1985 South Australian state election

State elections were held in South Australia on 7 December 1985. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia John Bannon increased its majority, and defeated the Liberal Party of Australia led by Leader of the Opposition John Olsen.

Background Parliamentary elections for both houses of the Parliament of South Australia were held in South Australia on 7 December 1985, which saw John Bannon and the Australian Labor Party win a second successive term, against the Liberal Party of Australia opposition led by John Olsen.

Labor won the election with an increased majority–at the time, the biggest majority it had held since the end of the Playmander, a record that would stand until 2006. The Liberal Party retained John Olsen as leader, partly because his main rival Dean Brown lost his seat to Independent Liberal Stan Evans. Evans rejoined the Liberal Party soon after the election.

In the South Australian Legislative Council, Labor won one seat from the Liberals, while the Democrats maintained their 2 seats. This shift gave the Australian Democrats sole balance of power. They would continue to hold it until the 1997 election.

Key dates Issue of writ: 10 November 1985 Close of nominations: 22 November 1985 Polling day: 7 December 1985 Return of writ: On or before 2 January 1986

Results

House of Assembly

Legislative Council

Seats changing hands

Seat Pre-1985 Swing Post-1985 Party Member Margin Margin Member PartyBright LiberalNotional - New Seat 1.0 2.6 1.6Derek RobertsonLabor Davenport LiberalDean Brown 22.0 N/A 2.6Stan EvansIndependent Fisher LiberalStan Evans* 2.1 3.2 1.1Philip TylerLabor 

In addition, Independent MP for Elizabeth, Martyn Evans retained his seat after winning it from Labor at the 1984 by-election. Sitting Liberal MP for Fisher, Stan Evans quit the party and contested Davenport as an Independent, and won.

Redistribution affected seats

Seat 1982 election 1983 redistribution Swing 1985 election Party Member Margin Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Adelaide  Labor Jack Wright 15.6  Liberal Notional 2.8 -3.4 0.6 Mike Duigan Labor  Newland  Labor John Klunder* 3.6  Liberal Notional 1.0 -2.5 1.5 Di Gayler Labor  Todd  Liberal Scott Ashenden* 1.4  Labor Notional 2.0 +3.9 5.9 John Klunder Labor 

Sitting Labor MP for Newland, John Klunder instead contested Todd, and won. Sitting Liberal MP for Todd, Scott Ashenden instead contested Newland, and lost.

Post-election pendulum

Labor seats (27)MarginalAdelaideMike DuiganALP0.6%FisherPhilip TylerALP1.1%NewlandDi GaylerALP1.5%BrightDerek RobertsonALP1.6%HaywardJune ApplebyALP2.8%UnleyKym MayesALP5.0%ToddJohn KlunderALP5.9%Fairly safeNorwoodGreg CrafterALP6.3%Henley BeachDon FergusonALP7.3%FloreyRobert GregoryALP8.2%SafeWalshJohn TrainerALP10.7%HartleyTerry GroomALP12.5%Albert ParkKevin HamiltonALP12.9%MitchellRon PayneALP13.5%BaudinDon HopgoodALP13.7%GillesJack SlaterALP14.2%PeakeKeith PlunkettALP15.7%MawsonSusan LenehanALP16.1%WhyallaFrank BlevinsALP17.0%BriggsMike RannALP17.4%SpenceRoy AbbottALP18.4%Ross SmithJohn BannonALP18.7%PlayfordTerry McRaeALP19.4%StuartGavin KeneallyALP22.0%NapierTerry HemmingsALP23.5%RamsayLynn ArnoldALP24.2%PriceMurray De LaineALP24.3% Liberal seats (16)MarginalHansonHeini BeckerLIB0.9%MorphettJohn OswaldLIB4.7%Fairly safeMitchamStephen BakerLIB8.3%ColesJennifer AdamsonLIB8.4%HeysenDavid WottonLIB8.8%LightBruce EastickLIB9.3%Mount GambierHarold AllisonLIB9.9%SafeKavelStephen BakerLIB11.0%GoyderJohn MeierLIB12.4%AlexandraTed ChapmanLIB15.2%EyreGraham GunnLIB15.8%ChaffeyPeter ArnoldLIB16.3%CustanceJohn OlsenLIB16.3%BraggGraham IngersonLIB17.5%VictoriaDale BakerLIB18.3%Murray-MalleePeter LewisLIB18.6%Crossbench seats (4)DavenportStan EvansIND2.8% v LIBElizabethMartyn EvansIND4.0% v ALPSemaphoreNorm PetersonIND7.3% v ALPFlindersPeter BlackerNAT8.3% v LIB

See also Candidates of the South Australian state election, 1985 Results of the South Australian state election, 1985 (House of Assembly) Results of the 1985 South Australian state election (Legislative Council) Members of the South Australian House of Assembly, 1985-1989 Members of the South Australian Legislative Council, 1985-1989

References

History of South Australian elections 1857–2006, volume 1: ECSA Historical lower house results Historical upper house results State and federal election results in Australia since 1890

External links South Australian Elections 1989: Parliament of Australia Research Library paper, including maps effective from 1983