Australian federal election, 1966 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Federal elections were held in Australia on 26 November 1966. All 124 seats in the House of Representatives

Australian House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....

were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia

Liberal Party of Australia

The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...

led by Prime Minister of Australia

Prime Minister of Australia

The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...

Harold Holt

Harold Edward Holt, CH was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia.His term as Prime Minister was brought to an early and dramatic end in December 1967 when he disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria, and was presumed drowned.Holt spent 32 years...

with coalition

Coalition (Australia)

The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...

partner the Country Party led by John McEwen

John McEwen

Sir John "Black Jack" McEwen, GCMG, CH , was an Australian politician and the 18th Prime Minister of Australia...

defeated the Australian Labor Party

Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...

led by Arthur Calwell

Arthur Calwell

Arthur Augustus Calwell Australian politician, was a member of the Australian House of Representatives for 32 years from 1940 to 1972, Immigration Minister in the government of Ben Chifley from 1945 to 1949 and Leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1960 to 1967.-Early life:Calwell was born in...

. The election was a landslide win to the Coalition, which won twice as many seats as the ALP. Holt’s victory was greater than any of Menzies’, and it was seen as the high point of his Prime Ministership.

House of Reps (IRV
Instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...

) — 1966–69—Turnout 95.13% (CV
Compulsory voting
Compulsory voting is a system in which electors are obliged to vote in elections or attend a polling place on voting day. If an eligible voter does not attend a polling place, he or she may be subject to punitive measures such as fines, community service, or perhaps imprisonment if fines are unpaid...

) — Informal 3.10%
Party	Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
Liberal Party of Australia Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...	2,291,964	40.14	+3.05	61	+9
Australian Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...	2,282,834	39.98	−5.49	41	−9
Country Party	561,926	9.84	+0.90	21	+1
Democratic Labor Party Democratic Labor Party (historical) The Democratic Labor Party was an Australian political party that existed from 1955 until 1978.-History:The DLP was formed as a result of a split in the Australian Labor Party that began in 1954. The split was between the party's national leadership, under the then party leader Dr H.V...	417,411	7.31	−0.13	0	0
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... s	82,948	1.45	+1.04	1	+1
Other	72,666	1.27		0	0
Total	5,709,749			124	+2
Liberal/Country coalition Coalition (Australia) The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...	WIN	56.90	+4.30	82	+10
Australian Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...		43.10	−4.30	41	−9

Independents: Sam Benson

Sam Benson

Samuel James "Sam" Benson, CBE was an Australian politician. Born in Adelaide, he was educated in that city at St Peter's College...

