Electoral results for the Division of Watson (1934–1969)

This is a list of electoral results for the Division of Watson (1934–69) in Australian federal elections from the division's creation in 1934 until its abolition in 1969.

Members

Member Party Term
  John Jennings United Australia 1934–1940
  Max Falstein Labor 1940–1949
  Independent Labor 1949–1949
  Dan Curtin Labor 1949–1955
  Jim Cope Labor 1955–1969

Election results

Elections in the 1960s

1966

1966 Australian federal election: Watson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Jim Cope 21,492 62.1 −6.0
Liberal Peter Lowe 10,476 30.2 +6.9
Democratic Labor Thomas Colman 2,664 7.7 +1.7
Total formal votes 34,632 95.6
Informal votes 1,608 4.4
Turnout 36,240 94.0
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Jim Cope 64.4 −8.1
Liberal Peter Lowe 35.6 +8.1
Labor hold Swing −8.1

1963

1963 Australian federal election: Watson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Jim Cope 24,280 68.1 −12.0
Liberal Louis Mamo 8,302 23.3 +6.4
Democratic Labor Bernard Atkinson 2,136 6.0 +3.0
Communist Harry Hatfield 951 2.7 +2.7
Total formal votes 35,669 96.9
Informal votes 1,143 3.1
Turnout 36,812 93.9
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Jim Cope 72.5 −8.2
Liberal Louis Mamo 27.5 +8.2
Labor hold Swing −8.2

1961

1961 Australian federal election: Watson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Jim Cope 29,079 80.1 +9.1
Liberal Sidney Pitkethly 6,134 16.9 −8.2
Democratic Labor Mary Nappa 1,081 3.0 −0.9
Total formal votes 36,294 97.0
Informal votes 1,141 3.0
Turnout 37,435 94.7
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Jim Cope 80.7 +8.9
Liberal Sidney Pitkethly 19.3 −8.9
Labor hold Swing +8.9

Elections in the 1950s

1958

1958 Australian federal election: Watson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Jim Cope 27,232 71.0 −3.4
Liberal John Bampton 9,628 25.1 +4.6
Democratic Labor Kenneth Collins 1,503 3.9 +3.9
Total formal votes 38,363 96.5
Informal votes 1,397 3.5
Turnout 39,760 95.5
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Jim Cope 71.8 −7.1
Liberal John Bampton 28.2 +7.1
Labor hold Swing −7.1

1955

1955 Australian federal election: Watson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Jim Cope 30,129 74.4 −3.8
Liberal Jill Huxtable 8,316 20.5 +2.1
Communist Harry Hatfield 2,025 5.0 +2.4
Total formal votes 40,470 96.1
Informal votes 1,649 3.9
Turnout 42,119 95.4
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Jim Cope 78.9 −2.1
Liberal Jill Huxtable 21.1 +2.1
Labor hold Swing −2.1

1954

1954 Australian federal election: Watson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Dan Curtin 25,507 63.2 +6.5
Liberal Hubert O'Connell 14,846 36.8 −6.5
Total formal votes 40,353 98.2
Informal votes 728 1.8
Turnout 41,081 96.2
Labor hold Swing +6.5

1951

1951 Australian federal election: Watson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Dan Curtin 22,510 56.7 +7.3
Liberal Donald Clark 17,158 43.3 +5.0
Total formal votes 39,668 97.4
Informal votes 1,051 2.6
Turnout 40,719 95.6
Labor hold Swing −2.3

Elections in the 1940s

1949

1949 Australian federal election: Watson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Dan Curtin 19,515 49.4 −5.9
Liberal Stanley Card 15,147 38.3 +12.5
Independent Labor Max Falstein 3,656 9.2 +9.2
Lang Labor Harold O'Reilly 1,210 3.1 −3.1
Total formal votes 39,528 97.3
Informal votes 1,079 2.7
Turnout 40,607 96.5
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Dan Curtin 59.0 −3.5
Liberal Stanley Card 41.0 +3.5
Labor hold Swing −3.5

1946

1946 Australian federal election: Watson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Max Falstein 38,025 53.7 +1.4
Liberal Charles de Monchaux 24,246 34.2 +6.7
Protestant People Charles Wilson 6,177 8.7 +8.7
Services Wallace Knox 2,364 3.3 +3.3
Total formal votes 70,812 97.5
Informal votes 1,809 2.5
Turnout 72,621 94.8
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Max Falstein 56.7 −5.4
Liberal Charles de Monchaux 45.3 +5.4
Labor hold Swing −5.4

1943

1943 Australian federal election: Watson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Max Falstein 35,400 52.3 +18.0
United Australia Norman Whitfield 18,588 27.5 −17.5
State Labor Richard Wilson 5,662 8.4 −1.2
Ind. United Australia Les Fingleton 2,304 3.4 +3.4
Liberal Democratic Arthur Dudley 2,218 3.3 +3.3
Independent Harry Yates 1,942 2.9 +2.9
Ind. United Australia Hubert O'Connell 1,579 2.3 +2.3
Total formal votes 67,693 95.9
Informal votes 2,873 4.1
Turnout 70,566 98.0
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Max Falstein 62.1 +10.1
United Australia Norman Whitfield 37.9 −10.1
Labor hold Swing +10.1

1940

1940 Australian federal election: Watson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Australia John Jennings 27,586 45.0 −8.8
Labor Max Falstein 21,101 34.5 −11.7
Labor (N-C) Cecil Irwin 6,693 10.9 +10.9
State Labor Richard Wilson 5,868 9.6 +9.6
Total formal votes 61,248 97.9
Informal votes 1,290 2.1
Turnout 62,538 94.7
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Max Falstein 31,831 52.0 +5.8
United Australia John Jennings 29,417 48.0 −5.8
Labor gain from United Australia Swing +5.8

Elections in the 1930s

1937

1937 Australian federal election: Watson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Australia John Jennings 31,187 53.8 −1.1
Labor William Dignam 26,788 46.2 +39.7
Total formal votes 57,975 98.0
Informal votes 1,157 2.0
Turnout 59,132 96.5
United Australia hold Swing −4.9

1934

1934 Australian federal election: Watson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Australia John Jennings 28,758 54.9 −1.4
Labor (NSW) Joe Lamaro 17,817 34.0 +13.4
Labor William Murphy 3,398 6.5 −10.9
Social Credit Vincent Murtagh 2,371 4.5 +4.5
Total formal votes 52,344 97.1
Informal votes 1,537 2.9
Turnout 53,881 95.4
Two-party-preferred result
United Australia John Jennings 58.7 −5.8
Labor (NSW) Joe Lamaro 41.3 +5.8
United Australia notional hold Swing −5.8

References