Results of the 1959 Western Australian state election (Legislative Assembly)

Western Australian state election, 21 March 1959 Legislative Assembly << 1956–1962 >>
Enrolled voters		292,596[1]
Votes cast		269,322		Turnout	92.05%	–0.13%
Informal votes		6,937		Informal	2.58%	–0.26%
Summary of votes by party
Party		Primary votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Labor	117,861	44.92%	–4.78%	23	– 6
	Liberal and Country	98,335	37.48%	+4.34%	17	+ 6
	Country	17,179	6.55%	+1.31%	8	± 0
	Democratic Labor	13,436	5.12%	+5.12%	0	± 0
	Ind. Lib.	10,008	3.81%	–2.92%	2	± 0
	Communist	2,216	0.84%	+0.35%	0	± 0
	Independent	3,350	1.28%	–3.42%	0	± 0
Total		262,385			50

This is a list of electoral district results of the 1959 Western Australian election.

Results by Electoral district

Albany

1959 Western Australian state election: Albany

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Jack Hall	3,041	53.8	+8.2
	Liberal and Country	Roy Wellington	1,199	21.2	+21.2
	Country	Vincent Liddelow	1,007	17.8	−16.9
	Independent	Charles Johnson	345	6.1	+6.1
	Independent	Ernest Rogers	63	1.1	+1.1
Total formal votes			5,655	98.3	−0.3
Informal votes			98	1.7	+0.3
Turnout			5,753	95.1	+1.5
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Jack Hall		59.2	+9.0
	Liberal and Country	Roy Wellington		40.8	+40.8
	Labor hold		Swing	+9.0

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Avon Valley

1959 Western Australian state election: Avon Valley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	James Mann	2,712	60.6	−1.5
	Country	John Stratton	1,761	39.4	+1.5
Total formal votes			4,473	97.7	+1.1
Informal votes			106	2.3	−1.1
Turnout			4,579	93.3	+1.7
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing	−1.5

Beeloo

1959 Western Australian state election: Beeloo

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Colin Jamieson	6,067	52.3	−14.5
	Liberal and Country	Gordon Clark	4,798	41.4	+8.2
	Democratic Labor	Patrick Riordan	735	6.3	+6.3
Total formal votes			11,600	97.3	+0.5
Informal votes			326	2.7	−0.5
Turnout			11,926	92.4	−0.6
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Colin Jamieson		53.3	−13.5
	Liberal and Country	Gordon Clark		46.7	+13.5
	Labor hold		Swing	−13.5

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Blackwood

1959 Western Australian state election: Blackwood

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	John Hearman	2,239	50.8	−49.2
	Country	Duncan Muir	2,168	49.2	+49.2
Total formal votes			4,407	97.6
Informal votes			110	2.4
Turnout			4,517	92.7
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing	N/A

Boulder

1959 Western Australian state election: Boulder

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

Bunbury

1959 Western Australian state election: Bunbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	George Roberts	3,337	54.0	+3.1
	Labor	Forrest Hay	2,847	46.0	−3.1
Total formal votes			6,184	99.0	−0.1
Informal votes			64	1.0	+0.1
Turnout			6,248	95.7	−1.4
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing	+3.1

Canning

1959 Western Australian state election: Canning

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Des O'Neil	6,514	51.0	+2.1
	Labor	Bill Gaffy	5,161	40.4	−10.7
	Democratic Labor	Michael O'Brien	1,087	8.5	+8.5
Total formal votes			12,762	98.6	+0.2
Informal votes			178	1.4	−0.2
Turnout			12,940	93.4	−0.4
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Des O'Neil		58.2	+9.3
	Labor	Bill Gaffy		41.8	−9.3
	Liberal and Country gain from Labor		Swing	+9.3

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Claremont

1959 Western Australian state election: Claremont

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Harold Crommelin	unopposed
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

