1932 New South Wales state election

The 1932 New South Wales state election was held on 11 June 1932. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 30th New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting. It was a landslide victory for the UAP/Country Party coalition of Bertram Stevens, which had a majority of 42 in the Assembly.[1][2][3]

1932 New South Wales state election

← 1930 11 June 1932 1935 →

All 90 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
46 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
Registered1,465,008
Turnout1,336,827 (96.40%)
(Increase1.46 pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Bertram Stevens Jack Lang Michael Bruxner
Party United Australia Lang Labor Country
Leader since 5 April 1932 31 July 1923 27 April 1932
Leader's seat Croydon Auburn Tenterfield
Last election New party 55 seats, 55.05% 12 seats, 9.56%
Seats won 41 24 23
Seat change Increase 41 Decrease 31 Increase 11
Popular vote 491,124 536,897 175,862
Percentage 36.74% 40.16% 13.16%
Swing Increase 36.74% Decrease 14.89% Increase 3.6%

Results by division for the Legislative Assembly, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.

Composition of New South Wales Legislative Assembly following the election.

Premier before election

Bertram Stevens
United Australia (United Australia–Country Coalition)

Elected Premier

Bertram Stevens
United Australia (United Australia–Country Coalition)

UAP advertisement published in The Bulletin a few weeks before the election

The 29th parliament of New South Wales was dissolved on 18 May 1932 after the Governor, Sir Philip Game dismissed the Premier Jack Lang (see the crisis of 1931–32)[4] and commissioned Bertram Stevens to form a caretaker government.[5] Lang's government had a majority of 20 at the time of the dismissal. In this election, the Australian Labor Party (NSW) and the Federal Executive of the Australian Labor Party, which had separated in 1931 (see Lang Labor), endorsed separate candidates. The ALP (Federal) had candidates in 43 seats but none were elected. The parties were re-united in 1936. The campaign was marked by mass Labor Party public meetings including, allegedly, the largest public meeting in Australian history when Lang addressed 200,000 people at Moore Park on 5 June.

Key dates

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Date Event
13 May 1932 Third Lang ministry dismissed by the Governor of New South Wales, Philip Game and Bertram Stevens appointed Premier.
16 May 1932 Balance of first Stevens ministry appointed.
18 May 1932 The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election.
25 May 1932 Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon.
11 June 1932 Polling day.
23 June 1932 Opening of 30th Parliament.

Results

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New South Wales state election, 11 June 1932
Legislative Assembly
<< 19301935 >>

Enrolled voters 1,418,141[a]
Votes cast 1,336,827 Turnout 96.40 –1.46
Informal votes 30,260 Informal 2.21 –0.04
Summary of votes by party
Party Primary votes % Swing Seats Change
  Labor (NSW) 536,897 40.16 –14.89 24 –31
  United Australia 491,124 36.74 +6.24 [b] 41 +18
  Country 175,862 13.16 +3.60 23 +11
  Federal Labor 56,641 4.24 +4.24 0 ±0
  Country–UAP (joint endorsement) 23,020 1.72 +1.72 2 +2
  Communist 12,351 0.92 +0.13 0 ±0
  Independent Country 9,696 0.73 +0.48 0 ±0
  Ind. United Australia 9,088 0.68 +0.61 [b] 0 ±0
  All for Australia 3,806 0.28 +0.28 0 ±0
  Independent Labor 1,915 0.14 –0.40 0 ±0
  Women's Candidate 704 0.05 +0.05 0 ±0
  Independents 15,723 1.18 +0.01 0 ±0
Total 1,336,827     90  
Popular vote
Labor (NSW)
40.16%
United
36.74%
Country
13.16%
Federal Labor
4.24%
Country–UAP
1.72%
Others
3.98%
Parliamentary seats
Labor (NSW)
24
United
41
Country
23
Federal Labor
0
Country–UAP
2
Others
0

Changing seats

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Seats changing hands
Seat 1930 1932
Party Member Member Party
Albury   Labor (NSW) Joseph Fitzgerald Alexander Mair United Australia  
Arncliffe Joseph Cahill Horace Harper
Ashburnham William Keast Hilton Elliott Country  
Barwon Bill Ratcliffe[c] Ben Wade
Bathurst Gus Kelly Gordon Wilkins United Australia-Country
Bondi Abe Landa Norman Thomas United Australia  
Canterbury Arthur Tonge Edward Hocking
Castlereagh Joseph Clark Alfred Yeo Country  
Concord Henry McDicken Stan Lloyd United Australia  
Cootamundra Ken Hoad Bill Ross Country  
Corowa   Nationalist Richard Ball[d] Richard Ball
Drummoyne   Labor (NSW) David McLelland John Lee United Australia  
Dubbo Alfred McClelland George Wilson Country  
Dulwich Hill Frank Connors John Ness United Australia  
George's River Ted Kinsella Cecil Monro
Goulburn Jack Tully Peter Loughlin
Granville Bill Ely Claude Fleck
Hurstville Walter Butler James Webb
Kogarah Mark Gosling James Ross
Maitland Walter O'Hearn Walter Howarth
Mudgee Bill Dunn David Spring United Australia-Country  
Murray John Donovan Joe Lawson Country
Murrumbidgee Martin Flannery Robert Hankinson
Namoi William Scully Colin Sinclair
North Sydney Ben Howe Hubert Primrose United Australia  
Orange William Folster Alwyn Tonking
Parramatta Joseph Byrne George Gollan
Petersham Joe Lamaro Eric Solomon
Randwick Jack Flanagan Arthur Moverly
Ryde Evan Davies Eric Spooner
Upper Hunter   Nationalist William Cameron[e] Malcolm Brown Country  
Waverley   Labor (NSW) William Clementson John Waddell United Australia  
Young Clarrie Martin Albert Reid Country  

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Of the 1,465,008 enrolled voters, 46,867 were enrolled in three electorates that were uncontested at the election (one UAP-held and two Country-held).[1]
  2. ^ a b The swing figures for the United Australia Party (and independent UAP candidates) are calculated using the Nationalist Party's figures at the previous election.
  3. ^ Bill Ratcliffe retired.
  4. ^ Nationalist Richard Ball joined Country.
  5. ^ William Cameron (Nationalist) died and Malcolm Brown (Independent Country) won the resulting by-election, standing as a Country candidate at this election.

References

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  1. ^ a b Green, Antony. "1932 election totals". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Part 5B alphabetical list of all electorates and Members since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Former members of the New South Wales Parliament, 1856–2006". New South Wales Parliament. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  4. ^ Nairn, Bede. "Lang, John Thomas (Jack) (1876–1975)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  5. ^ Ward, John M. "Stevens, Sir Bertram Sydney Barnsdale (1889–1973)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 2 November 2021.

Bibliography

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  • Nairn, Bede (1995). Jack Lang the 'Big Fella':Jack Lang and the Australian Labor Party 1891–1949. Melbourne University Press Melbourne. ISBN 0522846963. OCLC 34416531.