1931 Victorian local elections

* * *

| <- 1930 | 27 August 1931 | 1932 ->

|
|

|  | First party  | Second party  | Third party

|
|
|

IND

|  |
Leader  | N/A | Edmond Hogan | Stanley Argyle
Party  | Independents | Labor | Nationalist
Last election  | [a] | 10[a] | 2[a]
Seats before  |  | 8  | 2
Seats won  | 150  | 2  | 3
Seat change  |  |  6  |  1
Popular vote  | 119,854  | 13,234  | 5,829
Percentage  | 79.22%  | 8.75%  | 3.85%

* * *

| Fourth party  | Fifth party  | Sixth party

REF

AFAL

Leader  | No leader | Alexander Gibson | Murray Bourchier
Party  | Reform Movement | All for Australia | Country
Last election  | 0  | Did not exist | 0[a]
Seats before  | 0  | 0  | 0
Seats won  | 1  | 0  | 0
Seat change  |  1  |  |
Popular vote  | 272  | 272  | 135
Percentage  | 0.95%  | 0.18%  | 0.09%
Swing  |  0.95  |  0.18  |

* * *

| Seventh party  |
|  |
Leader  | No leader |
Party  | Communist |
Last election  | 0  |
Seats before  | 0  |
Seats won  | 0  |
Seat change  |  |
Popular vote  | 130  |
Percentage  | 0.09%  |

The 1931 Victorian local elections were held on 27 August 1931 to elect the councils of 100 of the local government areas in Victoria, Australia. A number of by-elections were also held to fill extraordinary vacancies.[1]

Until the 1994 reforms introduced by the Kennett state government, all local elections were staggered, with not all councillors up for election each year.[2]

## Background

[edit]

Labor went into the local elections with eight sitting councillors, after A. Pollock (Collingwood) and J. Ryan (Port Melbourne) failed to secure party endorsement for re-election. The party ran a total of 19 candidates − 17 in the Greater Melbourne area and two in Wonthaggi.[1]

Before the elections, the federal Nationalist Party merged with a group of defectors from the Labor who supported Joseph Lyons, and formed the United Australia Party. However, the Nationalist name continued to be used for the party's state branch until after the local elections when the name formally changed on 15 September 1931.[3]

A number of local parties contested the elections. Additionally, the All for Australia League contested its first elections, having been formed several months prior in January 1931.[4]

## Results

[edit]

Main article: Results of the 1931 Victorian local elections

Party  | Votes  | %  | Swing  | Seats  | Change

|
|
|
|
|

| Independents | 119,854  | 79.22  |  | 150  |
| Labor | 13,234  | 8.75  |  | 2  |  8
| Nationalist | 5,829  | 3.85  |  | 3  |  1
| Progressive Ratepayers | 3,025  | 2.00  |  | 4  |  4
| Port Melbourne Progressives | 2,329  | 1.54  |  | 2  |  2
| Returned Soldiers | 1,480  | 0.98  |  | 1  |  1
| Reform Movement  | 1,431  | 0.95  | +0.95  | 1  |  1
| Independent Labor | 960  | 0.63  |  | 0  |
| Preston Progressives | 836  | 0.55  |  | 1  |  1
| Unemployed Association | 782  | 0.52  |  | 0  |
| East Oakleigh Improvement | 386  | 0.26  |  | 0  |
| Vigilance League | 375  | 0.25  | +0.25  | 0  |
| All for Australia | 272  | 0.18  | +0.18  | 0  |
| Chelsea Ratepayers | 217  | 0.14  |  | 0  |
| Country | 135  | 0.09  |  | 0  |
| Communist | 130  | 0.09  |  | 0  |
Total  | 151,275 | 100.0 |  | 165 |

## Aftermath

[edit]

Labor suffered losses in Brunswick, Coburg, Collingwood, Footscray, Heidelberg, Port Melbourne and Williamstown.[1]

Four female candidates contested the elections − Ethel Blagdon (Hawthorn), Marie Dalley (Kew), Jennie Baines (Port Melbourne) and Violet Lambert (Fern Tree Gully). Lambert was elected in South Riding, defeating sitting councillor J. Hobbs with 74.04% of the vote.[1]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d This only includes the council seats up for election in 1931.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS". Trove. The Age.
2. ^ "FINAL REPORT Electoral Representation Review for the Boroondara City Council (see page 11)" (PDF). Victorian Electoral Commission. 2008-05-26.
3. ^ "NATIONALIST PARTY". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. 16 September 1931. p. 1.
4. ^ Carole Ferrier. "A red revolutionist and ranter". Australian National University. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008.

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