Results of the 1956 Western Australian state election (Legislative Assembly)

Western Australian state election, 7 April 1956 Legislative Assembly << 1953–1959 >>
Enrolled voters		262,384
Votes cast		241,863		Turnout	92.18	–1.30
Informal votes		6,851		Informal	2.83	+0.22
Summary of votes by party
Party		Primary votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Labor	116,793	49.70	–0.07	29	+ 3
	Liberal and Country	98,335	33.13	–4.82	11	– 4
	Country	12,319	5.24	+0.33	8	– 1
	Ind. Lib.	15,822	6.73	+4.89	2	+ 2
	Communist	1,167	0.50	–0.22	0	± 0
	Independent	11,045	4.70	–0.10	0	± 0
Total		241,863			50

This is a list of electoral district results of the 1956 Western Australian election.

Results by Electoral district

Albany

1956 Western Australian state election: Albany

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Jack Hall	2,302	45.6
	Country	Leonard Hill	1,748	34.7
	Country	Alfred Gulvin	994	19.7
Total formal votes			5,044	98.6
Informal votes			73	1.4
Turnout			5,117	93.6
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Jack Hall	2,531	50.2
	Country	Leonard Hill	2,513	49.8
	Labor gain from Country		Swing

Avon Valley

1956 Western Australian state election: Avon Valley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	James Mann	2,746	62.1
	Country	John Stratton	1,679	37.9
Total formal votes			4,425	96.6
Informal votes			155	3.4
Turnout			4,580	91.6
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Beeloo

1956 Western Australian state election: Beeloo

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Colin Jamieson	6,418	66.8
	Liberal and Country	John Alden	3,186	33.2
Total formal votes			9,604	96.8
Informal votes			316	3.2
Turnout			9,920	93.0
	Labor hold		Swing

Blackwood

1956 Western Australian state election: Blackwood

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	John Hearman	unopposed
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Boulder

1956 Western Australian state election: Boulder

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Arthur Moir	unopposed
	Labor hold		Swing

Bunbury

1956 Western Australian state election: Bunbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	George Roberts	2,754	50.9
	Labor	Charles Webber	2,655	49.1
Total formal votes			5,409	99.1
Informal votes			49	0.9
Turnout			5,458	97.1
	Liberal and Country gain from Labor		Swing

Canning

1956 Western Australian state election: Canning

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Bill Gaffy	4,825	51.1
	Liberal and Country	Richard Marris	4,615	48.9
Total formal votes			9,440	98.4
Informal votes			157	1.6
Turnout			9,597	93.8
	Labor hold		Swing

Claremont

1956 Western Australian state election: Claremont

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Harold Crommelin	3,239	41.5
	Liberal and Country	Laurence Snook	2,618	33.5
	Liberal and Country	Charles North	1,948	25.0
Total formal votes			7,805	93.5
Informal votes			541	6.5
Turnout			8,346	91.2
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Harold Crommelin	4,295	55.0
	Liberal and Country	Laurence Snook	3,510	45.0
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Collie

1956 Western Australian state election: Collie

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Harry May	3,415	74.5
	Country	Norman Coote	1,048	22.9
	Communist	Norman Lacey	120	2.6
Total formal votes			4,583	98.3
Informal votes			80	1.7
Turnout			4,663	94.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Harry May		76.9
	Country	Norman Coote		23.1
	Labor hold		Swing

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Cottesloe

1956 Western Australian state election: Cottesloe

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Ross Hutchinson	5,781	68.0
	Independent	Leonard Stratton	2,717	32.0
Total formal votes			8,498	97.0
Informal votes			259	3.0
Turnout			8,757	92.0
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Dale

1956 Western Australian state election: Dale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Gerald Wild	2,911	56.7
	Independent	Ivan Locke	2,221	43.3
Total formal votes			5,132	97.2
Informal votes			146	2.8
Turnout			5,278	92.6
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Darling Range

1956 Western Australian state election: Darling Range

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Ray Owen	unopposed
	Country hold		Swing

East Perth

1956 Western Australian state election: East Perth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Herb Graham	5,273	65.8
	Liberal and Country	Edmund Madigan	2,739	34.2
Total formal votes			8,012	97.8
Informal votes			180	2.2
Turnout			8,192	89.4
	Labor hold		Swing

Eyre

1956 Western Australian state election: Eyre

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Emil Nulsen	unopposed
	Labor hold		Swing

Fremantle

1956 Western Australian state election: Fremantle

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joseph Sleeman	7,395	91.2
	Communist	Paddy Troy	714	8.8
Total formal votes			8,109	95.9
Informal votes			344	4.1
Turnout			8,453	89.5
	Labor hold		Swing

