1953 South Australian state election

State elections were held in South Australia on 7 March 1953. 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.

Background Labor won three seats, metropolitan Norwood and Prospect and rural Victoria from the LCL. The LCL won one seat, rural Murray from Labor. Neither major party contested the independent-held seat of Ridley.

The Labor opposition won 53 percent of the statewide two-party vote, but the LCL retained government with the assistance of the Playmander − an electoral malapportionment that also saw a clear majority of the statewide two-party vote won by Labor while failing to form government in 1944, 1962 and 1968.

Results

The primary vote figures were from contested seats, while the state-wide two-party-preferred vote figures were estimated from all seats.Two-party preferred figures since 1950, ABC News Online

Post-election pendulum LCL seats (21)MarginalUnleyColin DunnageLCL0.3% MurrayHector WhiteLCL0.5% GlenelgBaden PattinsonLCL0.7%TorrensJohn TraversLCL1.3%Fairly safeGougerRufus GoldneyLCL 6.1%OnkaparingaHoward ShannonLCL7.0%FlindersGlen PearsonLCL8.4%BurraGeorge HawkerLCL9.4%LightHerbert MichaelLCL9.5%SafeNewcastleGeorge JenkinsLCL13.7%BurnsideGeoffrey ClarkeLCL 16.1%EyreArthur ChristianLCL17.8% v INDAngasBerthold TeusnerLCL18.1% v INDGumerachaThomas PlayfordLCL40.4% v COMAlbertMalcolm McIntoshLCLundistributedStirlingWilliam JenkinsLCLundistributedAlexandraDavid BrookmanLCLunopposedMitchamHenry DunksLCLunopposedRocky RiverJames HeaslipLCLunopposedYorke PeninsulaCecil HincksLCLunopposed YoungRobert NichollsLCLunopposed Labor seats (15)MarginalVictoriaJim CorcoranALP0.8%ProspectJoe JenningsALP3.4%Fairly safe NorwoodDon DunstanALP6.3%SafeStanleyPercy QuirkeALP11.9% GoodwoodFrank WalshALP13.1% GawlerJohn ClarkALP27.1% v INDSemaphoreHarold TappingALP37.6% v INDAdelaideSam LawnALP39.5% v COMStuartLindsay RichesALP 39.8% v COMPort AdelaideJames StephensALP41.9% v COM Port PirieCharles DavisALP undistributed FromeMick O'HalloranALPunopposedHindmarshCyril HutchensALPunopposed ThebartonFred WalshALPunopposed WallarooHughie McAleesALPunopposedCrossbench seats (3) Mount GambierJohn FletcherIND4.3% v ALPChaffeyWilliam MacGillivrayIND19.1% v LCLRidleyTom StottIND27.8% v IND

See also Results of the South Australian state election, 1953 (House of Assembly) Candidates of the 1953 South Australian state election Members of the South Australian House of Assembly, 1953-1956 Members of the South Australian Legislative Council, 1953-1956 Playmander

Notes