Electoral results for the Division of Darling

For the former New South Wales state electorate, see Electoral results for the district of The Darling.

This is a list of electoral results for the Division of Darling in Australian federal elections from the division's creation in 1901 until its abolition in 1977.

Members

Member		Party	Term
	William Spence	Labor	1901—1916
		Nationalist	1916—1917
	Arthur Blakeley	Labor	1917—1934
	Joe Clark	Labor (NSW)	1934—1936
		Labor	1936—1969
	John FitzPatrick	Labor	1969—1977

Election results

Elections in the 1970s

1975

1975 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John FitzPatrick	25,579	56.8	−2.8
	National Country	Walter Mitchell	18,874	41.9	+17.4
	Independent	Walter Miller	603	1.3	+1.3
Total formal votes			45,056	98.3
Informal votes			773	1.7
Turnout			45,829	95.5
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	John FitzPatrick		57.5	−6.3
	National Country	Walter Mitchell		42.5	+6.3
	Labor hold		Swing	−6.3

1974

1974 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John FitzPatrick	26,188	59.6	−1.4
	Country	Max Overton	10,750	24.5	+2.0
	Liberal	William Thornton	5,143	11.7	+2.0
	Australia	Peter Farry	1,871	4.3	+4.3
Total formal votes			43,952	97.9
Informal votes			937	2.1
Turnout			44,889	94.9
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	John FitzPatrick		63.8	+0.7
	Country	Max Overton		36.2	−0.7
	Labor hold		Swing	+0.7

1972

1972 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John FitzPatrick	25,310	61.0	+3.5
	Country	Max Overton	9,360	22.5	−1.0
	Liberal	James Donohoe	4,029	9.7	−9.3
	Democratic Labor	John Darcy	2,826	6.8	+6.8
Total formal votes			41,525	98.4
Informal votes			682	1.6
Turnout			42,207	95.1
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	John FitzPatrick		63.1	+2.8
	Country	Max Overton		36.9	−2.8
	Labor hold		Swing	+2.8

Elections in the 1960s

1969

1969 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John FitzPatrick	23,168	57.5	+1.1
	Country	Max Overton	9,474	23.5	+23.5
	Liberal	Jack Bonney	7,650	19.0	−21.8
Total formal votes			40,292	98.4
Informal votes			642	1.6
Turnout			40,934	94.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	John FitzPatrick		60.3	+2.2
	Country	Max Overton		39.7	−2.2
	Labor hold		Swing	+2.2

1966

1966 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joe Clark	20,848	60.3	−7.1
	Liberal	Allan Connell	13,714	39.7	+39.7
Total formal votes			34,562	97.5
Informal votes			900	2.5
Turnout			35,462	93.5
	Labor hold		Swing	−7.1

1963

1963 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joe Clark	23,352	67.4	−5.2
	Country	Frederick Harding	11,299	32.6	+5.2
Total formal votes			34,651	98.8
Informal votes			424	1.2
Turnout			35,075	93.2
	Labor hold		Swing	−5.2

1961

1961 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joe Clark	25,235	72.6	+2.1
	Country	Rodan Dawson	9,537	37.4	+1.7
Total formal votes			34,772	97.4
Informal votes			918	2.6
Turnout			35,690	93.6
	Labor hold		Swing	+0.2

Elections in the 1950s

1958

1958 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joe Clark	24,815	70.5	+3.0
	Country	Elson Whyte	9,055	25.7	−6.8
	Independent	Francis O'Donnell	1,349	3.8	+3.8
Total formal votes			35,219	97.1
Informal votes			1,041	2.9
Turnout			36,260	93.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Joe Clark		72.4	+4.9
	Country	Elson Whyte		27.6	−4.9
	Labor hold		Swing	+4.9

1955

1955 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joe Clark	23,428	67.5	−3.2
	Country	Ewen Martin	11,282	32.5	+3.2
Total formal votes			34,710	97.2
Informal votes			1,005	2.8
Turnout			35,715	93.1
	Labor hold		Swing	−3.2

1954

1954 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joe Clark	23,875	70.5	+1.7
	Country	Rodan Dawson	10,012	29.5	−1.7
Total formal votes			33,887	98.2
Informal votes			607	1.8
Turnout			34,494	93.9
	Labor hold		Swing	+1.7

1951

1951 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joe Clark	22,610	68.8	+5.0
	Country	Elson Whyte	10,253	31.2	−0.5
Total formal votes			32,863	97.4
Informal votes			864	2.6
Turnout			33,727	94.5
	Labor hold		Swing	+1.5

Elections in the 1940s

1949

1949 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joe Clark	20,843	63.8	−2.7
	Country	Elson Whyte	10,348	31.7	+9.7
	Communist	Cecil Connors	1,017	3.1	+3.1
	Independent	Madge Roberts	450	1.4	+1.4
Total formal votes			32,658	97.2
Informal votes			929	2.8
Turnout			33,587	94.7
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Joe Clark		67.3	−3.0
	Country	Elson Whyte		32.7	+3.0
	Labor hold		Swing	−3.0

1946

1946 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joe Clark	27,449	60.7	−10.9
	Country	John McGirr	12,229	27.0	+27.0
	Protestant People	Cyril Glassop	5,533	12.2	+12.2
Total formal votes			45,211	97.7
Informal votes			1,058	2.3
Turnout			46,269	89.8
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Joe Clark		66.8	−4.8
	Country	John McGirr		32.2	+32.2
	Labor hold		Swing	−4.8

1943

1943 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joe Clark	32,540	71.6	+8.2
	One Parliament	James Butler	12,936	28.4	+28.4
Total formal votes			45,476	97.5
Informal votes			1,180	2.5
Turnout			46,656	90.9
	Labor hold		Swing	−1.9

