This article summarises results for the general elections to the Australian House of Representatives and Senate, respectively the lower and upper houses of Australia's federal bicameral legislative body, the Parliament of Australia. The number of seats has increased steadily over time, from 111 for the first election, to the current total of 227; 151 in the Lower House and 76 in the Upper House. The current federal government structure was established in 1901 by the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, 1901.
The first three national elections resulted in minority governments. The world’s first ever Labor Party Prime Minister took office in Australia in 1904, though Labor governed in minority. The first majority government was formed in 1909, when the Protectionist Party merged with the Free Trade Party in an anti-socialist alliance. However, the first Party to win majority government at an election was the Labor Party in 1910.
During the first 50 years of Federation, the Labor Party was the most successful party, governing for approximately fifteen years in total. The Nationalist Party governed for approximately twelve years and The United Australia Party governed for approximately nine years.
However, after the formation of the Liberal Party of Australia, it became the dominant force. After winning its first election in 1949, the Liberal Party of Australia stayed in power for approximately 22 years. Between 1949 and 2025, the party has held office for a total of approximately 50 years. During the same time, the Labor Party held office for approximately 24 years. However, in the period between 1972 and 2022, both Labor and Liberal have held power for almost equal lengths of time - the Liberals (in Coalition) have held power for 28 years and Labor has held power for 24 years.
Since WW2, two groups have dominated politics in Australia: Labor and the Coalition, composed of the Liberal Party and the National Party (formerly the Country Party). Since the foundation of the Liberal Party in 1944, every government has been formed either by the Coalition or by the Labor Party. Prior to this, the main non-Labor Parties to form government consisted of the Protectionist party (which formed the first government in 1901), the Nationalist Party and the United Australia Party (which was led by Robert Menzies prior to him founding the Liberal Party).
Although government has been a two-party system, since 1955 Australians have consistently elected Senators from multiple parties. This has included defectors from the major parties such as the Democratic Labor Party, which was formed by defectors from the Australian Labor Party, and the Australian Democrats, whose founding leader defected from the Liberal Party. In the 1955 election one DLP candidate was elected (under the ALP-AC banner). Although the DLP ceased to be a force after Gough Whitlam took power in 1972, the Liberal Movement and its successor the Australian Democrats carved out their own niche. In the 1980s the NDP briefly gained election, and in the 1990s the Greens were elected to the Senate.
By 2007, the Democrats' federal parliamentary representation had disappeared, while the Greens have emerged at the national level to take their place. The Nationals' representation has also steadily declined, with their percentage of the vote hitting new lows. With the high-profile defection of Senator Julian McGauran to the Liberals in 2006, questions have been raised about the Nationals' viability, and proposals for a Liberal-National party merger have increased in strength. More recently various smaller parties or microparties are represented.
Results
House of Representatives The total for the party forming government after the election is bolded. Parties that have never formed government are listed under "Others".
ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborFree TradeProtectionist -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats1st1901Sir Edmund BartonThe Protectionists do not gain a majority, and form a minority government with Labor support, while George Reid's Free Traders form the opposition. 142831 2 75ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborFree TradeProtectionist -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats2nd1903Alfred Deakin Chris Watson Sir George Reid Alfred DeakinProtectionist Alfred Deakin forms a minority government with Labor, but the coalition splits over a dispute on the Conciliation and Arbitration Bill.
Free Trade leader George Reid declines Government, so the Governor-General commissions Labor leader Chris Watson to form Government.
Watson resigns four months later and Free Trade forms Government under Reid, finally passing the Conciliation and Arbitration Act five months later.
Labor and the Protectionists return to Government in 1905 when Reid loses the confidence of the parliament.232526 1Revenue Tariff75ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborAnti-SocialistProtectionist -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats3rd1906Alfred Deakin Andrew Fisher Alfred DeakinProtectionist Alfred Deakin forms another minority government, which remains in power largely due to the Anti-Socialists reluctance to pass a vote of no-confidence in it.
Deakin loses Labor's support in late 1908 and Andrew Fisher of the Labor Party becomes Prime Minister.
