Kurilpa state by-election, 1949
Encyclopedia
The Kurilpa state by-election, 1949 was a by-election
held on 10 September 1949 for the Queensland
Legislative Assembly
seat of Kurilpa
, based in the inner southern Brisbane
suburbs of West End
and South Brisbane
.
The by-election was triggered by the death of Labor
member Patrick Copley on 18 July 1949. The seat was a swinging seat between Labor and non-Labor, although Copley had held it since the 1932 election
and it was expected to be retained by the party.
nominated Thomas Moores, the incumbent alderman for the Kurilpa Ward on Brisbane City Council
whose boundaries were identical to the Assembly seat. The Liberal Party
nominated Norman Brandon, while the Communist Party
nominated Anna Slater. It was the first electoral contest held since the Queensland People's Party
became the Liberal Party's Queensland branch, along with the Ipswich state by-election
held on the same day.
from 1960 until 1972.
Moores held Kurilpa until the 1957 state election
held on 3 August. He defected to the Queensland Labor Party
on 26 April 1957 and on 7 May 1957 was appointed Minister for Transport to replace the outgoing Deputy Premier
and minister John Duggan. With the loss of his seat at the election, Moores' term in the Executive Council of 3 months and 5 days was the shortest in Queensland since the six-day ministry
of 1899.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 10 September 1949 for the Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
Legislative Assembly
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
seat of Kurilpa
Electoral district of Kurilpa
Kurilpa was a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Queensland from 1912 to 1986. It was named for the Kurilpa Peninsula on the Brisbane River...
, based in the inner southern Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
suburbs of West End
West End, Queensland
West End is an inner-city suburb of southern Brisbane.-History:West End was named by early English settlers who found the area reminiscent of the West End of London....
and South Brisbane
South Brisbane, Queensland
South Brisbane is an inner city suburb of Brisbane, Australia located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, directly connected to the central business district by the Kurilpa, Victoria and Goodwill bridges....
.
The by-election was triggered by the death of Labor
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...
member Patrick Copley on 18 July 1949. The seat was a swinging seat between Labor and non-Labor, although Copley had held it since the 1932 election
Queensland state election, 1932
Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 11 June 1932 to elect the 62 members of the state's Legislative Assembly.The election was the first electoral test of the Country and Progressive National Party government led by Arthur Edward Moore, and was held in the midst of the Great...
and it was expected to be retained by the party.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 18 July 1949 | Thomas Copley died, vacating the seat of Kurilpa Electoral district of Kurilpa Kurilpa was a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Queensland from 1912 to 1986. It was named for the Kurilpa Peninsula on the Brisbane River... . |
| 22 August 1949 | Writs were issued by the Speaker Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly The Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly is a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, elected by the whole Parliament to preside over sittings of the Assembly and to maintain orderly proceedings. The Speaker is supported in his role by officers of the Parliamentary Service,... of the Legislative Assembly Queensland Legislative Assembly The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system... to proceed with a by-election. |
| 29 August 1949 | Close of nominations and draw of ballot papers. |
| 10 September 1949 | Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm. |
| 14 September 1949 | The writ was returned and the results formally declared. |
Candidates
The by-election attracted three candidates. The Labor PartyAustralian 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...
nominated Thomas Moores, the incumbent alderman for the Kurilpa Ward on Brisbane City Council
City of Brisbane
The City of Brisbane is the Local Government Area that has jurisdiction over the inner portion of the metropolitan area of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
whose boundaries were identical to the Assembly seat. The Liberal Party
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...
nominated Norman Brandon, while the Communist Party
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
nominated Anna Slater. It was the first electoral contest held since the Queensland People's Party
Queensland People's Party
The Queensland People's Party was a conservative political party in Queensland, Australia.Created in 1943 by Brisbane Lord Mayor John Beals Chandler, the Queensland People's Party contested elections in South East Queensland. In 1948, they became the Queensland branch of the Liberal Party of...
became the Liberal Party's Queensland branch, along with the Ipswich state by-election
Ipswich state by-election, 1949
The Ipswich state by-election, 1949 was a by-election held on 10 September 1949 for the Queensland Legislative Assembly seat of Ipswich, based in the centre of Ipswich to the south-west of Brisbane...
held on the same day.
Results
Thomas Moores retained the seat for the Labor Party.Aftermath
Upon Moores' election, the Kurilpa Ward council seat was filled at a by-election on 12 November 1949 by Colin Bennett, who went on to be the leader of Municipal Labor on Brisbane City Council during the 1950s, and subsequently held the Legislative Assembly seat of South BrisbaneElectoral district of South Brisbane
The district of South Brisbane is an electoral district of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. The electorate encompasses suburbs in Brisbane's inner-south, stretching from East Brisbane to West End, and south to Fairfield...
from 1960 until 1972.
Moores held Kurilpa until the 1957 state election
Queensland state election, 1957
Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 3 August 1957 to elect the 75 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. The major parties contesting the election were the Queensland Labor Party led by Premier Vince Gair, the Australian Labor Party led by former Deputy Premier John...
held on 3 August. He defected to the Queensland Labor Party
Queensland Labor Party
The Queensland Labor Party was a political party of Queensland, Australia formed in 1957 by a breakaway group of the then ruling Australian Labor Party Government after the expulsion of Premier Vince Gair...
on 26 April 1957 and on 7 May 1957 was appointed Minister for Transport to replace the outgoing Deputy Premier
Deputy Premier of Queensland
The Deputy Premier of Queensland is a role in the Government of Queensland assigned to a responsible Minister in the Australian state of Queensland. It has second ranking behind the Premier of Queensland in Cabinet, and its holder serves as Acting Premier during absence or incapacity of the Premier...
and minister John Duggan. With the loss of his seat at the election, Moores' term in the Executive Council of 3 months and 5 days was the shortest in Queensland since the six-day ministry
Anderson Dawson
Andrew Dawson , usually known as Anderson Dawson, was an Australian politician, the Premier of Queensland for one week in 1899...
of 1899.