This article provides information on candidates who stood for the 1940 Australian federal election. The election was held on 21 September 1940.
Earlier in 1940, the Lang Labor supporters had again broken away from the federal Australian Labor Party. Seats held by the defectors are designated as Labor seats.
By-elections, appointments and defections
By-elections and appointments On 12 July 1938, Jim Sheehan (Labor) was appointed a Victorian Senator to replace John Barnes (Labor). On 10 December 1938, Sydney McHugh (Labor) was elected to succeed Charles Hawker (UAP) as the member for Wakefield. On 20 May 1939, William Conelan (Labor) was elected to succeed Frank Baker (Labor) as the member for Griffith. On 27 May 1939, Lancelot Spurr (Labor) was elected to succeed Joseph Lyons (UAP) as the member for Wilmot. On 2 March 1940, John Dedman (Labor) was elected to succeed Richard Casey (UAP) as the member for Corio. On 13 August 1940, three UAP cabinet ministers, Geoffrey Street (Corangamite), James Fairbairn (Flinders) and Sir Henry Gullett (Henty), were killed in the Canberra air disaster. No by-elections were held due to the proximity of the election.
Defections In 1937, Country Party MP John McEwen (Indi) was expelled from the state-based party for accepting a ministry in the Lyons-Page government. In response, following the party conference in 1938, Thomas Paterson (Gippsland) led over a hundred McEwen supporters out of the state United Country Party to form the breakaway Liberal Country Party, loyal to the Page-led federal party. The Country Party's other Victorian MP, George Rankin (Bendigo), remained with the UCP. In 1938, Independent UAP MP Percy Spender (Warringah) joined the United Australia Party. In 1940, supporters of New South Wales Premier Jack Lang again broke away from the federal Labor Party, this time calling themselves the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist). Its federal members were Senator Stan Amour (New South Wales), Senator John Armstrong (New South Wales), Jack Beasley (West Sydney), Joe Gander (Reid), Dan Mulcahy (Lang), Sol Rosevear (Dalley) and Tom Sheehan (Cook).
Retiring Members and Senators
Labor William Maloney MP (Melbourne, Vic)
United Australia Senator Charles Grant (Tas)
Country James Hunter MP (Maranoa, Qld)
House of Representatives Sitting members at the time of the election are shown in bold text. Successful candidates are highlighted in the relevant colour. Where there is possible confusion, an asterisk (*) is also used.
New South Wales
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateCoalition candidateLabor (N-C) candidateState Labor candidateOther candidates Barton United Australia H. V. Evatt Albert Lane (UAP) John Rose Sam Lewis John Mackay (Ind) Robert Mackie (ADM)Calare Country John Breen Herbert Hodby (CP)Harold Thorby (CP) John Heiss Greg McGirr Richard Brazier (Ind)Cook Labor Jock Garden Tom Sheehan Cyril Glassop (Ind Lab)Cowper Country Myles Kelly Sir Earle Page (CP) John Cain (Ind)Joseph McElhone (Ind)Dalley Labor Donald Cochrane Hubert O'Connell (UAP) Sol Rosevear Edmund Ryan Darling Labor Joe Clark Les Murphy Alexander Huie (Ind)East Sydney Labor Eddie Ward James Catts (UAP)Lewis Nott (UAP) Steve Gould Fred Aarons (Ind)Diana Gould (Ind)Louis Phillips (Atokist)Eden-Monaro United Australia Herb Turner Frank Louat (UAP)Roy May (UAP)Pat Osborne (UAP)John Perkins* (UAP) Benjamin Kelly George Alam (Ind)Rupert Beale (Ind)Gwydir Labor William Scully Ernest Batchelor (CP)Ben Wade (CP) Frederick Deakins (Ind)Hume Country Clarence Nolan Thomas Collins (CP) Arthur Fuller John Fisher Eric Roberts (ADM)Hunter Labor Rowley James Bill Gollan Lang Labor John Metcalfe Matthew Calman (UAP)Bertram Stevens (UAP)Stanley Willmott (UAP) Dan Mulcahy Arthur Robinson Macquarie United Australia Ben Chifley John Lawson (UAP) Bernard Cunningham Martin United Australia Raymond Watt William McCall (UAP) Rupert Lockwood New England Country Leigh Cuthbertson Joe Abbott* (CP)Donald Shand (CP)Victor Thompson (CP) Newcastle Labor David Watkins Tom