Seats changing hands

Seat	Pre-1966				Swing	Post-1966
Seat	Party		Member	Margin	Swing	Margin	Member	Party
Adelaide, SA Division of Adelaide The Division of Adelaide is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia. The division was created in 1903 and is named for the city of Adelaide, South Australia's capital. The seat has always been based in the inner suburbs of Adelaide...		Labor	Joe Sexton Joe Sexton Joseph Clement Leonard "Joe" Sexton was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1958 to 1966, representing the Division of Adelaide, South Australia....	7.2	10.0	2.8	Andrew Jones	Liberal
Bowman, Qld Division of Bowman The Division of Bowman is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1949 and is named for David Bowman, an early leader of the Australian Labor Party, in Queensland...		Labor	Leonard Reynolds Leonard Reynolds Leonard James Reynolds was an Australian politician. Born in Harden, New South Wales, he was educated at state schools before attending the University of Sydney. He undertook military service from 1943 to 1946 and was subsequently a teacher and education lecturer...	0.7	2.9	2.2	William Arthur William Arthur (Australian politician) Sir William Tevlin Arthur was an Australian politician. Born in Sydney, he attended state schools and was on military service from 1941 to 1946. Subsequently he was a journalist, scriptwriter and research officer. He first contested the Australian House of Representatives seat of Barton in 1954,...	Liberal
Batman, Vic Division of Batman The Division of Batman is an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1906 , and is named after John Batman, one of the founders of the city of Melbourne. When it was created it covered the inner suburbs of Carlton and Fitzroy, but successive boundary changes have...		Labor	Sam Benson Sam Benson Samuel James "Sam" Benson, CBE was an Australian politician. Born in Adelaide, he was educated in that city at St Peter's College...	N/A	8.7	7.8	Sam Benson Sam Benson Samuel James "Sam" Benson, CBE was an Australian politician. Born in Adelaide, he was educated in that city at St Peter's College...	Independent
Eden-Monaro, NSW Division of Eden-Monaro The Division of Eden-Monaro is anAustralian Electoral Division in New South Wales.The division was created in 1900, and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named for the town of Eden and the Monaro district of southern New South Wales...		Labor	Allan Fraser Allan Fraser (Australian politician) Allan Duncan Fraser CMG was an Australian politician and journalist.Fraser was in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton and brought up in Tasmania. He left State High School, Hobart at 17 to become a journalist on the Hobart Mercury. He worked for the Argus in Melbourne from 1922 to 1929 when he...	2.7	3.4	0.7	Dugald Munro Dugald Munro Dugald Ranald Ross Munro was an Australian politician. He was the Liberal Party of Australia member for the House of Representatives seat of Eden-Monaro from 1966 until his defeat by Allan Fraser in the 1969 election....	Liberal
Grey, SA Division of Grey The Division of Grey is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia.The division was created in 1903 and is named for Sir George Grey, who was Governor of South Australia 1841-45 ....		Labor	Jack Mortimer Jack Mortimer Jack Mortimer was an Australian politician. He received a primary education before becoming a farmer in South Australia. He served in the military 1942-1946 and returned as a waterside worker in Port Lincoln. In 1963, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member...	4.8	7.8	3.0	Don Jessop Don Jessop Donald Scott "Don" Jessop was an Australian politician. Born in Adelaide, he was educated at state schools and then the University of Adelaide, after which he became an optometrist at Port Augusta. He was a councillor with Port Augusta City...	Liberal
Griffith, Qld Division of Griffith The Division of Griffith is anAustralian Electoral Division in Queensland.The division was created in 1934, when the old seat of Oxley was abolished, and is named for Sir Samuel Griffith, 9th Premier of Queensland and principal author of the Australian Constitution...		Labor	Wilfred Coutts Wilfred Coutts Wilfred Charles Coutts was an Australian politician. Born in Marburg, Queensland, he was educated at state schools before becoming a salesman. He was active in local politics as a member of Brisbane City Council. In 1954, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor...	5.8	6.9	1.1	Donald Milner Cameron Donald Milner Cameron Donald Milner Cameron, AM , Australian politician, was born in Brisbane, and was educated at Church of England Grammar School and the University of Queensland....	Liberal
Herbert, Qld Division of Herbert The Division of Herbert is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. Eligible voters within the Division elect a single representative, known as the member for Herbert, to the Australian House of Representatives. The division was first contested at the 1901 election...		Labor	Ted Harding Ted Harding Ernest William "Ted" Harding was an Australian politician and rugby league footballer. Born in Bowen, Queensland, he was educated at Townsville Grammar School before serving in the military 1942-44...	3.2	4.3	1.1	Robert Bonnett Robert Bonnett Robert Noel Bonnett, OBE was an Australian politician. Born in Brisbane, he was educated at state schools before becoming a sales manager at Townsville. He served in the military 1941-45. In 1966, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Liberal member for Herbert,...	Liberal
