Mount Marshall state by-election, 1967
Encyclopedia
The Mount Marshall state by-election, 1967 was a by-election
held on 2 September 1967 for the Western Australia
n Legislative Assembly
seat of Mount Marshall
in the northeastern agricultural part of the state.
The by-election was triggered by the death of Country Party
member George Cornell on 30 June 1967.
The seat of Mount Marshall, first established in 1930, was considered to be a safe seat for the Country Party. At the time of the by-election, the seat included the towns of Bencubbin
, Dowerin
, Kellerberrin
, Koorda
, Mukinbudin
, Trayning
and Wyalkatchem
, as well as many smaller towns and settlements in the region.
, representing the Country Party, was a farmer from Dalwallinu
who had served on the Dalwallinu shire council
from 1958 until 1964. Bill McNee, representing the Liberal and Country League
, had farmed at Wyalkatchem
and Koorda
and was at different times president of both towns' Liberal branches. Djordje Miličić represented the Australian Labor Party
.
.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 2 September 1967 for the Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
seat of Mount Marshall
Electoral district of Mount Marshall
Mount Marshall was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1930 to 1989.-History:The seat was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1929 and was first contested in the 1930 state election...
in the northeastern agricultural part of the state.
The by-election was triggered by the death of Country Party
National Party of Western Australia
The National Party of Western Australia is a political party in Western Australia. It is affiliated with the National Party of Australia but maintains a separate structure and identity....
member George Cornell on 30 June 1967.
The seat of Mount Marshall, first established in 1930, was considered to be a safe seat for the Country Party. At the time of the by-election, the seat included the towns of Bencubbin
Bencubbin, Western Australia
Bencubbin is a town in Western Australia, located in the North Eastern Wheatbelt, 275 km north-east of Perth. The town lies within the Shire of Mount Marshall and is home to approximately 200 people...
, Dowerin
Dowerin, Western Australia
Dowerin is a town and shire located north-east of Perth in the central Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.-History:In 1906 the government extended the railway from Goomalling to the developing Dowerin Agricultural Area and decided to develop a townsite at the terminus...
, Kellerberrin
Kellerberrin, Western Australia
Kellerberrin is a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, east of Perth on the Great Eastern Highway.The railway line from Northam to Southern Cross was constructed through here in 1893-94, and this section opened for traffic in 1895. Kellerberrin was one of the original stations when...
, Koorda
Koorda, Western Australia
Koorda is a town located in the North Eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately east of Perth and north of Wyalkatchem at the northeastern end of the Cowcowing Lakes. It is the main town in the Shire of Koorda...
, Mukinbudin
Mukinbudin, Western Australia
Mukinbudin is a town located in the North Eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately east of Perth and north of Merredin near Lake Campion. It is the main town in the Shire of Mukinbudin...
, Trayning
Trayning, Western Australia
Trayning is a town located in the north-eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 236 kilometres east of the state capital, Perth, between the towns of Wyalkatchem and Nungarin. At the 2006 census, Trayning had a population of 122....
and Wyalkatchem
Wyalkatchem, Western Australia
Wyalkatchem townsite is located in the central agricultural region, east north east of Perth and east of Dowerin. At the 2006 census, Wyalkatchem had a population of 344....
, as well as many smaller towns and settlements in the region.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 30 June 1967 | George Cornell died, vacating the seat of Mount Marshall Electoral district of Mount Marshall Mount Marshall was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1930 to 1989.-History:The seat was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1929 and was first contested in the 1930 state election... . |
| 2 August 1967 | The Minister for Justice, Arthur Griffith Arthur Griffith (Australian politician) Sir Arthur Frederick Griffith was an Australian politician, and a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1950 until 1953 representing the seat of Canning, and a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council representing the Suburban and North Metropolitan provinces from... , appointed polling places in the district. |
| 4 August 1967 | Writs were issued by the Speaker Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly The Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer in the Legislative Assembly. The office has existed since the creation of the Legislative Assembly in 1890 under the Constitution Act 1889... of the Legislative Assembly Western Australian Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth.... to proceed with a by-election. |
| 11 August 1967 | Close of nominations and draw of ballot papers. |
| 2 September 1967 | Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm. |
| 18 September 1967 | The writ was returned and the results formally declared. |
Candidates
The by-election attracted three candidates. Ray McPharlinRay McPharlin
Walter Raymond "Ray" McPharlin was the Country Party member for Mount Marshall in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1967 to 1983....
, representing the Country Party, was a farmer from Dalwallinu
Dalwallinu, Western Australia
Dalwallinu is a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, located 248 km from Perth via the Great Northern Highway. Agriculture and supporting industries are the town's primary economic activities. The town is also the first town on The Wildflower Way, a world-famous Western...
who had served on the Dalwallinu shire council
Shire of Dalwallinu
The Shire of Dalwallinu is a Local Government Area located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about NNE of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of government is the town of Dalwallinu.-History:...
from 1958 until 1964. Bill McNee, representing the Liberal and Country League
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...
, had farmed at Wyalkatchem
Wyalkatchem, Western Australia
Wyalkatchem townsite is located in the central agricultural region, east north east of Perth and east of Dowerin. At the 2006 census, Wyalkatchem had a population of 344....
and Koorda
Koorda, Western Australia
Koorda is a town located in the North Eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately east of Perth and north of Wyalkatchem at the northeastern end of the Cowcowing Lakes. It is the main town in the Shire of Koorda...
and was at different times president of both towns' Liberal branches. Djordje Miličić represented the Australian Labor Party
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...
.
Results
Ray McPharlin retained the seat for the Country Party. No swings are noted due to the seat being uncontested at the 1965 electionWestern Australian state election, 1965
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 20 February 1965 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly and 15 members to the 30-seat Legislative Council...
.