1940

1940 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joe Clark	29,128	63.4	−2.8
	Independent	Alexander Huie	10,648	23.2	−10.6
	Labor (N-C)	Les Murphy	6,158	13.4	+13.4
Total formal votes			45,934	97.4
Informal votes			1,229	2.6
Turnout			47,163	87.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Joe Clark		73.5	+7.3
	Independent	Alexander Huie		26.5	−7.3
	Labor hold		Swing	+7.3

Elections in the 1930s

1937

1937 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joe Clark	32,515	66.2	+37.6
	Independent	Alexander Huie	16,581	33.8	+33.8
Total formal votes			49,096	97.3
Informal votes			1,347	2.7
Turnout			50,443	94.6
	Labor gain from Labor (NSW)		Swing	+66.2

1934

1934 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor (NSW)	Joe Clark	18,208	40.0	+14.9
	Country	Paul Goldenstedt	13,567	29.8	−6.9
	Labor	Arthur Blakeley	13,016	28.6	−8.4
	Communist	Stuart Coombe	758	1.7	+0.5
Total formal votes			45,549	96.5
Informal votes			1,662	3.5
Turnout			47,211	93.0
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor (NSW)	Joe Clark	28,944	63.5	+63.5
	Country	Paul Goldenstedt	16,605	36.5	−2.8
	Labor (NSW) gain from Labor		Swing	+63.5

1931

1931 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Arthur Blakeley	14,581	40.8	−29.4
	Country	Harold Campbell	11,847	33.1	+33.1
	Labor (NSW)	Richard Quintrell	8,795	24.6	+24.6
	Communist	Ted Tripp	522	1.5	+1.5
Total formal votes			35,745	94.8
Informal votes			1,950	5.2
Turnout			37,695	92.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Arthur Blakeley	22,828	63.9	−6.3
	Country	Harold Campbell	12,917	36.1	+6.3
	Labor hold		Swing	−6.3

Elections in the 1920s

1929

1929 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Arthur Blakeley	24,124	70.2	−0.7
	Nationalist	Brian Doe	10,259	29.8	+0.7
Total formal votes			34,383	96.6
Informal votes			1,215	3.4
Turnout			35,598	90.0
	Labor hold		Swing	−0.7

1928

1928 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Arthur Blakeley	24,056	70.9	+5.4
	Nationalist	Frederick Drury	9,862	29.1	−5.4
Total formal votes			33,918	94.7
Informal votes			1,881	5.3
Turnout			35,799	86.9
	Labor hold		Swing	+5.4

1925

1925 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Arthur Blakeley	20,965	65.5	+20.2
	Nationalist	John Dowling	11,043	34.5	+2.0
Total formal votes			32,008	97.6
Informal votes			777	2.4
Turnout			32,785	80.8
	Labor hold		Swing	+0.4

1922

1922 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Arthur Blakeley	8,820	45.3	−16.5
	Nationalist	Walter Wright	6,329	32.5	−5.7
	Industrial Labor	Michael Considine	4,331	22.2	+22.2
Total formal votes			19,480	95.2
Informal votes			976	4.8
Turnout			20,456	55.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Arthur Blakeley	12,682	65.1	+3.3
	Nationalist	Walter Wright	6,798	34.9	−3.3
	Labor hold		Swing	+3.3

Elections in the 1910s

1919

1919 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Arthur Blakeley	11,344	61.8	+8.5
	Nationalist	Alfred Perkins	7,004	38.2	−8.5
Total formal votes			18,348	97.8
Informal votes			417	2.2
Turnout			18,765	67.8
	Labor hold		Swing	+8.5

1917

1917 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Arthur Blakeley	11,523	53.3	−7.2
	Nationalist	William Spence	10,081	46.7	+7.2
Total formal votes			21,604	97.1
Informal votes			651	2.9
Turnout			22,255	74.7
	Labor hold		Swing	−7.2

1914

1914 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	William Spence	12,309	60.5	+0.0
	Liberal	William Kelk	8,036	39.5	−0.0
Total formal votes			20,345	96.1
Informal votes			818	3.9
Turnout			21,163	69.5
	Labor hold		Swing	+0.0

1913

1913 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	William Spence	11,582	60.5	−4.2
	Liberal	Edwin Townsend	7,560	39.5	+4.2
Total formal votes			19,142	95.3
Informal votes			942	4.7
Turnout			20,081	62.7
	Labor hold		Swing	−4.2

1910

1910 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Spence	9,551	64.7	+6.8
	Liberal	James Carroll	5,222	35.3	−6.8
Total formal votes			14,773	96.8
Informal votes			493	3.2
Turnout			15,266	54.8
	Labour hold		Swing	+6.8

Elections in the 1900s

1906

1906 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Spence	6,356	57.9	−0.3
	Anti-Socialist	Denis Acton	4,626	42.1	+0.3
Total formal votes			10,982	95.4
Informal votes			532	4.6
Turnout			11,514	43.9
	Labour hold		Swing	−0.3

1903

1903 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Spence	3,148	58.2	+13.8
	Free Trade	Denis Acton	2,263	41.8	+10.8
Total formal votes			5,411	96.9
Informal votes			171	3.1
Turnout			5,582	36.6
	Labour hold		Swing	+1.5

1901

1901 Australian federal election: Darling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Spence	2,206	44.4	+44.4
	Free Trade	Thomas Bertram	1,537	31.0	+31.0
	Protectionist	Patrick Quinn	1,221	24.6	+24.6
Total formal votes			4,964	97.5
Informal votes			128	2.5
Turnout			5,092	57.0
	Labour win		(new seat)

References

• Australian Electoral Commission. Federal election results
• Carr, Adam. Psephos