Template talk:Tasmanian elections

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Australia: Tasmania / Politics

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Why does this template omit the first few decades? Ambi 14:35, 21 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It lists every election on http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/tpl/Elections/ahares.htm -- Barrylb 14:51, 21 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

...since 1909. The Assembly was created in 1856. There's more than fifty years missing there. Ambi 15:54, 21 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Update: For anyone interested in data back to 1856:

The data is hard to obtain. The only source I can find is Tasmanian electoral handbook, 1851-1982 by Scott Bennett and Barbara Bennett, available at the State Library of Tasmania. They have compiled extensive data primarily from newspapers but still there are many inconsistencies and inaccuracies.
Prior to 1909 the elections were structured quite differently. There were numerous electorates (initially 24, sometimes 30+) for which elections appear to have been held on different dates. There were also numerous by-elections.
I would happily place the information online but suspect it would it be a copyright violation to reproduce the data from the above reference.

-- Barrylb 04:02, 9 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It seems that there was definitely an election in 1856, and I shall add that (but it will look a bit funny). Number 5 7 07:53, 9 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've reverted that until we discuss it a bit more. I don't think it makes sense to add 'election years' like the 1909+ ones. Prior to 1909 it seems to me that multiple elections were held throughout the year, every year. They don't seem to resemble the 1909+ elections in which elections for all electorates were all held on one date every 3 or 4 years. I just want to make sure we decide how to handle that. -- Barrylb 09:40, 9 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oh dear. Does that mean that the Legislative Assembly, prior to 1909, had the same sorts of periodic elections that the Legislative Council does now? If that's the case, that makes things a lot more difficult. As for the data, however, one can't copyright facts, so I don't see a problem with republishing the data. Rebecca 09:55, 9 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]