1974 Northern Territory general election

The first general election for the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday 19 October 1974.

The Country Liberal Party (CLP), formed a few months earlier from the merger of the territorial Country and Liberal parties, won a landslide victory with 49.01% of the vote. The Labor Party won 30.46% and independent candidates won 20.54%. The Country Liberals took 17 of the 19 assembly seats. The other two were held by independents; Dawn Lawrie won the seat of Nightcliff, and Ron Withnall won the seat of Port Darwin. Despite finishing second in the vote count, Labor failed to win any seats. Its support was spread out across the Territory, and was not concentrated in enough areas to translate into seats.

As the territory was still being prepared for self-government, Country Liberal leader Goff Letts took the post of Majority Leader–equivalent to a state premier. Instead of a cabinet, a seven-person "executive" managed internal affairs.

This would be the first of the CLP's eight consecutive election victories. The party would govern the territory for 28 years, one of the longest unbroken runs in government in Australia.

Results

Candidates

Successful candidates are highlighted in the relevant colour. Where there is possible confusion, an asterisk is used.

Electorate Labor CLP Independent Alice Springs Jean Leunig Bernie Kilgariff Alan GrayArnhem Elizabeth Pearce Rupert Kentish Barkly Eric Marks Ian Tuxworth Casuarina Allan Dunstan Nick Dondas Robert McGaheyDudley OrrElsey Kevin Frazer Les MacFarlane Leslie JamesJames MartinFannie Bay James Bowditch Grant Tambling Eleanor FisherJohn McCormackGillen Peter Leunig Jim Robertson Jingili Thomas Bell Paul Everingham Ludmilla Hazel Robertson Roger Steele Edward D'AmbrosioBrian SmithGrahame StewartWilliam SullivanMacdonnell Dave Pollock Bruce BreadenMalcolm WolfMillner Jack Hunt Roger Ryan William ForrestJohn QuinnNhulunbuy John Flynn Milton Ballantyne William HendryNightcliff Edward Ellis Alfred Hooper Dawn LawriePort Darwin James Gallacher William Jettner Brian ManningRon Withnall*Sanderson Mark Phelan Liz Andrew Alexander Allan-StewartHerbert SinclairStuart Harry Nelson Roger Vale Reginald HarrisStuart Park Geoffrey Loveday Marshall Perron William FisherJohn McNameeTiwi John Nixon Hyacinth Tungutalum Peter LawrenceRobert OatenNoel Padgham-PurichLou StewartVictoria River Goff Letts Wiyendji NunggulaCharles Renfrey

References

See also First Letts Executive Second Letts Executive Third Letts Executive Fourth Letts Executive