This article provides information on candidates who stood for the 1949 Australian federal election. The election was held on 10 December 1949.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate were expanded at this election. All seats are designated as held by the party that held the notional majority after the redistribution.
By-elections, appointments and defections
Defections In 1949, Labor MP Max Falstein (Watson) lost endorsement for the election. He was expelled from the Labor Party and sat as an independent. At the previous election, Charles Davidson had been jointly endorsed by the Liberal and Country parties to contest the seat of Capricornia, and had caucused with the Liberals in parliament. In 1949, he was endorsed instead by the Country Party to contest the new seat of Dawson, and subsequently sat as a Country Party member.
Redistributions and seat changes Due to the expansion of the House, redistributions of electoral boundaries occurred in all states. In New South Wales, nineteen new seats were created: the notionally Labor seats of Banks, Cunningham, Evans, Grayndler, Kingsford-Smith, Lawson, Lowe, Mitchell, Paterson, Phillip, Shortland and St George; the notionally Liberal seats of Bennelong, Bradfield, Macarthur and Mackellar; the notionally Country seats of Farrer and Lyne; and the notionally Lang Labor seat of Blaxland. The Liberal-held seat of North Sydney and the Lang Labor-held seat of Reid became notionally Labor. The member for Martin, Fred Daly (Labor), contested Grayndler. The member for North Sydney, Billy Hughes (Liberal), contested Bradfield. The member for Reid, Jack Lang (Lang Labor), contested Blaxland. The member for West Sydney, William O'Connor (Labor), contested Martin. In Victoria, the Independent-held seat Bourke was renamed Burke, and became notionally Labor. Thirteen new seats were created: the notionally Labor seats of Darebin, Gellibrand, Hoddle, Lalor and Wills; the notionally Liberal seats of Chisholm, Higgins, Higinbotham, Isaacs and La Trobe; and the notionally Country seats of Mallee, McMillan and Murray. The Liberal-held seat of Fawkner and the Country-held seat of Bendigo became notionally Labor. The member for Ballaarat, Reg Pollard (Labor), contested Lalor. The member for Bendigo, George Rankin (Country), contested the Senate. The member for Bourke, Doris Blackburn (Independent Labor), contested Wills. The member for Fawkner, Harold Holt (Liberal), contested Higgins. The member for Indi, John McEwen (Country, contested Murray. The member for Wimmera, Winton Turnbull (Country), contested Mallee. In Queensland, eight new seats were created: the notionally Labor seats of Bowman, Dawson and Leichhardt; the notionally Liberal seats of McPherson, Oxley, Petrie and Ryan; and the notionally Country seat of Fisher. The Labor-held seats of Griffith and Lilley became notionally Liberal. The member for Capricornia, Charles Davidson (Country), contested Dawson. The member for Darling Downs, Arthur Fadden (Country), contested McPherson, as part of a Coalition agreement that allocated Darling Downs to the Liberal Party. The member for Maranoa, Charles Adermann (Country), contested Fisher. In Western Australia, three new seats were created: the notionally Labor seat of Curtin; and the notionally Country seats of Canning and Moore. The Country-held seat of Swan became notionally Labor. The member for Swan, Len Hamilton (Country), contested Canning. In South Australia, four new seats were created: the notionally Labor seats of Kingston, Port Adelaide and Sturt; and the notionally Liberal seat of Angas. The Labor-held seat of Boothby became notionally Liberal. The member for Boothby, Thomas Sheehy (Labor), contested Kingston. The member for Hindmarsh, Albert Thompson (Labor), contested Port Adelaide. There were minimal changes in Tasmania. A new seat was created for the Australian Capital Territory.
Retiring Members and Senators
Labor Frank Brennan (Batman, Vic) Frank Gaha MP (Denison, Tas) James Scullin MP (Yarra, Vic) Senator Joe Collings (Qld)
Liberal William Hutchinson MP (Deakin, Vic)
Country Joe Abbott MP (New England, NSW)
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.
Australian Capital Territory
ElectorateLabor candidateLiberal candidateIndependent candidates Australian Capital Territory Sidney Rhodes Malcolm Moir Jessie AshtonLewis Nott*
New South Wales