Collie

1959 Western Australian state election: Collie

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Harry May	3,290	71.1	−3.4
	Independent	Norman Coote	1,335	28.9	+28.9
Total formal votes			4,625	98.8	+0.5
Informal votes			56	1.2	−0.5
Turnout			4,681	95.0	+0.7
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

Cottesloe

1959 Western Australian state election: Cottesloe

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Ross Hutchinson	5,058	59.9	−8.1
	Labor	Edmund Edwards	3,379	40.1	+40.1
Total formal votes			8,437	98.8	+1.8
Informal votes			99	1.2	−1.8
Turnout			8,536	92.2	+0.2
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing	N/A

Dale

1959 Western Australian state election: Dale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Gerald Wild	2,626	45.4	−11.3
	Country	Arthur Mills	1,450	25.1	+25.1
	Independent Labor	William Williams	1,054	18.2	+18.2
	Country	Andrew McPhail	653	11.3	+11.3
Total formal votes			5,783	96.8	−0.4
Informal votes			188	3.2	+0.4
Turnout			5,971	93.6	+1.0
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Gerald Wild	3,065	53.0	−3.7
	Country	Arthur Mills	2,718	47.0	+47.0
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing	N/A

Darling Range

1959 Western Australian state election: Darling Range

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Ray Owen	1,799	38.8	−61.2
	Liberal and Country	John Kostera	1,389	30.0	+30.0
	Labor	Henry Harris	1,211	26.1	+26.1
	Democratic Labor	Michael Coyne	236	5.1	+5.1
Total formal votes			4,635	98.0
Informal votes			94	2.0
Turnout			4,729	91.5
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Country	Ray Owen	2,803	60.5	−39.5
	Liberal and Country	John Kostera	1,832	39.5	+39.5
	Country hold		Swing	N/A

East Perth

1959 Western Australian state election: East Perth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Herb Graham	3,557	49.6	−16.2
	Liberal and Country	John Martin	2,835	39.6	+5.4
	Democratic Labor	John Deane	773	10.8	+10.8
Total formal votes			7,165	97.8	0.0
Informal votes			163	2.2	0.0
Turnout			7,328	89.2	−0.2
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Herb Graham	3,818	53.3	−12.5
	Liberal and Country	John Martin	3,347	46.7	+12.5
	Labor hold		Swing	−12.5

Eyre

1959 Western Australian state election: Eyre

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Emil Nulsen	2,685	68.9	−31.1
	Liberal and Country	Orlando Stuart	1,214	31.1	+31.1
Total formal votes			3,899	99.2
Informal votes			31	0.8
Turnout			3,930	87.0
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

Fremantle

1959 Western Australian state election: Fremantle

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Harry Fletcher	5,389	69.7	−21.5
	Democratic Labor	Henry Miller	1,981	25.6	+25.6
	Communist	Paddy Troy	367	4.7	−4.1
Total formal votes			7,737	95.6	−0.3
Informal votes			356	4.4	+0.3
Turnout			8,093	89.6	+0.1
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

• Preferences were not distributed.

Gascoyne

1959 Western Australian state election: Gascoyne

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Daniel Norton	1,080	70.8	+1.1
	Liberal and Country	Thomas Orr	446	29.2	−1.1
Total formal votes			1,526	98.8	+1.0
Informal votes			19	1.2	−1.0
Turnout			1,545	87.1	+2.7
	Labor hold		Swing	+1.1

Geraldton

1959 Western Australian state election: Geraldton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Bill Sewell	3,257	59.9	0.0
	Liberal and Country	Gerald Throssell	1,778	32.7	+12.8
	Democratic Labor	Septimus Waldon	399	7.3	+7.3
Total formal votes			5,434	99.1	+0.5
Informal votes			50	0.9	−0.5
Turnout			5,484	91.3	−0.4
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Bill Sewell		61.0	−1.2
	Liberal and Country	Gerald Throssell		39.0	+1.2
	Labor hold		Swing	−1.2

