1956 South Australian state election

State elections were held in South Australia on 3 March 1956. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV defeated the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition Mick O'Halloran.[1][2]

1956 South Australian state election

← 19533 March 1956 (1956-03-03)1959 →

All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly
20 seats were needed for a majority
 First partySecond party
 
LeaderThomas PlayfordMick O'Halloran
PartyLiberal and Country LeagueLabor
Leader since5 November 193810 October 1949
Leader's seatGumerachaFrome
Last election21 seats14 seats
Seats won21 seats15 seats
Seat changeSteady0Increase1
Percentage51.3%48.7%
SwingIncrease4.3Decrease4.3

Premier before election

Thomas Playford
Liberal and Country League

Elected Premier

Thomas Playford
Liberal and Country League

A redistribution occurred in 1955 based upon the results of the census held in June 1954.[3][4]

Background

Labor won one seat, rural Murray from the LCL. The LCL won two seats, rural Wallaroo from Labor and rural Chaffey from an independent. An independent won one seat, rural Burra from the LCL.[1][2]

Results

South Australian state election, 3 March 1956[5]
House of Assembly
<< 19531959 >>

Enrolled voters299,048
Votes cast280,811Turnout93.90%–1.11%
Informal votes6,702Informal2.39%–0.54%
Summary of votes by party
PartyPrimary votes%SwingSeatsChange
 Labor129,85347.37%–3.60%15± 0
 Liberal and Country100,56936.69%+0.24%21+ 1
 Labor (A-C)20,3847.44%*0± 0
 Communist3,1851.16%–0.32%0± 0
 Independent20,1187.34%–3.76%3– 1
Total274,109  39 
Two-party-preferred
 Liberal and Country51.30%+4.30%
 Labor48.70%–4.30%
  • The primary vote figures were from contested seats, while the state-wide two-party-preferred vote figures were estimated from all seats.

Post-election pendulum

LCL seats (21)
Marginal
WallarooLeslie HeathLCL2.0%
ChaffeyHarold KingLCL5.2% v IND
Fairly safe
GlenelgBaden PattinsonLCL8.0%
TorrensJohn CoumbeLCL8.2%
Safe
UnleyColin DunnageLCL10.2%
VictoriaLeslie HardingLCL11.7%
OnkaparingaHoward ShannonLCL20.1% v IND
GougerRufus GoldneyLCL20.5% v IND
AngasBerthold TeusnerLCL27.6% v IND
GumerachaThomas PlayfordLCL38.6% v COM
EyreGeorge BockelbergLCLundistributed
AlbertMalcolm McIntoshLCLunopposed
AlexandraDavid BrookmanLCLunopposed
BarossaCondor LauckeLCLunopposed
BurnsideGeoffrey ClarkeLCLunopposed
FlindersGlen PearsonLCLunopposed
LightGeorge HambourLCLunopposed
MitchamRobin MillhouseLCLunopposed
Rocky RiverJames HeaslipLCLunopposed
StirlingWilliam JenkinsLCLunopposed
Yorke PeninsulaCecil HincksLCLunopposed
Labor seats (15)
Marginal
MurrayGabe BywatersALP1.4%
West TorrensFred WalshALP1.4%
MillicentJim CorcoranALP2.3%
FromeMick O'HalloranALP4.3%
Fairly safe
NorwoodDon DunstanALP7.2%
Safe
EnfieldJoe JenningsALP17.9%
EdwardstownFrank WalshALP24.3% v DLP
AdelaideSam LawnALP31.7% v DLP
Port AdelaideJames StephensALP32.1% v DLP
GawlerJohn ClarkALPunopposed
HindmarshCyril HutchensALPunopposed
Port PirieCharles DavisALPunopposed
SemaphoreHarold TappingALPunopposed
StuartLindsay RichesALPunopposed
WhyallaRon LovedayALPunopposed
Crossbench seats (3)
BurraPercy QuirkeIND1.2% v LCL
Mount GambierJohn FletcherIND6.1% v ALP
RidleyTom StottIND11.0% v LCL

See also

Notes