Tasmanian state election, 1916
Encyclopedia
A general election for the House of Assembly
was held in the Australia
n state
of Tasmania
on 23 March 1916 (a Thursday, as the convention of holding elections on a Saturday did not become common until the 1920s).
, events since then had seen them lose government, and by 1916 the incumbent Premier of Tasmania was Labor's John Earle
. Earle's government had been appointed on the expectation that he would quickly call for a dissolution of parliament
, however he refused to do so, and successfully appealed to the Colonial Office
. He remained Premier until the writ for the next election was issued.
The Liberal Party was headed by Walter Lee
.
going to Joshua Whitsitt
who ran as an independent, the Liberals had no clear majority, although Walter Lee
became Premier as leader of the party with the most seats.
Tasmanian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Legislative Council or Upper House...
was held in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
on 23 March 1916 (a Thursday, as the convention of holding elections on a Saturday did not become common until the 1920s).
Background
Although the Liberals had won the 1913 electionTasmanian state election, 1913
A general election for the House of Assembly was held in the Australian state of Tasmania on 23 January 1913 .-Background:...
, events since then had seen them lose government, and by 1916 the incumbent Premier of Tasmania was Labor's John Earle
John Earle (Australian politician)
John Earle was an Australian politician and the first Labor Premier of Tasmania.- Early life :Born into a farming family of Cornish descent in Bridgewater, Tasmania, Earle left home at 17 to work as a blacksmith's apprentice in a Hobart foundry...
. Earle's government had been appointed on the expectation that he would quickly call for a dissolution of parliament
Dissolution of parliament
In parliamentary systems, a dissolution of parliament is the dispersal of a legislature at the call of an election.Usually there is a maximum length of a legislature, and a dissolution must happen before the maximum time...
, however he refused to do so, and successfully appealed to the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
. He remained Premier until the writ for the next election was issued.
The Liberal Party was headed by Walter Lee
Walter Lee (Australian politician)
Sir Walter Henry Lee KCMG was an Australian politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. He was Premier of Tasmania on three occasions: from 15 April 1916 to 12 August 1922; from 14 August 1923 to 25 October 1923; and from 15 March 1934 to 22 June 1934.Lee was born in Longford in...
.
Results
|}Distribution of Seats
EWLINE
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Aftermath
The Labor Party made no gains at the 1916 election, and with one seat in DarwinDivision of Darwin
The Division of Darwin was an Australian Electoral Division in Tasmania. The division was created in 1903 and abolished in 1955, when it was replaced by the Division of Braddon. It was named after Charles Darwin, who visited Australia in 1836. It was located in north-western Tasmania, including the...
going to Joshua Whitsitt
Joshua Whitsitt
Joshua Thomas Hoskins Whitsitt was an Australian politician. Born in Ireland, where he was educated, he migrated to Tasmania as a youth, becoming a bank officer and farmer at Cooee. In 1909 he was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly as one of the members for Darwin, representing the...
who ran as an independent, the Liberals had no clear majority, although Walter Lee
Walter Lee (Australian politician)
Sir Walter Henry Lee KCMG was an Australian politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. He was Premier of Tasmania on three occasions: from 15 April 1916 to 12 August 1922; from 14 August 1923 to 25 October 1923; and from 15 March 1934 to 22 June 1934.Lee was born in Longford in...
became Premier as leader of the party with the most seats.
External links
- Assembly Election Results, 1916, Parliament of TasmaniaParliament of TasmaniaThe Parliament of Tasmania consists of the Tasmanian Legislative Council, Tasmanian House of Assembly and the Monarch represented by the Governor of Tasmania....
. - Report on General Election, 1916, Tasmanian Electoral Commission, September 1916.