1913 Australian federal election

31 May 1913 (1913-05-31)
All 75 seats in the House of Representatives 38 seats were needed for a majority in the House 18 (of the 36) seats in the Senate
Registered	2,760,216 22.22%
Turnout	1,955,723 (73.49%)[lower-alpha 1] (10.69 pp)
First party Second party   Leader Joseph Cook Andrew Fisher Party Liberal Labor Leader since 20 January 1913 30 October 1907 Leader's seat Parramatta (NSW) Wide Bay (Qld) Last election 31 seats 42 seats Seats won 38 seats 37 seats Seat change 7 5 Popular vote 930,076 921,099 Percentage 48.94% 48.47% Swing 3.85% 1.50%
Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.
Prime Minister before election Andrew Fisher Labor Subsequent Prime Minister Joseph Cook Commonwealth Liberal

The 1913 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 31 May 1913. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Andrew Fisher, was defeated by the opposition Commonwealth Liberal Party under Joseph Cook, marking the second time an Australian Prime Minister was defeated at an election. The new government had a majority of just a single seat, and held a minority of seats in the Senate.^[1] It would last only 15 months, suffering defeat at the 1914 election.

The 1913 election was held in conjunction with six referendum questions, none of which were carried. According to David Day, Andrew Fisher's biographer, "it was probably the timing of the referenda that was most responsible for the disappointing election result" for the Labor Party.^[2]

Results

House of Representatives

See also: Results of the 1913 Australian federal election (House of Representatives)

  Labour: 37 seats

  Liberal: 38 seats

House of Reps 1913–14 (FPTP) — Turnout 73.49% (Non-CV) — Informal 2.83%

Party		Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Liberal	930,076	48.94	+3.85	38	+7
	Labor	921,099	48.47	−1.50	37	−5
	Independents	49,194	2.59	−2.35	0	−2
	Total	1,900,369			75
	Liberal	Win			38	+7
	Labor				37	−5

---

Notes

• Three members were elected unopposed – one Liberal and two Labor.

Popular vote Liberal   48.94% Labor   48.47% Independent   2.59%

Parliament seats Liberal   50.67% Labor   49.33%

Senate

Senate 1913–14 (FPTP BV) — Turnout 73.66% (Non-CV) — Informal N/A

Party		Votes	%	Swing	Seats won	Seats held	Change
	Liberal	946,807	49.38	+3.83	7	7	−7
	Labor	934,176	48.72	−1.58	11	29	+7
	Socialist Labor	20,183	1.05	+1.05	0	0	0
	Independents	16,233	0.85	−2.51	0	0	0
	Total	1,917,399			18	36

Seats changing hands

• Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.

Post-election pendulum

See also

• Candidates of the 1913 Australian federal election
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1913–1914
• Members of the Australian Senate, 1913–1914

Notes

References

External links

• University of WA election results in Australia since 1890