The 1931 Victorian local elections were held on 27 August 1931 to elect the councils of 100 of the local government areas in Victoria, Australia. A number of by-elections were also held to fill extraordinary vacancies.
Until the 1994 reforms introduced by the Kennett state government, all local elections were staggered, with not all councillors up for election each year.
Background Labor went into the local elections with eight sitting councillors, after A. Pollock (Collingwood) and J. Ryan (Port Melbourne) failed to secure party endorsement for re-election. The party ran a total of 19 candidates − 17 in the Greater Melbourne area and two in Wonthaggi.
Before the elections, the federal Nationalist Party merged with a group of defectors from the Labor who supported Joseph Lyons, and formed the United Australia Party. However, the Nationalist name continued to be used for the party's state branch until after the local elections when the name formally changed on 15 September 1931.
A number of local parties contested the elections. Additionally, the All for Australia League contested its first elections, having been formed several months prior in January 1931.
Results
Party Votes % Swing Seats Change Independents 119,854 79.22 150 Labor 13,234 8.75 2 8 Nationalist 5,829 3.85 3 1 Progressive Ratepayers 3,025 2.00 4 4 Port Melbourne Progressives 2,329 1.54 2 2 Returned Soldiers 1,480 0.98 1 1 Reform Movement 1,431 0.95 +0.95 1 1 Independent Labor 960 0.63 0 Preston Progressives 836 0.55 1 1 Unemployed Association 782 0.52 0 East Oakleigh Improvement 386 0.26 0 Vigilance League 375 0.25 +0.25 0 All for Australia 272 0.18 +0.18 0 Chelsea Ratepayers 217 0.14 0 Country 135 0.09 0 Communist 130 0.09 0 Total 151,275 100.0 165
Aftermath Labor suffered losses in Brunswick, Coburg, Collingwood, Footscray, Heidelberg, Port Melbourne and Williamstown.
Four female candidates contested the elections − Ethel Blagdon (Hawthorn), Marie Dalley (Kew), Jennie Baines (Port Melbourne) and Violet Lambert (Fern Tree Gully). Lambert was elected in South Riding, defeating sitting councillor J. Hobbs with 74.04% of the vote.
Notes
References