Gascoyne

1956 Western Australian state election: Gascoyne

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Daniel Norton	1,068	69.7
	Liberal and Country	Kenneth Illingworth	465	30.3
Total formal votes			1,533	97.8
Informal votes			35	2.2
Turnout			1,568	84.4
	Labor hold		Swing

Geraldton

1956 Western Australian state election: Geraldton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Bill Sewell	3,052	59.9
	Liberal and Country	Arnold Devlin	1,014	19.9
	Country	Charles Eadon-Clarke	995	19.5
	Independent	Joyce Webber	33	0.7
Total formal votes			5,094	98.6
Informal votes			71	1.4
Turnout			5,165	91.7
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Bill Sewell		62.2
	Liberal and Country	Arnold Devlin		37.8
	Labor hold		Swing

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Greenough

1956 Western Australian state election: Greenough

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	David Brand	unopposed
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Guildford-Midland

1956 Western Australian state election: Guildford-Midland

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Brady	8,108	94.0
	Communist	Albert Marks	516	6.0
Total formal votes			8,624	95.3
Informal votes			429	4.7
Turnout			9,053	92.1
	Labor hold		Swing

Harvey

1956 Western Australian state election: Harvey

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Iven Manning	unopposed
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Kalgoorlie

1956 Western Australian state election: Kalgoorlie

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Tom Evans	3,052	70.5
	Liberal and Country	George Brand	1,276	29.5
Total formal votes			4,328	98.2
Informal votes			78	1.8
Turnout			4,406	92.8
	Labor hold		Swing

Katanning

1956 Western Australian state election: Katanning

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Crawford Nalder	unopposed
	Country hold		Swing

Kimberley

1956 Western Australian state election: Kimberley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Rhatigan	unopposed
	Labor hold		Swing

Leederville

1956 Western Australian state election: Leederville

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Ted Johnson	4,353	50.8
	Liberal and Country	Les Nimmo	4,217	49.2
Total formal votes			8,570	98.3
Informal votes			144	1.7
Turnout			8,714	93.8
	Labor hold		Swing

Maylands

1956 Western Australian state election: Maylands

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Merv Toms	4,989	56.4
	Liberal and Country	Ellen Lulham	2,050	23.2
	Independent Liberal	Herbert R. Robinson	1,803	20.4
Total formal votes			8,842	97.7
Informal votes			206	2.3
Turnout			9,048	93.4
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Merv Toms		58.5
	Liberal and Country	Ellen Lulham		41.5
	Labor gain from Liberal and Country		Swing

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Melville

1956 Western Australian state election: Melville

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Tonkin	6,837	76.2
	Independent	James Hart	2,132	23.8
Total formal votes			8,969	97.0
Informal votes			279	3.0
Turnout			9,248	93.5
	Labor hold		Swing

Merredin-Yilgarn

1956 Western Australian state election: Merredin-Yilgarn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Lionel Kelly	2,818	57.4
	Country	Alfred Walker	1,206	24.6
	Liberal and Country	Robert Loder	887	18.1
Total formal votes			4,911	98.4
Informal votes			80	1.6
Turnout			4,991	93.0
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Lionel Kelly		59.2
	Country	Alfred Walker		40.8
	Labor hold		Swing

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Middle Swan

1956 Western Australian state election: Middle Swan

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	James Hegney	unopposed
	Labor hold		Swing

Moore

1956 Western Australian state election: Moore

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	John Ackland	unopposed
	Country hold		Swing

Mount Hawthorn

1956 Western Australian state election: Mount Hawthorn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Bill Hegney	5,740	63.0
	Liberal and Country	William Bailey	3,032	33.3
	Communist	William Anear	333	3.7
Total formal votes			9,105	96.1
Informal votes			367	3.9
Turnout			9,472	92.8
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Bill Hegney		66.3
	Liberal and Country	William Bailey		33.7
	Labor hold		Swing

Mount Lawley

1956 Western Australian state election: Mount Lawley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent Liberal	Edward Oldfield	6,242	67.8
	Liberal and Country	Arthur Abbott	2,965	32.2
Total formal votes			9,207	95.0
Informal votes			480	5.0
Turnout			9,687	93.9
	Independent Liberal gain from Liberal and Country		Swing

Mount Marshall

1956 Western Australian state election: Mount Marshall

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	George Cornell	unopposed
	Country hold		Swing

Murchison

1956 Western Australian state election: Murchison

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Everard O'Brien	2,064	59.1
	Liberal and Country	Carlyle Newman	1,430	40.9
Total formal votes			3,494	97.2
Informal votes			102	2.8
Turnout			3,596	85.1
	Labor hold		Swing

Murray

1956 Western Australian state election: Murray

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Ross McLarty	unopposed
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Narrogin

