This article provides information on candidates who stood for the 1937 Australian federal election. The election was held on 23 October 1937.
In 1936, the Lang Labor group had been reabsorbed into the Australian Labor Party. Seats are still designated as being held by Lang Labor.
By-elections, appointments and defections
By-elections and appointments On 1 June 1935, David Oliver Watkins (Labor) was elected to succeed his father David Watkins (Labor) as the member for Newcastle. On 17 August 1935, Harold Holt (UAP) was elected to succeed George Maxwell (UAP) as the member for Fawkner. On 26 September 1935, Guy Arkins (UAP) was appointed a New South Wales Senator to replace Lionel Courtenay (UAP). On 19 August 1936, Thomas Marwick (Country) was appointed a Western Australian Senator replace William Carroll (Country). On 12 December 1936, Bill Riordan (Labor) was elected to succeed Darby Riordan (Labor) as the member for Kennedy. On 19 December 1936, Arthur Fadden (Country) was elected to succeed Sir Littleton Groom (UAP) as the member for Darling Downs. On 8 May 1937, William Scully (Labor) was elected to succeed Aubrey Abbott (Country) as the member for Gwydir. On 2 September 1937, Ben Courtice (Labor) was appointed a Queensland Senator to replace John MacDonald (Labor). On 21 October 1937, Philip McBride (UAP) was appointed a South Australian Senator to replace Oliver Badman (Country).
Defections In 1936, the Australian Labor Party (NSW) was reabsorbed into the Australian Labor Party. NSW Labor members rejoined the federal party: Jack Beasley (West Sydney), Joe Clark (Darling), Joe Gander (Reid), Jock Garden (Cook), Rowley James (Hunter), Bert Lazzarini (Werriwa), Dan Mulcahy (Lang), Sol Rosevear (Dalley) and Eddie Ward (East Sydney).
Redistributions and seat changes Redistributions of electoral boundaries occurred in Victoria and Western Australia. In Victoria, the Country-held seat of Echuca was abolished. A new seat, Deakin (notionally UAP), was created. The member for Echuca, John McEwen (Country), contested Indi. The member for Indi, William Hutchinson (UAP), contested Deakin. There were minimal changes in Western Australia. The member for Lilley (Qld), Sir Donald Cameron (UAP), contested the Senate. South Australian Senator Oliver Badman (Country) resigned from the Senate to contest Grey, as part of a Coalition deal that saw Philip McBride (UAP), the member for Grey, appointed to Badman's vacancy in the Senate.
Retiring Members and Senators
Labor Jock Garden MP (Cook, NSW)
United Australia Archibald Fisken MP (Ballaarat, Vic) Eric Harrison MP (Bendigo, Vic) Senator Charles Cox (NSW) Senator Jack Duncan-Hughes (SA) Senator Sir Walter Massy-Greene (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 candidateCoalition candidateOther candidates Barton United Australia John Donovan Albert Lane (UAP) Stanley Allen (SC)Calare Country William Folster Harold Thorby (CP) Cook Labor (NSW) Tom Sheehan Cyril Glassop (Ind Lab)Cowper Country Abraham Brindley Earle Page (CP) Dalley Labor (NSW) Sol Rosevear Arthur Brough (UAP) Darling Labor (NSW) Joe Clark Alexander Huie (Ind)East Sydney Labor (NSW) Eddie Ward Arthur Butterell (UAP) Thomas Grant (Ind)Louis Phillips (Ind)Eden-Monaro United Australia Claude Allen John Perkins (UAP) Gwydir Labor William Scully Ernest Batchelor (CP) Hume Country Essell Hoad Thomas Collins (CP) Hunter Labor (NSW) Rowley James Lang Labor (NSW) Dan Mulcahy Matthew Calman (UAP) Ernest Carr (SC)Macquarie United Australia Tony Luchetti John Lawson (UAP) Martin United Australia Stan Taylor William McCall (UAP) George Carruthers (SC)New England Country Leigh Cuthbertson Victor Thompson (CP) Newcastle Labor David Watkins Hilton Sykes (Ind)North Sydney United Australia Henry Clayden Billy Hughes (UAP) Percival Minahan (SC)Parkes United Australia Karl Guhl Sir Charles Marr (UAP) Parramatta United Australia Albert Rowe Sir Frederick Stewart (UAP) Dick George (Ind)Harold Meggitt (Ind)Reid Labor (NSW) Joe Gander Reuben Jenner (UAP) Richmond Country Jim Fredericks Larry Anthony* (CP)Robert Gibson (CP)Roland Green (CP) Riverina Country William Quirk Horace Nock (CP) Robert Ballantyne (Ind)Robertson United Australia Gordon Cross Sydney Gardner (UAP) John Metcalfe (Ind)Warringah United Australia Walter Salter Sir Archdale Parkhill (UAP) Joseph Hamlet (Ind UAP)Percy Spender* (Ind UAP)Watson United Australia William Dignam John Jennings (UAP) Wentworth United Australia Thomas Conway Eric Harrison (UAP) Werriwa Labor (NSW) Bert Lazzarini Henry Storey (UAP) West Sydney Labor (NSW) Jack Beasley