Hickey Arthur Clarke (Ind)North Sydney United Australia James Dooley Billy Hughes (UAP) John Steel William Wilson Parkes United Australia Daniel Murphy Sir Charles Marr (UAP) David Knox (Ind)Parramatta United Australia Albert Rowe Norman Rydge (UAP)Sir Frederick Stewart* (UAP)Gordon Wallace (UAP) James Dalton Bill Wood Reid Labor Charles Morgan Joe Gander Jack Hughes Leslie Brown (Ind UAP)Edward James (Ind)Richmond Country Jim Fredericks Larry Anthony (CP) Alexander Collingridge Riverina Country Joe Langtry Horace Nock (CP)Hugh Roberton (CP) William Quirk Charles Lenon Ronald Cuttle (Ind)John Hogan (ADM)Robertson United Australia Thomas Williams Sydney Gardner (UAP)Campbell Marshall (UAP)Eric Spooner* (UAP) Michael McKeon James Russell William Cox (Ind)Edward Down (Ind)Warringah Independent UAP Bessie Frewin Joseph Hamlet (UAP)Percy Spender* (UAP) Arthur Warren Patrick Esplin (ADM)Watson United Australia Max Falstein John Jennings (UAP) Cecil Irwin Richard Wilson Wentworth United Australia Norman Smith Norman Cowper (UAP)Eric Harrison* (UAP)Richard Stranger (UAP) Jim Morley George McDonald (Ind Nat)Werriwa Labor Bert Lazzarini Walter Duncan (UAP)Charles Hardwick (UAP)Lyell Scott (UAP)Mont Sheppard (UAP)Joseph Worland (UAP) Con Quilkey Rex Connor West Sydney Labor Henry Mulcahy Jack Beasley Peter Burke Malinda Ivey (Ind)Stan Moran (Ind)
Northern Territory
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateOther candidates Northern Territory Independent Lindsay Craig Adair Blain* (Ind)Fred Colson (Ind)John McDonald (Ind Lab)
Queensland
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateCoalition candidateOther candidates Brisbane Labor George Lawson John Fletcher (UAP) Capricornia Labor Frank Forde Edwin Hiskens (CP) Darling Downs Country Leslie Bailey Arthur Fadden (CP) Griffith Labor William Conelan Peter McCowan (UAP) Herbert Labor George Martens Thomas Mann (CP) Louis Haydon (Ind RSL)Fred Paterson (Ind)Kennedy Labor Bill Riordan Wilfrid Simmonds (CP) Lilley United Australia Gordon Lovell William Jolly (UAP) Charles Mitchell (Ind)Maranoa Country Frank Baker Bob McGeoch (CP) Henry Madden (Ind)Moreton United Australia Henry Herbert Josiah Francis (UAP) Wide Bay Country Samuel Round Bernard Corser (CP) John Rex (PLP)
South Australia
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateCoalition candidateOther candidates Adelaide United Australia Edgar Dawes Fred Stacey (UAP) Raymond Davis (ADLP)Bert Edwards (Ind Lab)Barker Country Cecil Skitch Archie Cameron (CP) Charles Lloyd (Ind)Boothby United Australia George Edwin Yates John Price (UAP) William Adey (Ind)Grey Country Charles Davis Oliver Badman (CP) Percy McFarlane (Ind)Hindmarsh Labor Norman Makin Harry Hatwell (UAP) Wakefield Labor Sydney McHugh Jack Duncan-Hughes (UAP)
Tasmania
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateUAP candidateIndependent candidates Bass Labor Claude Barnard Algie FindlayDesmond Oldham John WatsonDarwin United Australia Eric Reece George Bell Denison Labor Gerald Mahoney Arthur Beck Franklin Labor Charles Frost Hugh Warner Wilmot Labor Lancelot Spurr Frank EdwardsAllan Guy*
Victoria
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateCoalition candidateOther candidates Balaclava United Australia Charles Sandford Thomas White (UAP) Harry Moffat (Ind)Ballaarat Labor Reg Pollard Edward Montgomery (UAP) Alex Russell (Ind)Batman Labor Frank Brennan Albert Peters (UAP) Bendigo Country Bert de Grandi George Rankin (UCP) John Barton (Ind UCP)Bourke Labor Maurice Blackburn Charles Lucas (UAP) Corangamite United Australia Harold Miller Allan McDonald (UAP) Corio Labor John Dedman Gerald Patterson (UAP) Harry Lyall (Ind)Deakin United Australia Frank Williamson William Hutchinson (UAP) Frank Fisher (Ind)Duncan McCallum (Ind)Fawkner United Australia Arthur Fraser Harold Holt (UAP) Alexander Mills (Ind)Flinders United Australia Frank Lee Rupert Ryan (UAP) Alexander Amess (Ind)Edward Mann (Ind)Gippsland Country James McKenna George Bowden (UCP)Thomas Paterson* (LCP) Calvert Wyeth (Ind)Henty United