1956 Western Australian state election: Narrogin

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Percy Munday	1,412	28.8
	Country	Bill Robinson	1,049	21.4
	Country	William Manning	1,047	21.4
	Liberal and Country	Robert Farr	1,017	20.8
	Country	Frank Ashworth	373	7.6
Total formal votes			4,898	98.1
Informal votes			93	1.9
Turnout			4,991	93.1
Two-party-preferred result
	Country	William Manning	3,209	65.5
	Labor	Percy Munday	1,689	34.5
	Country hold		Swing

Nedlands

1956 Western Australian state election: Nedlands

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Charles Court	6,037	72.9
	Independent Liberal	David Grayden	2,249	27.1
Total formal votes			8,286	96.8
Informal votes			277	3.2
Turnout			8,563	91.2
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

North Perth

1956 Western Australian state election: North Perth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Stan Lapham	4,424	54.3
	Liberal and Country	Leslie Fawcett	3,720	45.7
Total formal votes			8,144	97.4
Informal votes			220	2.6
Turnout			8,364	92.1
	Labor hold		Swing

Northam

1956 Western Australian state election: Northam

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Albert Hawke	3,483	76.4
	Independent Liberal	James Collins	1,075	23.6
Total formal votes			4,558	97.9
Informal votes			96	2.1
Turnout			4,654	91.5
	Labor hold		Swing

Pilbara

1956 Western Australian state election: Pilbara

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Alec Rodoreda	662	66.9
	Liberal and Country	Rowland Charlton	327	33.1
Total formal votes			989	98.7
Informal votes			13	1.3
Turnout			1,002	81.3
	Labor hold		Swing

Roe

1956 Western Australian state election: Roe

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Charles Perkins	unopposed
	Country hold		Swing

South Fremantle

1956 Western Australian state election: South Fremantle

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Dick Lawrence	7,042	76.3
	Independent Labor	Michael Robson	2,191	23.7
Total formal votes			9,233	96.2
Informal votes			369	3.8
Turnout			9,602	90.4
	Labor hold		Swing

South Perth

1956 Western Australian state election: South Perth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Francis French	3,615	38.8
	Liberal and Country	James Smith	2,523	27.1
	Independent Liberal	Bill Grayden	2,482	26.6
	Independent	Cole Sangster	704	7.6
Total formal votes			9,324	98.0
Informal votes			191	2.0
Turnout			9,515	93.4
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Independent Liberal	Bill Grayden	5,437	58.3
	Labor	Francis French	3,887	41.7
	Independent Liberal gain from Liberal and Country		Swing

Stirling

1956 Western Australian state election: Stirling

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Arthur Watts	unopposed
	Country hold		Swing

Subiaco

1956 Western Australian state election: Subiaco

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Percival Potter	4,134	47.3
	Liberal and Country	Edgar Paddick	2,486	28.4
	Independent Liberal	Joseph Abrahams	1,791	20.5
	Independent Liberal	Walter Richardson	336	3.8
Total formal votes			8,747	97.3
Informal votes			242	2.7
Turnout			8,989	92.2
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Percival Potter	4,520	51.7
	Liberal and Country	Edgar Paddick	4,227	48.3
	Labor gain from Liberal and Country		Swing

Toodyay

1956 Western Australian state election: Toodyay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Lindsay Thorn	2,180	50.7
	Independent Labor	John Rolinson	2,117	49.3
Total formal votes			4,297	97.7
Informal votes			103	2.3
Turnout			4,400	88.9
	Country hold		Swing

Vasse

1956 Western Australian state election: Vasse

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	William Bovell	unopposed
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Victoria Park

1956 Western Australian state election: Victoria Park

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Hugh Andrew	5,663	62.2
	Liberal and Country	Benjamin Marshall	3,444	37.8
Total formal votes			9,107	97.8
Informal votes			209	2.2
Turnout			9,316	92.8
	Labor hold		Swing

Warren

1956 Western Australian state election: Warren

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Ernest Hoar	unopposed
	Labor hold		Swing

Wembley Beaches

1956 Western Australian state election: Wembley Beaches

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Frederick Marshall	5,492	49.5
	Liberal and Country	Bertha Beecroft	4,158	37.5
	Independent Liberal	Sydney Cheek	919	8.3
	Independent	Les Laracy	531	4.8
Total formal votes			11,100	97.7
Informal votes			255	2.3
Turnout			11,355	95.0
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Frederick Marshall		51.9
	Liberal and Country	Bertha Beecroft		48.1
	Labor gain from Liberal and Country		Swing

West Perth

1956 Western Australian state election: West Perth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Stanley Heal	4,385	57.8
	Liberal and Country	Raymond Nowland	3,206	42.2
Total formal votes			7,591	97.3
Informal votes			212	2.7
Turnout			7,803	88.7
	Labor hold		Swing

See also

• 1956 Western Australian state election
• Candidates of the 1956 Western Australian state election
• Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1956–1959