1931 Victorian local elections

1931 Victorian local elections

27 August 1931

First party Second party Third party   IND Leader N/A Edmond Hogan Stanley Argyle Party Independents Labor Nationalist Last election 10 2 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 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.

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

Background

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.

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.

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.

Results

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

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

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.