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Greenough

1959 Western Australian state election: Greenough

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

Guildford-Midland

1959 Western Australian state election: Guildford-Midland

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Brady	7,689	94.0	0.0
	Communist	John Gandini	493	6.0	0.0
Total formal votes			8,182	90.8	−4.5
Informal votes			824	9.2	+4.5
Turnout			9,006	92.6	+0.5
	Labor hold		Swing	0.0

Harvey

1959 Western Australian state election: Harvey

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

Kalgoorlie

1959 Western Australian state election: Kalgoorlie

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Tom Evans	3,038	70.2	−0.3
	Liberal and Country	Percy Millington	817	18.9	−10.6
	Independent	Harold Illingworth	476	11.0	+11.0
Total formal votes			4,331	98.8	+0.6
Informal votes			52	1.2	−0.6
Turnout			4,383	92.5	−0.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Tom Evans		75.6	+5.1
	Liberal and Country	Percy Millington		24.4	−5.1
	Labor hold		Swing	+5.1

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Katanning

1959 Western Australian state election: Katanning

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

Kimberley

1959 Western Australian state election: Kimberley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Rhatigan	650	64.0	−36.0
	Liberal and Country	Nolan McDaniel	366	36.0	+36.0
Total formal votes			1,016	97.6
Informal votes			25	2.4
Turnout			1,041	75.2
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

Leederville

1959 Western Australian state election: Leederville

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Guy Henn	3,991	46.5	−2.7
	Labor	Ted Johnson	3,497	40.8	−10.0
	Democratic Labor	John Antill	1,089	12.7	+12.7
Total formal votes			8,577	98.2	−0.1
Informal votes			158	1.8	+0.1
Turnout			8,735	94.3	+0.5
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Guy Henn	4,951	57.7	+8.5
	Labor	Ted Johnson	3,626	42.3	−8.5
	Liberal and Country gain from Labor		Swing	+8.5

Maylands

1959 Western Australian state election: Maylands

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Merv Toms	5,299	58.2	+1.8
	Liberal and Country	Walter Bonnett	3,802	41.8	+18.6
Total formal votes			9,296	97.9	+0.2
Informal votes			195	2.1	−0.2
Turnout			9,296	93.5	+0.1
	Labor hold		Swing	−0.3

Melville

1959 Western Australian state election: Melville

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

Merredin-Yilgarn

1959 Western Australian state election: Merredin-Yilgarn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Lionel Kelly	3,388	72.3	+14.9
	Liberal and Country	Ronald Lee	1,299	27.7	+9.6
Total formal votes			4,687	97.4	−1.0
Informal votes			123	2.6	+1.0
Turnout			4,810	91.0	−2.0
	Labor hold		Swing	+13.1

Middle Swan

1959 Western Australian state election: Middle Swan

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	James Hegney	5,364	55.4	−44.6
	Liberal and Country	Francis Wilson	3,699	38.2	+38.2
	Democratic Labor	Brian Peachey	623	6.4	+6.4
Total formal votes			9,686	97.9
Informal votes			205	2.1
Turnout			9,891	91.9
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	James Hegney		56.3	−43.7
	Liberal and Country	Francis Wilson		43.7	+43.7
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Moore

1959 Western Australian state election: Moore

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Edgar Lewis	unopposed
	Country hold		Swing

Mount Hawthorn

1959 Western Australian state election: Mount Hawthorn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Bill Hegney	6,406	56.3	−6.7
	Liberal and Country	Hugh O'Doherty	4,795	42.1	+8.8
	Communist	Edward Zeffertt	183	1.6	−2.1
Total formal votes			11,384	96.6	+0.5
Informal votes			398	3.4	−0.5
Turnout			11,782	93.4	+0.6
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Bill Hegney		57.7	−8.6
	Liberal and Country	Hugh O'Doherty		42.3	+8.6
	Labor hold		Swing	−8.6

