1960 Australian Labor Party leadership election

1960 Australian Labor Party
Leadership election

7 March 1960

Candidate Arthur Calwell Reg Pollard Caucus vote 42 (58.3%) 30 (41.7%)

Leader before election H. V. Evatt Elected Leader Arthur Calwell

A leadership ballot in the Australian Labor Party, the opposition party in the Parliament of Australia, was held on 7 March 1960. It followed the retirement of previous leader H. V. Evatt. Calwell received 42 votes to Reg Pollard's 30 in a caucus ballot. Future Prime Minister Gough Whitlam would defeat Eddie Ward to become Calwell's deputy.

This marked the first time that the party elected a new leader which wasn't triggered by the death of an incumbent leader since the retirement of former Prime Minister James Scullin as leader in 1935.

Results

Leader

The following table gives the ballot results:

Name		Votes	Percentage
	Arthur Calwell	42	58.33
	Reg Pollard	30	41.66

Deputy leader

The following table gives the ballot results:

Candidate		1st ballot	2nd ballot	3rd ballot
	Gough Whitlam	22	28	38
	Eddie Ward	28	32	34
	Les Haylen	12	12	Eliminated
	Jim Harrison	10	Eliminated