Northern Territory
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateIndependent candidates Northern Territory Independent Robert Toupein Adair Blain*Ronald Hughes-JonesHarold Nelson
Queensland
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateCoalition candidateSocial Credit candidateCommunist candidate Brisbane Labor George Lawson Graham Hart (UAP) Ambrose Sawtell Capricornia Labor Frank Forde Edwin Hiskens (CP) John Harding Darling Downs Country Leslie Bailey Arthur Fadden (CP) Arthur Rushton Griffith Labor Francis Baker Dugald Clark (UAP) William Moore Herbert Labor George Martens James Wilkie (CP) Henry Beck Fred PatersonKennedy Labor Bill Riordan Alex Kippen (CP) Herbert Price Lilley United Australia Edmund Taylor William Jolly (UAP) Harry Cash Maranoa Country Randolph Bedford James Hunter (CP) Henry Madden Moreton United Australia John McCoy Josiah Francis (UAP) Henry Hogg Wide Bay Country George Watson Bernard Corser (CP) Geoffrey Nichols
South Australia
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateCoalition candidateOther candidates Adelaide United Australia Ken BardolphHerbert GeorgeGeorge Edwin Yates Fred Stacey (UAP) Barker Country Archie Cameron (CP) Charles Lloyd (Ind)Boothby United Australia Kevin McEnteeLeonard Pilton John Price (UAP) William Hardy (Ind)Grey United Australia James Marner Oliver Badman (CP) Alfred Parker (Ind)Hindmarsh Labor Norman Makin Harry Hatwell (UAP) Wakefield United Australia Raymond Davis Charles Hawker (UAP)
Tasmania
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateUAP candidateOther candidates Bass Labor Claude Barnard Allan Guy John Watson (Ind)Darwin United Australia Edwin Brown George Bell Denison Labor Gerald Mahoney Sir John McPhee Maxwell Hickman (Ind Lab)Athol Smith (SC)Franklin Labor Charles Frost Hugh Warner Wilmot United Australia Lancelot SpurrMaurice Weston Joseph Lyons
Victoria
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateCoalition candidateOther candidates Balaclava United Australia Phillip Nash Thomas White (UAP) John Atkinson (Ind)Ballaarat United Australia Reg Pollard Stanley Walker (UAP) Batman Labor Frank Brennan Albert Peters (UAP) Bendigo United Australia Ernest Duus Walter Pearce (UAP)George Rankin* (CP) Bourke Labor Maurice Blackburn Richard Griffiths (UAP) Corangamite United Australia Arthur Haywood Geoffrey Street (UAP) Corio United Australia Leo Carmody Richard Casey (UAP) Deakin United Australia Paul Jones William Hutchinson (UAP) Fawkner United Australia William Doran Harold Holt (UAP) William Bottomley (Ind)Flinders United Australia James Fairbairn* (UAP)Reginald Skeat (CP) Alexander Amess (SC)Ralph Gibson (CPA)Gippsland Country James L McKenna https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/282987705 Thomas Paterson (CP) Henty United Australia Sydney Walker Sir Henry Gullett (UAP) Rupert Hornabrook (Ind)Indi Country William Hartshorne John McEwen (CP)Kooyong United Australia Thomas Brennan Robert Menzies (UAP) Leslie Hollins (Ind)Maribyrnong Labor Arthur Drakeford Malcolm Fenton (UAP) Edward Turner (Ind)Melbourne Labor William Maloney Melbourne Ports Labor Jack Holloway Wannon United Australia Don McLeod Robert Rankin (CP)Thomas Scholfield* (UAP) Wimmera Country Hugh McClelland (CP) Alexander Wilson (Ind)Yarra Labor James Scullin Douglas Knight (UAP)
Western Australia
ElectorateHeld byLabor candidateCoalition candidateIndependent candidates Forrest Country Ernest Hoar John Prowse (CP) Fremantle Labor John Curtin Eric Isaachsen (UAP) Henry WrightKalgoorlie Labor Albert Green Stephen Kellow (UAP) Perth United Australia Tom Burke Walter Nairn* (UAP)Jack Simons (UAP) Viv JamesSwan Country John Steele Henry Gregory (CP)
Senate Sitting Senators are shown in bold text.