Mount Lawley

1959 Western Australian state election: Mount Lawley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Edward Oldfield	4,963	44.8	−23.0
	Liberal and Country	Alexander Barras	4,705	42.5	+10.3
	Democratic Labor	Ernest Parker	1,412	12.7	+12.7
Total formal votes			11,080	97.2	+2.2
Informal votes			321	2.8	−2.2
Turnout			11,401	93.6	−0.3
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Independent	Edward Oldfield	5,547	50.1	−17.7
	Liberal and Country	Alexander Barras	5,533	49.9	+17.7
	Independent hold		Swing	−17.7

Mount Marshall

1959 Western Australian state election: Mount Marshall

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

Murchison

1959 Western Australian state election: Murchison

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Everard O'Brien	1,638	47.0	−12.1
	Liberal and Country	Richard Burt	1,555	44.6	+3.7
	Democratic Labor	George Jensen	295	8.5	+8.5
Total formal votes			3,488	98.7	+1.5
Informal votes			47	1.3	−1.5
Turnout			3,535	87.8	+2.7
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Richard Burt	1,778	51.0	+10.1
	Labor	Everard O'Brien	1,710	49.0	−10.1
	Liberal and Country gain from Labor		Swing	+10.1

Murray

1959 Western Australian state election: Murray

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

Narrogin

1959 Western Australian state election: Narrogin

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	William Manning	3,750	72.3	+50.9
	Labor	Percy Munday	1,434	27.7	−1.1
Total formal votes			5,184	98.8	+0.7
Informal votes			61	1.2	−0.7
Turnout			5,245	93.2	+0.1
	Country hold		Swing	+6.8

Nedlands

1959 Western Australian state election: Nedlands

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Charles Court	unopposed
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing

North Perth

1959 Western Australian state election: North Perth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Ray O'Connor	3,490	46.3	+0.6
	Labor	Stan Lapham	3,321	44.1	−10.2
	Democratic Labor	William Sawyer	725	9.6	+9.6
Total formal votes			7,536	97.6	+0.2
Informal votes			188	2.4	−0.2
Turnout			7,724	91.9	−0.2
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Ray O'Connor	4,060	53.9	+8.2
	Labor	Stan Lapham	3,476	46.1	−8.2
	Liberal and Country gain from Labor		Swing	+8.2

Northam

1959 Western Australian state election: Northam

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Albert Hawke	2,911	57.6	−18.8
	Liberal and Country	Lawrence Solomon	1,860	36.8	+36.8
	Democratic Labor	Brian McGinty	285	5.6	+5.6
Total formal votes			5,056	99.2	+1.3
Informal votes			43	0.8	−1.3
Turnout			5,099	94.3	+2.8
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Albert Hawke		58.4	−18.0
	Liberal and Country	Lawrence Solomon		41.6	+41.6
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Pilbara

1959 Western Australian state election: Pilbara

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Arthur Bickerton	656	62.0	−4.9
	Liberal and Country	Neil Radley	402	38.0	+4.9
Total formal votes			1,058	97.4	−1.3
Informal votes			28	2.6	+1.3
Turnout			1,086	76.1	−5.2
	Labor hold		Swing	−4.9

Roe

1959 Western Australian state election: Roe

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country	Charles Perkins	2,669	58.1	−41.9
	Independent Country	Edward Biglin	1,922	41.9	+41.9
Total formal votes			4,591	98.4
Informal votes			74	1.6
Turnout			4,665	91.7
	Country hold		Swing	N/A

South Fremantle

1959 Western Australian state election: South Fremantle

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Dick Lawrence	8,186	87.5	+11.2
	Communist	George Kendrick	1,173	12.5	+12.5
Total formal votes			9,359	90.6	−5.6
Informal votes			973	9.4	+5.6
Turnout			10,332	89.8	−0.6
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

