1900 Victorian colonial election

The 1900 Victorian colonial election was held on 1 November 1900 to elect the 18th Parliament of Victoria. All 95 seats in the Legislative Assembly were up for election.^[1]

1900 Victorian colonial election

← 1897 1 November 1900 1902 →
All 95 seats in the Victorian Legislative Assembly 48 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader George Turner Allan McLean Party Liberal Ministerialist Leader's seat St Kilda Gippsland North Last election 0[a] 55[a] Seats won 44 24 Seat change 44 31
Premier before election Allan McLean Ministerialist Elected Premier George Turner Liberal

The incumbent Ministerialist government, led by Allan McLean, was defeated and a Liberal government was formed with George Turner as Premier. Turner had previously served as premier from 1894 until 1899.^[1][2][3]

This was the first election in Victoria that used first-past-the-post following the abolition of plural voting. People who lived in one electorate and owned property in another were still able to choose which electorate they voted in.^[1]

This was also the last election in Victoria before Australian federation in 1901, when it became a state.

Results

Legislative Assembly (FPTP)^[a][1]

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Liberal		80,536	50.61	+50.61	44	44
	Ministerialist		37,048	23.28	−40.41	24	31
	Conservative		23,596	14.83	−10.16	18	14
	United Labour		17,952	11.28	+0.84	9	1
Formal votes			159,132
Informal votes			678
Total			159,810			95
Registered voters / turnout			280,810	63.41

Albert Park

1900 Victorian colonial election: Albert Park

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John White	929	39.1
	Socialist Liberal	Henry Champion	878	36.9
	Ministerialist	Thomas Ashworth	571	24.0
Total formal votes			2,378	99.98
Informal votes			4	0.02
Turnout			2,382	71.4
	Conservative hold		Swing

Anglesey

1900 Victorian colonial election: Anglesey

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Malcolm McKenzie	1,514	61.1
	Liberal	James Fenton	963	38.9
Total formal votes			2,477	99.94
Informal votes			15	0.06
Turnout			2,492	63.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

Ararat

1900 Victorian colonial election: Ararat

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Ministerialist	Richard Toutcher	840	64.1
	Liberal	James Styles	470	35.9
Total formal votes			1,310	99.98
Informal votes			6	0.02
Turnout			1,316	58.8
	Ministerial hold		Swing

Ballarat East

1900 Victorian colonial election: Ballarat East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Robert McGregor	1,679	72.3
	Labour	John Meehan	551	24.7
Total formal votes			2,230	99.98
Informal votes			5	0.02
Turnout			2,235	64.8
	Liberal hold		Swing

Ballarat West

1900 Victorian colonial election: Ballarat West^[b]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Ministerialist	Joseph Kirton	2,029	26.6
	Ministerialist	Richard Vale	2,027	26.6
	Liberal	Robert Nicholl	1,495	19.6
	Liberal	James Vallins	1,278	16.8
	Liberal	Frank Bessermeres	797	10.4
Total formal votes			7,625	100.0
Informal votes			1	0.0
Turnout			7,626	69.5
	Ministerial hold		Swing
	Ministerial hold		Swing

Barwon

1900 Victorian colonial election: Barwon

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jonas Levien	923	54.2
	Liberal	Richard Crouch	781	45.8
Total formal votes			1,704	98.1	1,723
Informal votes			19	1.9
Turnout			1,723	74.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

Benalla and Yarrawonga

1900 Victorian colonial election: Benalla and Yarrawonga

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Ministerialist	Thomas Kennedy	unopposed
	Ministerial hold		Swing

Benambra

1900 Victorian colonial election: Benambra

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Ministerialist	Albert Craven	unopposed
	Ministerial hold		Swing

Bogong

1900 Victorian colonial election: Bogong

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Isaac Isaacs	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Borung

1900 Victorian colonial election: Borung

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Ministerialist	John Dyer	999	50.3
	Ministerialist	William Hutchinson	988	49.7
Total formal votes			1,987	99.096
Informal votes			8	0.04
Turnout			1,995	69.2
	Ministerialist hold		Swing

Bourke East

1900 Victorian colonial election: Bourke East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Mackay Gair	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Notes

1. At the 1897 election, the Liberal Ministerialists won 55 seats with 64.39% of the total vote. Additionally, the Oppositionists - which won 32 seats with 24.99% of the vote - were largely made up of Conservatives.
2. Two-member electorate