Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 27 May 1972 to elect the 82 members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland.
The Country-Liberal Coalition won its sixth consecutive victory since it won government in 1957 and also its second victory under Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
Key dates Date Event 18 April 1972 The Legislative Assembly was dissolved. 18 April 1972 Writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. 27 April 1972 Close of nominations. 27 May 1972 Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm. 20 June 1972 The Bjelke-Petersen Ministry was reconstituted. 24 June 1972 The writ was returned and the results formally declared. 10 July 1972 Deadline for return of the writs. 1 August 1972 Parliament resumed for business.
Results
Seats changing hands Seat Pre-1972 Swing Post-1972 Party Member Margin Margin Member PartyAlbert ¶ Liberal Bill Heatley* 0.5 –4.6 4.1 Bill D'Arcy Labor Ipswich Labor notional – new seat 4.5 –5.7 1.2 Llew Edwards Liberal Mackay Labor Ed Casey 6.7 –20.1 13.4 Ed Casey Independent
¶ Results for Albert based on 1970 by-election Bill Heatley died in October 1971, but no by-election was called due to the proximity of the 1972 election. In addition, the Liberal Party retained Maryborough, which was won from Labor at the 1971 by-election. Aubigny, which was the last seat held by the Democratic Labor Party, was abolished at this election and its outgoing member, Les Diplock, retired.
Post-election pendulum
Country/Liberal seats (47)MarginalMurrumbaDes FrawleyCP1.0%IpswichLlew EdwardsLIB1.2%KurilpaClive HughesLIB1.5%CondamineVic SullivanCP1.8% v INDMansfieldBill KausLIB2.0%WavellArthur CrawfordLIB2.0%HinchinbrookTed RowCP2.5%Mount GravattGeoff ChinchenCP2.5%GregoryWally RaeCP2.6%MaryboroughGilbert AlisonLIB3.8%NundahWilliam KnoxLIB3.9%YerongaNorm LeeLIB4.3%AshgroveDouglas ToothLIB4.8%GreenslopesKeith HooperLIB5.0%ChatsworthBill HewittLIB5.1%WindsorBob MooreLIB5.1%RedcliffeJim HoughtonCP5.4%IthacaCol MillerLIB5.6%CarnarvonHenry McKechnieCP5.9%Fairly safeWhitsundayRon CammCP6.9%ClayfieldJohn MurrayLIB8.2%AspleyFred CampbellLIB8.3%MulgraveRoy ArmstrongCP8.4%MerthyrDon LaneLIB9.1%BurdekinVal BirdCP9.2%Surfers ParadiseBruce SmallCP9.6%FlindersBill LongeranCP9.7%GympieMax HodgesCP9.7%SherwoodJohn HerbertLIB9.8%SafeCallideLindsay HartwigCP10.3%TownsvilleNorman Scott-YoungLIB11.5%WarwickDavid CoryCP11.5%South CoastRuss HinzeCP11.7%MiraniTom NewberyCP12.1%LockyerGordon ChalkLIB12.2%ToowongCharles PorterLIB13.0%AuburnNeville HewittCP13.4%RomaKen TomkinsCP14.0%BalonneDon NealCP15.6%FassifernSelwyn MullerCP15.7%LandsboroughMichael AhernCP15.7%CoorooraDavid LowCP15.8%Mount Coot-thaBill LickissLIB16.0%SomersetBill GunnCP16.3%Very safeBurnettClaude WhartonCP20.5%BarambahJoh Bjelke-PetersenCP23.7%CunninghamAlan FletcherCP26.4% Labor seats (33)Marginal Rockhampton NorthLes YewdaleALP1.1% BelyandoEugene O'DonnellALP1.3% StaffordRoy HarveyALP1.6% Townsville WestPerc TuckerALP2.2% Barron RiverBill WoodALP3.4% AlbertBill D'ArcyALP4.1% CookEdwin Wallis-SmithALP4.2% RedlandsTed BaldwinALP5.1% RockhamptonKeith WrightALP5.9%Fairly safe Pine RiversKenneth LeeseALP6.8% Toowoomba SouthPeter WoodALP6.9% MourilyanPeter MooreALP7.2% EvertonGerry JonesALP8.3% IsisJim BlakeALP8.3% BrisbaneBrian DavisALP9.7%Safe South BrisbaneFred BromleyALP11.0% Ipswich WestVi JordanALP11.5% WarregoJack AikenALP13.4% SandgateHarold DeanALP13.6% BaroonaPat HanlonALP14.1% WynnumEdward HarrisALP14.5% BelmontFred NewtonALP14.5% Toowoomba NorthRay BousenALP14.9% NudgeeJack MelloyALP15.4% BulimbaJack HoustonALP15.6% Mount IsaAlex InchALP16.4% SalisburyDoug SherringtonALP16.7% CairnsRay JonesALP18.8% BundabergLou JensenALP18.9% v DLP LyttonTom BurnsALP19.3% Very safeWolstonEvan MarginsonALP20.3%ArcherfieldKevin HooperALP23.3%Port CurtisMartin HansonALP32.2% v DLPCrossbench seats (2)Townsville SouthTom AikensIND7.6% v ALPMackayEd CaseyIND13.4% v ALP
See also Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1969–1972 Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1972–1974 Candidates of the Queensland state election, 1972 Bjelke-Petersen Ministry
References