This article provides information on candidates who stood for the 1917 Australian federal election. The election was held on 5 May 1917.
Many Labor members had merged with the Commonwealth Liberal Party to form the Nationalist Party. Seats held by the Liberal Party are considered to be held by the Nationalist Party. The seats held by Labor defectors are considered to be held by Labor.
By-elections, appointments and defections
By-elections and appointments On 6 February 1915, Alfred Hampson (Labor) was elected to succeed John Arthur (Labor) as the member for Bendigo. On 20 February 1915, Carty Salmon (Liberal) was elected to succeed Edward Jolley (Labor) as the member for Grampians. On 6 May 1915, William Mahony (Labor) was elected unopposed to succeed Robert Howe (Labor) as the member for Dalley. On 11 December 1915, Edward Corser (Liberal) was elected to succeed Andrew Fisher (Labor) as the member for Wide Bay. On 1 March 1917, John Earle (Nationalist) was appointed as a Tasmanian Senator to replace Rudolph Ready (Labor). Subsequent to the election, but prior to the new Senate being sworn in: On 24 May 1917, James Rowell (Nationalist) was appointed as a South Australian Senator to replace William Story (Nationalist).
Defections In November 1916, pro-conscription Labor members left the party to form the National Labor Party under the leadership of Labor Prime Minister Billy Hughes (West Sydney). Hughes was joined by MPs William Archibald (Hindmarsh), Fred Bamford (Herbert), Reginald Burchell (Fremantle), Ernest Carr (Macquarie), John Chanter (Riverina), George Dankel (Boothby), Jens Jensen (Bass), William Laird Smith (Denison), John Lynch (Werriwa), Alexander Poynton (Grey), William Spence (Darling), Josiah Thomas (Barrier) and William Webster (Gwydir). In the Senate, the party was joined by Victorian Senator Edward Russell; Queensland Senator Thomas Givens; Western Australian Senators Richard Buzacott, George Henderson, Hugh de Largie, Patrick Lynch and George Pearce; and South Australian Senators Robert Guthrie, John Newland, William Senior and William Story. In early 1917, Prime Minister Billy Hughes negotiated a merger of his National Labor Party with Joseph Cook's Liberal Party. The resulting Nationalist Party (Australia) was joined by all National Labor and Liberal members, as well as Independent MP George Wise (Gippsland).
Seat changes A number of the ex-Labor Nationalists moved to new seats, as their old seats were unwinnable for conservative candidates. The member for Barrier (NSW), Josiah Thomas, contested the Senate. The member for West Sydney (NSW), Prime Minister Billy Hughes, contested the Victorian seat of Bendigo. South Australian Senator William Story contested Boothby.
Retiring Members and Senators
Nationalist George Dankel MP (Boothby, SA) [elected as Labor] Robert Patten MP (Hume, NSW) Jacob Stumm MP (Lilley, Qld) Senator Sir Albert Gould (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.
New South Wales
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateNationalist candidateOther candidates Barrier Labor Michael Considine Brian Doe William Montgomery (Ind Nat)Calare Nationalist Thomas Lavelle Henry Pigott Cook Labor James Catts Richard Sleath Cowper Nationalist John Thomson Dalley Labor William Mahony Albert Lane Darling Labor Arthur Blakeley William Spence East Sydney Labor John West Eden-Monaro Nationalist John Bailey Austin Chapman Gwydir Labor Cecil Last William Webster Hume Nationalist Robert Cruickshank Franc Falkiner Hunter Labor Matthew Charlton William Ferguson Illawarra Labor George Burns Hector Lamond Lang Nationalist Percy Evans Elliot Johnson Macquarie Labor Samuel Nicholls Ernest Carr Nepean Nationalist Tom Arthur Richard Orchard New England Nationalist Percy Abbott Newcastle Labor David Watkins Arthur Griffith North Sydney Nationalist Granville Ryrie Parkes Nationalist Mark Gosling Bruce Smith Parramatta Nationalist Joseph Cook Alfred Conroy (Ind)Richmond Nationalist John Steele Walter Massy-Greene Riverina Labor Arthur Williams John Chanter Robertson Nationalist Eva Seery William Fleming South Sydney Labor Edward Riley Alick Kay Wentworth Nationalist Henrietta Greville Willie Kelly Werriwa Labor Jack Christopher John Lynch West Sydney Labor Con Wallace Gideon Gillespie
Queensland
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateNationalist candidate Brisbane Labor William Finlayson Alfred PlaneCapricornia Labor William Higgs Robert DuncanDarling Downs Nationalist John Wilson Littleton GroomHerbert Labor Eugene McKenna Fred BamfordKennedy Labor Charles McDonald Hubert SizerLilley Nationalist Harald Jensen George Mackay Maranoa Labor Jim Page Herbert YeatesMoreton Nationalist Cuthbert Butler Hugh SinclairOxley Labor James Sharpe James BayleyWide Bay Nationalist Frederick Martyn Edward Corser