Alfred Deakin regains the Prime Ministership as leader of the new Commonwealth Liberal Party.262716 11Western Australian75ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborCommonwealth Liberal - -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats4th1910Andrew FisherLabor wins control of the House of Representatives and the Senate under Andrew Fisher, becoming Australia's first elected federal majority. 4331 1 75ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborCommonwealth Liberal - -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats5th1913Joseph CookThe Commonwealth Liberals win a one-seat majority under Joseph Cook while Labor retains control of the Senate. 3738 75ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborCommonwealth Liberal - -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats6th1914Andrew Fisher Billy HughesLabor forms a government under Andrew Fisher after the double dissolution election, where World War I breaks out in the middle of the campaign. Fisher resigns due to ill-health, and Labor forms government under Billy Hughes. Hughes – a strong advocate of conscription – holds a national plebiscite on conscription to give his stance legitimacy. The plebiscite is defeated. On the 15 September 1916, Hughes is expelled from the Labor party. Hughes briefly forms the National Labor Party and forms Government, but then merges with the Commonwealth Liberal Party to form the Nationalist Party, with Hughes as Prime Minister and Joseph Cook as his deputy.4232 1 75ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborNationalist - -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats7th1917Billy HughesThe Nationalists form a government under Billy Hughes. A second plebiscite on conscription is held and is defeated again in 1917. 2253 75ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborNationalistVarious Agrarian PartiesIncludes Farmers and Settlers Party and Victorian Farmers Union -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats8th1919Billy HughesThe Nationalists form another government under Billy Hughes with Independent support. First election held under Instant-runoff voting.263711 1 75ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborNationalistCountry -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats9th1922Billy Hughes Stanley BruceFrom around 1920, Hughes lost the support of many of the conservative elements of his party. The Nationalists lose their majority in the election. Earle Page declares that his Country Party will not serve under Hughes, forcing Hughes to resign a month after his re-election. His Treasurer Stanley Bruce forms a coalition Government with the Country Party.292614 15Liberal75ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborNationalistCountry -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats10th1925Stanley BruceThe Coalition of Nationalists and the Country Party forms another government under Stanley Bruce.233714 1 75ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborNationalistCountry -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats11th1928Stanley BruceThe Coalition forms another government under Stanley Bruce despite Labor gaining eight seats under Jim Scullin. 312913 11Country Progressives75ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborNationalistCountry -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats12th1929Jim ScullinLabor forms a government under Jim Scullin in an election where Prime Minister Stanley Bruce is defeated in his seat of Flinders. 461410 41Country Progressives75ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborUnited Australia PartyCountryLang LaborIndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats13th1931Joe LyonsUnited Australia, forms a minority government under Joe Lyons. 143416416Emergency Committee75ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborUnited Australia PartyCountryLang LaborIndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats14th1934Joe LyonsThe Coalition of the UAP and the Country Party forms a government under Joe Lyons. 1828149 5LCL74ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborUnited Australia PartyCountryLang LaborIndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats15th1937Joe Lyons
Sir Earle Page
Robert MenziesThe Coalition forms another government under Joe Lyons. 292816 1 74ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborUnited Australia PartyCountryLang LaborIndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats16th1940Robert Menzies
Arthur Fadden
John CurtinThe Coalition forms a minority government under Robert Menzies. Billy Hughes later replaces him as UAP leader, and Country Party leader Arthur Fadden replaces him as Coalition leader and Prime Minister. Fadden serves for only 40 days, until Labor and the independents defeat his budget.
Labor forms Government under John Curtin.32231441 74ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborUnited Australia PartyCountryLang LaborIndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats17th1943John Curtin
Frank Forde
Ben ChifleyLabor forms a government under John Curtin.49128 23Country-National, Liberal Country, Country (QLD)74ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborLiberalCountryLang LaborIndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats18th1946Ben ChifleyLabor forms a government under Ben Chifley.431511113LCL (2), Liberal Country74ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborLiberalCountry -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats19th1949Robert MenziesThe Coalition forms a government under Robert Menzies, but lacks a Senate majority. Menzies uses the Senate's rejection of the Commonwealth Bank Bill 1951 as a trigger for a double dissolution election.475519 121ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborLiberalCountry -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats20th1951Robert MenziesThe Coalition forms another government under Robert Menzies and gains control of the Senate after a double dissolution. 525217 121ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborLiberalCountry -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats21st1954Robert MenziesThe Coalition forms another government under Robert Menzies.574717 121ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborLiberalCountry -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats22nd1955Robert MenziesThe Coalition forms another government under Robert Menzies. 475718 122ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborLiberalCountry -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats23rd1958Robert MenziesThe Coalition forms another government under Robert Menzies. 455819 122ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborLiberalCountry -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats24th1961Robert MenziesThe Coalition forms another government under Robert Menzies.604517 122ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborLiberalCountry -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats25th1963Sir Robert Menzies
Harold HoltThe Coalition forms another government under Sir Robert Menzies.505220 122ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborLiberalCountry -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats26th1966Harold Holt
John McEwen
John GortonThe Coalition forms a government under Harold Holt.416121 1 124ElectionYearPrime MinisterSummaryLaborLiberalCountry -IndependentOtherpartiesTotalseats27th1969John Gorton