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateCoalition candidateOther candidates Banks Labor Eric Costa Howard Fletcher (Lib) Francis Foy (LL)Barton Labor H. V. Evatt Nancy Wake (Lib) Bennelong Liberal Raymond Watt John Cramer (Lib) Blaxland Lang Labor Jim Harrison Thomas Handran-Smith (Lib) Roy Kirby (CPA)Jack Lang (LL)Bradfield Liberal Ken Gee Billy Hughes (Lib) Edward Price (Ind)Calare Liberal George Gibbons John Howse (Lib) Cook Labor Tom Sheehan Gerald Davis (Lib) John Eldridge (LL)Mervyn Pidcock (CPA)Cowper Country Louis Jabour Sir Earle Page (CP) Cunningham Labor Billy Davies Alan Thomson (Lib) Eric Aarons (CPA)Dalley Labor Sol Rosevear Charles Shields (Lib) Darling Labor Joe Clark Elson Whyte (CP) Cecil Connors (CPA)Madge Roberts (Ind)East Sydney Labor Eddie Ward John Mant (Lib) William Dalton (Ind)Eden-Monaro Labor Allan Fraser Denzil Macarthur-Onslow (Lib) Evans Labor Ronald Nicholls Frederick Osborne (Lib) Farrer Country Thomas McGrath David Fairbairn* (Lib)John Mackay (CP) Bill Gollan (CPA)Grayndler Labor Fred Daly Donald Clark (Lib) William McCristal (RP)Henry McPhillips (CPA)Gwydir Labor William Scully Thomas Treloar (CP) Hume Labor Arthur Fuller Charles Anderson (CP) Hunter Labor Rowley James Ted Fletcher (Lib) Evan Phillips (CPA)Kingsford-Smith Labor Gordon Anderson Charles de Monchaux (Lib) Henry Crittenden (Ind)Clare Peters (Ind)Lang Labor Dan Mulcahy Eric Willis (Lib) Roy Boyd (CPA)Lawson Labor Alan Manning Elwyn Croft (Lib)Laurie Failes* (CP) William Ferguson (Ind)Lowe Labor Hector McDonald William McMahon (Lib) Edith Shortland (Ind Lib)Lyne Country Edward Hayes Jim Eggins* (CP)Francis Hain (CP)Philip Lucock (CP)Eric Mackay (CP) Joe Cordner (Ind)Macarthur Liberal William McDonnell Jeff Bate (Lib) Mackellar Liberal James Mitchell Bill Wentworth (Lib) Macquarie Labor Ben Chifley Bob Cotton (Lib) John King (CPA)Martin Labor William O'Connor Frederick Mann (Lib) Tom Dowling (CPA)Malinda Ivey (Ind)Frank Moss (LL)Mitchell Labor Joseph White Roy Wheeler (Lib) New England Country William Wilson David Drummond* (CP)Donald Shand (CP) Newcastle Labor David Watkins Harry Quinlan (Lib) Laurie Aarons (CPA)Grahame Bland (Ind)North Sydney Labor Leo Haylen William Jack (Lib) Norman Ferguson (LL)Patrick Williams (Ind)Parkes Labor Les Haylen Dick Dein (Lib) Parramatta Liberal Clement Jackson Howard Beale (Lib) Paterson Labor Cecil Robinson Robert Clendinning (CP)Arie Dorsman (CP)Allen Fairhall* (Lib)Greg McGirr (CP)Ernest Slater (CP) Phillip Labor Joe Fitzgerald William Latimer (Lib) Jessie Street (Ind)Reid Labor Charles Morgan Jim Clough (Lib) Rupert Sheldon (LL)Richmond Country Alexander Bryen Larry Anthony (CP) Riverina Labor Joe Langtry Hugh Roberton (CP) William Mitchell (CPA)Robertson Labor Thomas Williams Roger Dean (Lib) Shortland Labor Charles Griffiths Harold Daisley (Lib) Alfred Boa (Ind)Isabel Longworth (Ind)Eugene Marshall (CPA)St George Labor Joseph Nicholson Bill Graham (Lib) Warringah Liberal Percy Spender (Lib) Norman Chadwick (Ind Lab)Bill Fisher (Ind Lab)Watson Labor Dan Curtin Stanley Card (Lib) Max Falstein (Ind Lab)Harold O'Reilly (LL)Wentworth Liberal William McKell Eric Harrison (Lib) Werriwa Labor Bert Lazzarini Ray Watson (Lib) West Sydney Labor Dan Minogue Basil Mottershead (Lib) Horace Foley (LL)Stan Moran (CPA)
Northern Territory
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateIndependent candidates Northern Territory Independent Jock Nelson Adair BlainVictor Webster
Queensland
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateCoalition candidateCommunist candidateIndependent candidates Bowman Labor Wilfred Coutts Malcolm McColm (Lib) Mabel Hanson Brisbane Labor George Lawson James Long (Lib) Alby Graham Capricornia Liberal Mick Gardner George Pearce (Lib) Ted Robertson Darling Downs Country James Kane Reginald Swartz (Lib) Raymond Mullaly Charles FarquharsonCharles LacazeDawson Labor George Burns Charles Davidson (CP) Richard Andrew Fisher Country Edmund Roberts Charles Adermann (CP) Norman LoganGriffith Liberal William Conelan Doug Berry (Lib) Anna Slater Herbert Labor Bill Edmonds Doug Jeffrey (CP) Jim Henderson Kennedy Labor Bill Riordan Ulick Browne (CP) Eric Wyper Leichhardt Labor Cecil Holdcroft Tom Gilmore (CP) Ralph Leinster Leslie KeoughThomas MackeyLilley Liberal Jim Hadley Bruce Wight (Lib) Maranoa Country Martin Laracy Charles Russell (CP) McPherson Liberal John Hilton Arthur Fadden (CP) Moreton Liberal William Thieme Josiah Francis (Lib) Bill Yarrow Oxley Liberal Evan Marginson Donald Cameron* (Lib)John Martin (CP) Edmund Crisp Petrie Liberal Samuel Martin Alan Hulme (Lib) James RyanRyan Liberal Leonard Eastment Nigel Drury (Lib) Wide Bay Country Samuel Round Bernard Corser (CP) Robert McDowell
South Australia
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateLiberal candidateOther candidates Adelaide Labor Cyril Chambers Basil Harford Christopher Doherty (Ind)Elsie Watt (CPA)Angas Liberal Albert Strachan Alick Downer Ralph Whittle (Ind)Barker Liberal John Klar Archie Cameron John Gartner (Ind)Boothby Liberal Ralph Wells John McLeay Grey Labor Edgar Russell Edward Andrews Hindmarsh Labor Clyde Cameron Albert Turnbull Kingston Labor Thomas Sheehy Jim Handby Port Adelaide Labor Albert Thompson Frederick Boscombe Peter Symon (CPA)Sturt Labor Leslie McMullin Keith Wilson Leonard Smith (Ind)Wakefield Liberal Cyril Hasse Philip McBride
Tasmania
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateLiberal candidate Bass Labor Claude Barnard Bruce KekwickDarwin Liberal Harold Kirkpatrick Dame Enid LyonsDenison Labor Henry Cosgrove Athol TownleyFranklin Liberal Jack Frost Bill FalkinderWilmot Labor Gil Duthie Rickman Furmage
Victoria