South Australia
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateNationalist candidate Adelaide Labor George Edwin Yates Angas Nationalist Sid O'Flaherty Paddy GlynnBarker Nationalist Stanley Whitford John LivingstonBoothby Labor John Gunn William StoryGrey Labor Thomas Lyons Alexander PoyntonHindmarsh Labor James Cavanagh William ArchibaldWakefield Nationalist Norman Makin Richard Foster
Tasmania
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateNationalist candidateIndependent candidate(s) Bass Labor James Mooney Jens Jensen Darwin Labor King O'Malley Charles Howroyd Denison Labor Benjamin Watkins William Laird Smith Franklin Nationalist William McWilliams Wilmot Nationalist Christopher Sheedy Llewellyn Atkinson Norman CameronLouis Page
Victoria
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateNationalist candidateIndependent candidate(s) Balaclava Nationalist Alfred Foster William Watt Ballaarat Labor Charles McGrath Batman Labor Frank Brennan Frederick O'Neill Bendigo Labor Alfred Hampson Billy Hughes Bourke Labor Frank Anstey Arthur May Corangamite Nationalist Christopher Bennett Chester Manifold Corio Labor Alfred Ozanne John Lister Echuca Nationalist Thomas Power Albert Palmer Fawkner Labor Joseph Hannan George Maxwell Frank HentyFlinders Nationalist David Russell Sir William Irvine Gippsland Independent Thomas Holloway George Wise Grampians Nationalist John McDougall Carty Salmon Henty Nationalist William Smith James Boyd Indi Labor Parker Moloney John Leckie Kooyong Nationalist Sir Robert Best Maribyrnong Labor James Fenton Edmund Jowett Melbourne Labor William Maloney Reginald Tracey Melbourne Ports Labor James Mathews William Fozard Wannon Nationalist Egerton Holden Arthur Rodgers Wimmera Nationalist Sydney Sampson Yarra Labor Frank Tudor Charles Copeland
Western Australia
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateNationalist candidate Dampier Nationalist Michael Costello Henry GregoryFremantle Labor Jack Simons Reginald BurchellKalgoorlie Labor Hugh Mahon Edward HeitmannPerth Nationalist Alexander Panton James FowlerSwan Nationalist Sir John Forrest
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 Labor Party was defending one seat. The Nationalist Party was defending two seats. Labor Senators Albert Gardiner, John Grant and Allan McDougall were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesNationalist candidatesSocialist Labor candidates Peter BowlingArthur RaeDavid Watson Edward Millen*Herbert Pratten*Josiah Thomas* Ernie JuddLudwig KlausenJames Moroney
Queensland Three seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending three seats. Labor Senators Myles Ferricks and William Ryott Maughan and Nationalist Senator Thomas Givens were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesNationalist candidatesIndependent candidates John MullanJames StewartHarry Turley Thomas Crawford*Harry Foll*Matthew Reid* John Adamson
South Australia Three seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending two seats. The Nationalist Party was defending one seat. Labor Senator James O'Loghlin and Nationalist Senators John Newland and John Shannon were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesNationalist candidates Thomas ButterfieldLionel HillFrank Lundie Robert Guthrie*James Rowell*William Senior*
Tasmania Three seats were up for election. The Nationalist Party was defending three seats. Labor Senators James Guy, James Long and David O'Keefe were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesNationalist candidatesIndependent candidates James BeltonJames HurstWalter Woods Thomas Bakhap*John Earle*John Keating* Cyril CameronHenry Goodluck
Victoria Three seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending three seats. Labor Senators Stephen Barker and John Barnes and Nationalist Senator Edward Russell were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesNationalist candidatesIndependent candidates Albert BlakeyEdward FindleyAndrew McKissock William Bolton*George Fairbairn*William Plain* Vida Goldstein
Western Australia Three seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending three seats. Labor Senator Ted Needham and Nationalist Senators Patrick Lynch and George Pearce were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesNationalist candidates Cyril BryanGeorge DennisJohn Lutey Richard Buzacott*Hugh de Largie*George Henderson*
See also 1917 Australian federal election Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1914–1917 Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1917–1919 Members of the Australian Senate, 1914–1917 Members of the Australian Senate, 1917–1920 List of political parties in Australia
References Adam Carr's Election Archive - House of Representatives 1917 Adam Carr's Election Archive - Senate 1917