1935 Australian Labor Party leadership election

1935 Australian Labor Party
leadership election

* * *

| <- 1931 | 1 October 1935 | 1945 ->

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Candidate  | John Curtin | Frank Forde | Norman Makin
First Ballot  | 9 (42.9%)  | 10 (47.6%)  | 2 (9.5%)
Second Ballot  | 11 (52.4%) | 10 (47.6%)  | Eliminated

* * *

| Leader before election

James Scullin

| Elected Leader

John Curtin

|

The Australian Labor Party held a leadership election on 1 October 1935, following the resignation of James Scullin. John Curtin was elected as his replacement, defeating Frank Forde and Norman Makin, and consequently became Leader of the Opposition.

Scullin had suffered persistent ill health for several years, and announced his intention to resign the leadership on 28 August 1935.[1] A caucus meeting was held on 23 September, although Scullin was absent due to a bout of influenza; the meeting passed a motion asking him to continue as leader, which he subsequently declined.[2] A second meeting was held on 1 October, at which Scullin formally resigned and called for a leadership ballot.[3]

All 21 members of the Labor caucus voted, although three were overseas and voted by telegram; the nine Lang Labor members were ineligible to vote, as they had not yet reconciled with the main party. There were three candidates – deputy leader Frank Forde, John Curtin, and Norman Makin. On the first ballot, Makin (who was overseas) received only two votes, and was eliminated. It was reported that both Makin voters transferred their support to Curtin on the second ballot, who was elected by a single vote over Forde.[4] Curtin's victory was unexpected, as Forde was seen as the natural successor and had prior ministerial experience. Forde's association with the Scullin government and support of the Premiers' Plan were believed to have played against him. Curtin was the first leader of a major political party to represent a constituency in Western Australia.[5]

## Results[edit]

The following table gives the ballot results:

Candidate  | 1st ballot  | 2nd ballot

|
|

| John Curtin | 9  | 11
| Frank Forde | 10  | 10
| Norman Makin | 2  | Eliminated

## References[edit]

1. ^ MR. SCULLIN RESIGNS., The Sydney Morning Herald, 29 August 1935.
2. ^ Mr. Scullin Asked to Continue, The Courier-Mail, 24 September 1935.
3. ^ SURPRISE VOTE FOR LABOUR LEADER, Melbourne Argus, 2 October 1935.
4. ^ NEW LABOUR LEADER., The Sydney Morning Herald, 2 October 1935.
5. ^ McMullin, Ross (1991). The Light on the Hill: The Australian Labor Party 1891–1991, Oxford University Press, pp. 185–186.

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* t
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Australian Labor Party

Leaders|

* Chris Watson
* Andrew Fisher
* Billy Hughes
* Frank Tudor
* Matthew Charlton
* James Scullin
* John Curtin
* Ben Chifley
* H. V. Evatt
* Arthur Calwell
* Gough Whitlam
* Bill Hayden
* Bob Hawke
* Paul Keating
* Kim Beazley
* Simon Crean
* Mark Latham
* Kim Beazley
* Kevin Rudd
* Julia Gillard
* Kevin Rudd
* Bill Shorten
* Anthony Albanese

Deputy leaders|

* Gregor McGregor
* Billy Hughes
* George Pearce
* Albert Gardiner
* James Scullin
* Arthur Blakeley
* Ted Theodore
* Frank Forde
* H. V. Evatt
* Arthur Calwell
* Gough Whitlam
* Lance Barnard
* Jim Cairns
* Frank Crean
* Tom Uren
* Lionel Bowen
* Paul Keating
* Brian Howe
* Kim Beazley
* Gareth Evans
* Simon Crean
* Jenny Macklin
* Julia Gillard
* Wayne Swan
* Anthony Albanese
* Tanya Plibersek
* Richard Marles

Governments|

* Watson
* Fisher I
* II
* III
* Hughes
* Scullin
* Curtin
* Forde
* Chifley
* Whitlam
* Hawke
* Keating
* Rudd I
* Gillard
* Rudd II
* Albanese

Ministries|

* Watson
* Fisher 1
* 2
* 3
* Hughes
* Scullin
* Curtin 1
* 2
* Forde
* Chifley 1
* 2
* Whitlam 1
* 2
* 3
* Hawke 1
* 2
* 3
* 4
* Keating 1
* 2
* Rudd 1
* Gillard 1
* 2
* Rudd 2
* Albanese

Shadow cabinets|

* Whitlam (1967–72)
* Whitlam (1975–77)
* Hayden
* Hawke
* Beazley (1996–2001)
* Crean
* Latham
* Beazley (2005–06)
* Rudd
* Shorten
* Albanese

State branches|

* Australian Capital Territory
* New South Wales
* Northern Territory
* Queensland
* South Australia
* Tasmania
* Victoria
* Western Australia

Party institutions|

* National Conference
* National Executive
* Australian Young Labor
* Australian Fabian Society
* Chifley Research Centre
* Federal Caucus
* John Curtin House

Factions|

| Current|

* Labor Right
* Labor Left
* Independent Labor

|

Historical|

* Ferguson Left
* Lang Labor

History|

* History of the Australian Labor Party
* 1916 split
* 1931 split
* 1955 split
* 1975 Australian constitutional crisis
* Faceless men
* Federal Labor (NSW)
* Gang of Four
* Industrial Groups
* Norfolk Island Labor Party
* The light on the hill
* Tree of Knowledge

Leadership votes|

* 1901
* 1907
* 1913
* 1915
* 1916
* 1920
* 1922
* 1928
* 1931
* 1935
* 1945
* 1951
* 1954
* 1956
* 1959
* 1960
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1976
* 1977 (May)
* 1977 (Dec)
* 1982
* 1983
* 1991 (Jun)
* 1991 (Dec)
* 1996
* 2001
* 2003 (Jun)
* 2003 (Dec)
* 2005
* 2006
* 2010
* 2012
* 2013 (Mar)
* 2013 (Jun)
* 2013 (Oct)
* 2019

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Leadership spills and elections in Australia

Labor Party|

* 1901
* 1907
* 1913
* 1915
* 1916
* 1920
* 1922
* 1928
* 1931
* 1935
* 1945
* 1951
* 1954
* 1956
* 1959
* 1960
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1976
* 1977 (May)
* 1977 (Dec)
* 1982
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* 1991 (Jun)
* 1991 (Dec)
* 1996
* 2001
* 2003 (Jun)
* 2003 (Dec)
* 2005
* 2006
* 2010
* 2012
* 2013 (Mar)
* 2013 (Jun)
* 2013 (Oct)
* 2019

Liberal Party|

| UAP|

* 1931
* 1939
* 1941
* 1943

|

Liberal|

* 1966
* 1968
* 1969
* 1971
* 1972
* 1975
* 1982
* 1983
* 1985
* 1987
* 1989
* 1990
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 2007
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National Party|

* 1921
* 1939
* 1941
* 1958
* 1971
* 1984
* 1989
* 1990
* 1999
* 2005
* 2007
* 2016
* 2018
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022

Greens|

* 2005
* 2012
* 2015
* 2020

See spills of: New South Wales • Victoria
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