP 26.0%
Ross Smith Jack Jennings ALP 30.3% v IND
Stuart Gavin Keneally ALP 31.2% v IND
Spence Ernie Crimes ALP 31.9% v IND
Salisbury Reg Groth ALP 34.0% v IND
LCL SEATS (20)
Marginal
Rocky River Howard Venning LCL 0.2% v NAT
Hanson Heini Becker LCL 2.4%
Glenelg John Mathwin LCL 2.7%
Mallee Bill Nankivell LCL 3.2% v NAT
Chaffey Peter Arnold LCL 3.5%
Torrens John Coumbe LCL 5.2%
Fairly Safe
Murray Ivon Wardle LCL 7.3%
Alexandra Ted Chapman LCL 8.2% v NAT
Fisher Stan Evans LCL 9.4%
Safe
Goyder David Boundy LCL 10.3% v NAT
Frome Ernest Allen LCL 10.9%
Light Bruce Eastick LCL 13.6%
Gouger Keith Russack LCL 13.6%
Victoria Allan Rodda LCL 14.1% v NAT
Mitcham Robin Millhouse LCL 15.7%
Bragg David Tonkin LCL 16.4%
Davenport Dean Brown LCL 18.2%
Kavel Roger Goldsworthy LCL 20.0%
Eyre Graham Gunn LCL 22.6%
Heysen William McAnaney LCL 23.0%
CROSSBENCH SEATS (1)
Flinders Peter Blacker CP 4.9% v LCL

See also

References

Specific
  1. "Details of SA 1973 Election". Australian Politics and Elections Database.
  2. "History of South Australian elections 1857–2006, volume 2 Legislative Council". ECSA. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
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