Hughes, NSW Division of Hughes The Division of Hughes is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1955 and is named for Billy Hughes, who was Prime Minister of Australia 1915-23...		Labor	Les Johnson Les Johnson The Honourable Leslie Royston "Les" Johnson AM is a former Australian politician, minister and High Commissioner.In his mid-twenties, Les Johnson was elected as a Councillor for Sutherland Shire, New South Wales, where he served for five years.Johnson was elected for the Australian Labor Party as...	2.7	4.7	2.0	Don Dobie Don Dobie James Donald Mathieson "Don" Dobie was an Australian politician. Born in Glasgow in Scotland, he migrated to Australia as a child and was educated at Brisbane Grammar School, the University of Melbourne, and Columbia University in New York...	Liberal
Kennedy, Qld Division of Kennedy The Division of Kennedy is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. The division is notable for its size, relative to other electoral divisions...		Labor	Bill Riordan Bill Riordan William James Frederick "Bill" Riordan CBE was an Australian politician and Minister for the Navy.Riordan was born in Chillagoe, Queensland, son of William James Riordan and nephew of Darby Riordan and Ernest Riordan William James Frederick "Bill" Riordan CBE (8 February 1908 – 15 January 1973)...	13.5	15.0	1.5	Bob Katter Bob Katter, Sr. Robert Cummin "Bob" Katter was an Australian federal politician and Minister for the Army. He was a Country Party member of the Australian House of Representatives for over 23 years.-Early years and background:...	Country
Kingston, SA Division of Kingston The Division of Kingston is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia covering the far-south metropolitan area of Adelaide. The division was first proclaimed in 1949....		Labor	Patrick Galvin Patrick Galvin Patrick Galvin was an Irish poet, singer, playwright, and prose and screen writer born in Cork's inner city.-Biography:Galvin was born in Cork in 1927 at a time of great political transition in Ireland...	4.5	12.7	8.2	Kay Brownbill Kay Brownbill Kay Cathrine Millin Brownbill OBE was an Australian politician. Born in Adelaide, South Australia, she was educated at state schools before become a journalist, broadcaster and public relations officer...	Liberal
Lalor, Vic Division of Lalor The Division of Lalor is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the outer western suburbs of Melbourne. It includes the suburbs of Werribee, Point Cook, Laverton, Rockbank and Melton....		Labor	Reg Pollard Reg Pollard Reginald Thomas Pollard was an Australian politician.Pollard was born in Castlemaine, Victoria and educated at Woodend State School, West Melbourne Technical School and Workingmen's College. He worked as an agricultural labourer near Werribee and from 1912 to 1915 as a fitter in Melbourne...	7.0	7.7	0.7	Mervyn Lee Mervyn Lee Mervyn William Lee was an Australian politician. Born in Broadford, Victoria, he was educated at Kingswood College in Melbourne before becoming a Commonwealth public servant. After serving in World War II 1941-46, he became a drapery and hardware merchant...	Liberal
Northern Territory, NT Division of Northern Territory The Division of Northern Territory was an Australian Electoral Division in the Northern Territory. Throughout its existence, it was the only Division in the Territory....		Labor	John Nelson John Nelson (Australian politician) John Norman Nelson , known as Jock Nelson, was an Australian politician. Born in Bundaberg, Queensland, the son of politician Harold Nelson, he was educated at state schools in Darwin before becoming a jackeroo and goldminer, and later a bore contractor at Alice Springs. After serving in the...	100.0	51.7	1.7	Sam Calder Sam Calder Stephen Edward "Sam" Calder AM, OBE was a decorated World War II flying ace, member of the Australian House of Representatives, and founder of the Northern Territory Country Liberal Party, one of the more successful political parties in Australia’s history.Calder was born in Melbourne, Victoria...	Country

Members in italics did not contest their seat at this election.

Issues

The new Prime Minister, Harold Holt, was stylish, debonair and popular with the electorate. He cast a sharp contrast with the much rougher figure of Arthur Calwell, who had already lost two elections. Calwell held to the beliefs that had been central to the last Labor Government of 1941–1949, many of which were seen as being old-fashioned in 1966. For example, he was a defender of the White Australia Policy

White Australia policy

The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....

. In addition, a strong economy and initial enthusiasm for Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

virtually guaranteed the Coalition the election. Calwell retired a month after the election and was succeeded by Deputy Labor leader Gough Whitlam

Gough Whitlam

Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...

Seats changing hands

Issues

See also