1979 Victorian state election

The 1979 Victoria state election, held on Saturday, 5 May 1979, was for the 48th Parliament of Victoria. It was held in the Australian state of Victoria to elect 81 members of the state's Legislative Assembly and 22 members of the 44-member Legislative Council.

The incumbent Liberal government led by Rupert Hamer was returned with a significantly reduced majority. This was the ninth consecutive election win for the Liberals. as of 2026, no other party government has won a ninth consecutive election. Results

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Council

Seats changing hands

Seat Pre-1979 Swing Post-1979 Party Member Margin Margin Member PartyBentleigh LiberalBob Suggett 9.3 -9.5 0.2Gordon HockleyLabor Coburg IndependentJack Mutton 5.4 -6.6 1.2Peter GavinLabor Essendon LiberalKenneth Wheeler 0.1 -1.6 1.5Barry RoweLabor Geelong East LiberalPhil Gude 1.5 -3.2 1.7Graham ErnstLabor Glenhuntly LiberalJoe Rafferty 8.1 -9.7 1.6Gerard VaughanLabor Heatherton LiberalLlew Reese 5.4 -6.4 1.0Peter SpykerLabor Lowan LiberalJim McCabe 11.7 -12.2 0.5Bill McGrathNational Oakleigh LiberalAlan Scanlan 1.3 -3.0 1.7Race MathewsLabor Prahran LiberalSam Loxton 5.7 -6.6 0.9Bob MillerLabor Springvale LiberalNorman Billing 4.4 -5.1 0.7Kevin KingLabor Werribee LiberalNeville Hudson 0.1 -8.2 8.1Ken CoghillLabor 

Members listed in italics did not recontest their seats. In addition, Labor retained the seat of Greensborough, which it had won from the Liberals in a by-election.

Post-election pendulum

Liberal seats (41)MarginalSt KildaBrian DixonLIB0.2%Ballarat SouthJoan ChambersLIB0.4%MitchamGeorge CoxLIB0.7%SyndalGeoff ColemanLIB0.7%Geelong WestHayden BirrellLIB0.8%Noble ParkPeter CollinsLIB1.0%BendigoDaryl McClureLIB1.2%SandringhamMax CrellinLIB1.6%GisborneTom ReynoldsLIB2.0%MonbulkBill BorthwickLIB2.2%IvanhoeBruce SkeggsLIB3.4%Box HillDonald MackinnonLIB3.6%CaulfieldTed TannerLIB3.8%EvelynJim PlowmanLIB3.8%RingwoodPeter McArthurLIB4.1%Forest HillJohn RichardsonLIB5.0%MidlandsBill EberyLIB5.0%NarracanJim BalfourLIB5.1%RiponTom AustinLIB5.2%Fairly safeBennettswoodKeith McCanceLIB6.1%WarrandyteNorman LacyLIB6.1%Ballarat NorthTom EvansLIB6.3%MentoneBill TempletonLIB6.5%South BarwonAurel SmithLIB6.6%DromanaRoberts DunstanLIB6.7%FrankstonGraeme WeidemanLIB7.2%WantirnaGeoff HayesLIB7.6%PortlandDon McKellarLIB8.0%BerwickRob MaclellanLIB8.2%BurwoodJeff KennettLIB9.1%HawthornWalter JonaLIB9.8%WesternportAlan BrownLIB9.9%SafeDoncasterMorris WilliamsLIB10.9%KewRupert HamerLIB11.2%WarrnamboolIan SmithLIB12.4%BrightonJeannette PatrickLIB12.7%MalvernLindsay ThompsonLIB15.0%BalwynJim RamsayLIB16.0%PolwarthCec BurginLIB18.7%BenambraLou LiebermanLIB19.1%Swan HillAlan WoodLIB24.8% Labor seats (32)Marginal BentleighGordon HockleyALP0.2% SpringvaleKevin KingALP0.7% PrahranBob MillerALP0.9% HeathertonPeter SpykerALP1.0% CoburgPeter GavinALP1.2% v IND EssendonBarry RoweALP1.5% GlenhuntlyGerard VaughanALP1.6% Geelong EastGraham ErnstALP1.7% OakleighRace MathewsALP1.7% GreensboroughPauline TonerALP3.9%Fairly safe DandenongRob JollyALP6.5% WerribeeKen CoghillALP8.1% KnoxSteve CrabbALP8.4% NiddrieJack SimpsonALP9.7%Safe BundooraJohn CainALP10.6% CarrumIan CathieALP11.9% Albert ParkBunna WalshALP14.0% Geelong NorthNeil TreziseALP15.2% KeilorJack GiniferALP15.2% MelbourneKeith RemingtonALP16.0% MorwellDerek AmosALP16.6% GlenroyJack CulpinALP16.7% WilliamstownGordon StirlingALP16.8% Ascot ValeTom EdmundsALP16.8% RichmondTheo SidiropoulosALP20.4%ReservoirJim SimmondsALP21.0%PrestonCarl KirkwoodALP21.5%NorthcoteFrank WilkesALP21.9%FootscrayRobert FordhamALP24.3%SunshineBill FogartyALP24.5%BrunswickTom RoperALP25.5%BroadmeadowsJohn WiltonALP25.6%National seats (8)LowanBill McGrathNAT0.5% v LIBGippsland SouthNeil McInnesNAT6.9% v LIBBenallaTom TrewinNAT15.4%Gippsland EastBruce EvansNAT17.3%Murray ValleyKen JasperNAT20.5%SheppartonPeter Ross-EdwardsNAT20.8%MilduraMilton WhitingNAT22.3%RodneyEddie HannNAT28.4%

See also Candidates of the 1979 Victorian state election

References