New South Wales Four seats were up for election. One of these was a short-term vacancy caused by United Australia Party Senator Lionel Courtenay's death; this had been filled in the interim by Guy Arkins. The United Australia Party-Country Party Coalition was defending four seats. United Australia Party Senator Dick Dein and Country Party Senator Mac Abbott were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesCoalition candidatesOther candidates Stan Amour*John Armstrong*Tom Arthur*Bill Ashley* Guy Arkins (UAP)David Hall (UAP)Charles Hardy (CP)Basil Helmore (UAP) Peter Pollack (Ind)
Queensland Three seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending three seats. United Australia Party Senators Thomas Crawford and Harry Foll and Country Party Senator Walter Cooper were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesCoalition candidatesSocial Credit candidates Gordon Brown*Joe Collings*Ben Courtice* Frederick Annand (UAP)Sir Donald Cameron (UAP)James Heading (CP) John AirdBertram AllenWilliam Argaet
South Australia Three seats were up for election. The United Australia Party was defending three seats. United Australia Party Senators James McLachlan, George McLeay and Oliver Uppill were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesUAP candidatesGroup A candidatesOther candidates John DalyEdgar DawesBert HoareMick O'HalloranFrederick WardMichael Woods Philip McBride*Alexander McLachlan*Keith Wilson* Thomas DunsfordErnest EvansFrederick James Jeanne Young (Ind)
Tasmania Three seats were up for election. The United Australia Party was defending three seats. United Australia Party Senators Charles Grant, John Hayes and Herbert Hays were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesUAP candidates Bill Aylett*Richard Darcey*Charles Lamp*Herbert McKay Donald CameronErnest FreelandHenry McFieJohn MillenHerbert PayneBurford Sampson
Victoria Three seats were up for election. The United Australia Party was defending three seats. United Australia Party Senators Charles Brand and John Leckie and Country Party Senator William Gibson were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesUAP candidatesCountry candidatesOther candidates John Barnes*Don Cameron*Richard Keane* Tom BrennanJames GuthrieWilliam Plain George BudgeSamuel GeddesJames Marchbank Marcus Wettenhall (Ind)
Western Australia Three seats were up for election. The United Australia Party-Country Party Coalition was defending three seats. United Australia Party Senators Herbert Collett and Allan MacDonald and Country Party Senator Bertie Johnston were not up for re-election.
Labor candidatesCoalition candidatesOther candidates Robert Clothier*James Cunningham*James Fraser* Patrick Lynch (UAP)Thomas Marwick (CP)Sir George Pearce (UAP) Carlyle Ferguson (Ind)
See also 1937 Australian federal election Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1934–1937 Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1937–1940 Members of the Australian Senate, 1935–1938 Members of the Australian Senate, 1938–1941 List of political parties in Australia
References
Adam Carr's Election Archive - House of Representatives 1937 Adam Carr's Election Archive - Senate 1937