Australia Arthur Haywood Arthur Coles* (Ind)Edward Riley (Ind)Samuel Thomas (Ind)Eric Young (Ind)Indi Country Jack Devlin John McEwen (LCP) Kooyong United Australia Thomas Brennan Robert Menzies (UAP) Drysdale Bett (Ind)John Dale (Ind)Francis Foster (Ind)Frank Hartnett (Ind)Maribyrnong Labor Arthur Drakeford Robert Vroland (UAP) Melbourne Labor Arthur Calwell Richard Griffiths (UAP) James Baker (ADLP)Edward Whitcombe (Ind Lab)Melbourne Ports Labor Jack Holloway Raymond Trickey (UAP) Wannon United Australia Don McLeod Thomas Scholfield (UAP) John Crawford (Ind CP)Jabez Potts (Ind)Wimmera Independent Michael Nolan Hugh McClelland (UCP) Robert Johnstone (Ind)Alexander Wilson* (Ind)Yarra Labor James Scullin Fred Edmunds (UAP) Ralph Gibson (Ind)
Western Australia
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateCoalition candidateOther candidates Forrest Country Vane Green John Prowse (CP) Fremantle Labor John Curtin Frederick Lee (UAP) Gil Clarke (Ind UAP)Kalgoorlie Labor Albert Green Perth United Australia Gavan McMillan Walter Nairn (UAP) James Bolitho (Ind)Swan Country Jim Dinan Henry Gregory* (CP)Thomas Marwick (CP) Claude Barker (Ind)John Tregenza (BIWF)
Senate Sitting Senators are shown in bold text. Tickets that elected at least one Senator are highlighted in the relevant colour. Successful candidates are identified by an asterisk (*).
New South Wales Three seats were up for election. The United Australia Party-Country Party Coalition was defending two seats. The Labor Party was defending one seat. Labor Senators Stan Amour, John Armstrong and Tom Arthur were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesCoalition candidatesLabor (N-C) candidatesState Labor candidatesDefence candidatesUngrouped candidates Bill Ashley* James Arnold* William Large*Dick Dein (UAP) Mac Abbott (CP) James Patrick (UAP)Stanley Allen John Kerin James WalkerEdwin Barker Clarrie Campbell Albert CrowePeter Pollack William Hulks Wilbred TaylorAdela Walsh Stanley White Lance Sharkey Harry Bohland William Adkins John O'Carroll
Queensland Three seats were up for election. The United Australia Party-Country Party Coalition was defending three seats. Labor Senators Gordon Brown, Joe Collings and Ben Courtice were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesCoalition candidatesUngrouped candidates William Bertram William Collins Austin ElliottWalter Cooper* (CP) Thomas Crawford* (UAP) Harry Foll* (UAP)Jim Slater (Ind Soc)
South Australia Three seats were up for election. The United Australia Party was defending three seats. United Australia Party Senators Philip McBride, Alexander McLachlan and Keith Wilson were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesUAP candidatesUngrouped candidates Alex Finlay Bert Hoare Herman DollingJames McLachlan* George McLeay* Oliver Uppill*Tom Garland
Tasmania Three seats were up for election. The United Australia Party was defending three seats. Labor Senators Bill Aylett, Richard Darcey and Charles Lamp were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesUAP candidatesUngrouped candidates John Brown Howard D'Alton Maurice WestonHerbert Hays* John Hayes* Bayard Edgell John Millen Burford Sampson*Donald Cameron
Victoria Four seats were up for election. One of these was a short-term vacancy caused by Labor Senator-elect John Barnes's death; this had been filled in the interim by Labor's Jim Sheehan. The United Australia Party-Country Party Coalition was defending three seats. The Labor Party was defending one seat. Labor Senators Don Cameron and Richard Keane were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesCoalition candidatesUngrouped candidates Jim Sheehan Parker Moloney Bert Hendrickson William McAdamCharles Brand* (UAP) William Gibson* (CP) John Leckie* (UAP) John Spicer* (UAP)Gerry O'Day (Ind) Claude Peace (TR)
Western Australia Three seats were up for election. The United Australia Party-Country Party Coalition was defending three seats. Labor Senators Robert Clothier, James Cunningham and James Fraser were not up for re-election.