Queensland state election, 1938
Encyclopedia
Elections were held in the Australia
n state
of Queensland
on 2 April 1938 to elect the 62 members of the state's Legislative Assembly
. The Labor
government of Premier William Forgan Smith
was seeking a third term in office. During the previous term, the Country
and United Australia
parties had emerged out of the united Country and Progressive National Party
, which had represented conservative forces for over a decade.
The most notable feature of the election campaign was the Protestant Labor Party
, established in 1937, which claimed that the Forgan Smith Ministry
was disproportionately Catholic and made extravagant claims that three-quarters of all police and public servants in the State were Catholic. Despite the campaign, Labor only lost one seat, Kelvin Grove, to the party.
The unsuccessful Protestant Labor candidate for Ithaca, George Webb, lodged a petition against the return of Labor member Ned Hanlon. He was initially successful in the Supreme Court when the case was heard by Justice E.A. Douglas, who voided the election result on 12 October on the basis of a finding that two men who had acted improperly were Hanlon's agents, but Hanlon appealed to the Full Bench of the Supreme Court and on 16 December 1938, his appeal was allowed. A further appeal by Webb to the High Court was refused leave on 31 March 1939.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
of 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...
on 2 April 1938 to elect the 62 members of the state's 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...
. The 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...
government of Premier William Forgan Smith
William Forgan Smith
William Forgan Smith , generally known as Forgan Smith, was Premier of the Australian state of Queensland from 1932 to 1942. He came to dominate politics in the state during the 1930s, and his populism, firm leadership, defence of states' rights and interest in state development make him something...
was seeking a third term in office. During the previous term, the Country
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
and United Australia
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
parties had emerged out of the united Country and Progressive National Party
Country and Progressive National Party
The Country and Progressive National Party was a short-lived conservative political party in the Australian state of Queensland.-History:It was created in 1925 as the result of a merger between the state's two conservative parties, the United Party and the Country Party, in an attempt to end...
, which had represented conservative forces for over a decade.
The most notable feature of the election campaign was the Protestant Labor Party
Protestant Labor Party
The Protestant Labor Party was a minor Australian political party that operated mainly in New South Wales and Queensland in the 1920s and 1930s. It was formed by Independent MP Walter Skelton, member for Newcastle in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1922–27...
, established in 1937, which claimed that the Forgan Smith Ministry
Forgan Smith Ministry
The Forgan Smith Ministry was a ministry of the Government of Queensland and was led by Labor Premier William Forgan Smith. It succeeded the Moore Ministry on 18 June 1932, seven days after Arthur Edward Moore's CPNP government was defeated at the 1932 state election...
was disproportionately Catholic and made extravagant claims that three-quarters of all police and public servants in the State were Catholic. Despite the campaign, Labor only lost one seat, Kelvin Grove, to the party.
The unsuccessful Protestant Labor candidate for Ithaca, George Webb, lodged a petition against the return of Labor member Ned Hanlon. He was initially successful in the Supreme Court when the case was heard by Justice E.A. Douglas, who voided the election result on 12 October on the basis of a finding that two men who had acted improperly were Hanlon's agents, but Hanlon appealed to the Full Bench of the Supreme Court and on 16 December 1938, his appeal was allowed. A further appeal by Webb to the High Court was refused leave on 31 March 1939.
Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 5 March 1938 | The Parliament was dissolved. |
| 7 March 1938 | Writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. |
| 14 March 1938 | Close of nominations. |
| 2 April 1938 | Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm. |
| 12 April 1938 | The Forgan Smith Ministry Forgan Smith Ministry The Forgan Smith Ministry was a ministry of the Government of Queensland and was led by Labor Premier William Forgan Smith. It succeeded the Moore Ministry on 18 June 1932, seven days after Arthur Edward Moore's CPNP government was defeated at the 1932 state election... was re-sworn in. |
| 16 April 1938 | The poll was retaken in Gregory Electoral district of Gregory The district of Gregory is a Queensland Legislative Assembly electoral district in Queensland, Australia.-Members for Gregory:-Election results:-External links:*... . |
| 30 April 1938 | The writ was returned and the results formally declared. |
| 9 August 1938 | Parliament resumed for business. |
Results
|}- 606,559 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but 3 seats were uncontested—2 Labor seats (4 less than in 1935) representing 15,007 enrolled voters and one Country seat (one less than in 1935) representing 8,841 enrolled voters.
See also
- Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1935–1938Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1935–1938This is a list of members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1935 to 1938, as elected at the 1935 state election.This is a list of members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1935 to 1938, as elected at the 1935 state election....
- Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1938–1941Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1938–1941This is a list of members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1938 to 1941, as elected at the 1938 state election.-References:* Waterson, D.B. Biographical register of the Queensland Parliament, 1930-1980 Canberra: ANU Press...
- Candidates of the Queensland state election, 1938Candidates of the Queensland state election, 1938This is a list of candidates who stood for the 1938 Queensland state election. The election was held on 2 April 1938.The main parties in the election were the Labor Party, led by Premier William Forgan Smith, the Country Party, led by Leader of the Opposition Ted Maher, and the United Australia...
- Forgan Smith MinistryForgan Smith MinistryThe Forgan Smith Ministry was a ministry of the Government of Queensland and was led by Labor Premier William Forgan Smith. It succeeded the Moore Ministry on 18 June 1932, seven days after Arthur Edward Moore's CPNP government was defeated at the 1932 state election...