South Perth

1959 Western Australian state election: South Perth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent Liberal	Bill Grayden	5,045	54.5	+27.9
	Liberal and Country	George Strickland	4,208	45.5	+18.4
Total formal votes			9,253	97.2	−0.8
Informal votes			266	2.8	+0.8
Turnout			9,519	93.4	0.0
	Independent Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

Stirling

1959 Western Australian state election: Stirling

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

Subiaco

1959 Western Australian state election: Subiaco

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Hugh Guthrie	3,943	46.7	+18.3
	Labor	Percival Potter	3,891	46.1	−1.2
	Democratic Labor	Ronald Bulbeck	604	7.2	+7.2
Total formal votes			8,438	98.1	+0.8
Informal votes			165	1.9	−0.8
Turnout			8,603	92.5	+0.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Hugh Guthrie	4,442	52.6	+4.3
	Labor	Percival Potter	3,996	47.4	−4.3
	Liberal and Country gain from Labor		Swing	+4.3

Toodyay

1959 Western Australian state election: Toodyay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Rolinson	1,541	34.2	−15.1
	Country	James Craig	1,433	31.8	−18.9
	Country	Joseph Farrell	1,422	31.6	+31.6
	Independent Labor	John Acott	106	2.4	+2.4
Total formal votes			4,502	97.7	0.0
Informal votes			108	2.3	0.0
Turnout			4,610	91.9	+3.0
Two-party-preferred result
	Country	James Craig	2,773	61.6	+10.9
	Labor	John Rolinson	1,729	38.4	−10.9
	Country hold		Swing	+10.9

Vasse

1959 Western Australian state election: Vasse

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	William Bovell	3,984	78.1	−21.9
	Democratic Labor	George Shervington	1,119	21.9	+21.9
Total formal votes			5,103	97.4
Informal votes			134	2.6
Turnout			5,237	94.2
	Liberal and Country hold		Swing	N/A

Victoria Park

1959 Western Australian state election: Victoria Park

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Hugh Andrew	4,878	51.3	−10.9
	Liberal and Country	David Hooper	3,188	33.5	−4.3
	Independent	Harold Hawthorne	789	8.3	+8.3
	Democratic Labor	William Carter	663	7.0	+7.0
Total formal votes			9,518	97.9	+0.1
Informal votes			199	2.1	−0.1
Turnout			9,717	92.7	−0.1
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Hugh Andrew		56.4	−5.8
	Liberal and Country	David Hooper		43.6	+5.8
	Labor hold		Swing	−5.8

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Warren

1959 Western Australian state election: Warren

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Joseph Rowberry	2,684	53.4	−46.6
	Liberal and Country	Walter Muir	2,025	40.3	+40.3
	Democratic Labor	Paul Brennan	319	6.4	+6.4
Total formal votes			5,028	98.9
Informal votes			55	1.1
Turnout			5,083	96.6
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Joseph Rowberry		54.3	−45.7
	Liberal and Country	Walter Muir		45.7	+45.7
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

Wembley Beaches

1959 Western Australian state election: Wembley Beaches

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal and Country	Les Nimmo	7,884	52.0	+14.5
	Labor	Frederick Marshall	5,951	39.3	−10.2
	Democratic Labor	William Coyne	1,327	8.8	+8.8
Total formal votes			15,162	98.6	+0.9
Informal votes			212	1.4	−0.9
Turnout			15,374	95.2	+0.2
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal and Country	Les Nimmo		59.4	+11.3
	Labor	Frederick Marshall		40.6	−11.3
	Liberal and Country gain from Labor		Swing	+11.3

• Two party preferred vote was estimated.

West Perth

1959 Western Australian state election: West Perth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Stanley Heal	3,421	50.7	−7.1
	Liberal and Country	Raymond Nowland	3,322	49.3	+7.1
Total formal votes			6,743	97.9	+0.6
Informal votes			145	2.1	−0.6
Turnout			6,888	87.9	−0.8
	Labor hold		Swing	−7.1

See also

• 1959 Western Australian state election
• Candidates of the 1959 Western Australian state election
• Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1959–1962