COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA LEGISLATIVE ELECTION OF 23 OCTOBER 1937 ==================================================================== Source: Australian Electoral Commission THE SENATE ==================================================================== WESTERN AUSTRALIA (Three senators to be elected) ==================================================================== Enrolled voters: 255,212 +05.9 Votes cast: 237,117 92.9 +02.6 Informal votes: 30,116 12.7 -00.1 Formal votes: 207,001 87.3 +00.1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Candidate Party Votes % -------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Clothier ALP 32,365 15.6 Group A James Cunningham ALP 60,440 29.2 James Fraser ALP 10,495 05.1 Hon Patrick Lynch * UAP 24,110 11.6 Group B Thomas Marwick * CP 19,082 09.2 Rt Hon Sir George Pearce * UAP 47,381 22.9 Carlyle Ferguson 13,128 06.3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1st vacancy, 2nd count: Fraser's 10,495 votes distributed -------------------------------------------------------------------- Clothier 2,896 27.6 35,261 17.0 Cunningham 6,310 60.1 66,750 32.2 Lynch * 426 04.1 24,536 11.9 Marwick * 287 02.7 19,369 09.4 Pearce * 232 02.2 47,613 23.0 Ferguson 344 03.3 13,472 06.5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- > 10,495 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1st vacancy, 3rd count: Ferguson's 13,472 votes distributed -------------------------------------------------------------------- Clothier 3,096 23.0 38,357 18.5 Cunningham 1,566 11.6 68,316 33.0 Lynch * 1,900 14.1 26,436 12.8 Marwick * 2,878 21.4 22,247 10.7 Pearce * 4,032 29.9 51,645 24.9 -------------------------------------------------------------------- > 13,472 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1st vacancy, 4th count: Marwick's 22,247 votes distributed -------------------------------------------------------------------- Clothier 1,372 06.2 39,729 19.2 Cunningham 1,367 06.1 69,683 33.7 Lynch * 13,427 60.4 39,863 19.3 Pearce * 6,081 27.3 57,726 27.9 -------------------------------------------------------------------- > 22,247 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1st vacancy, 5th count: Clothier's 39,729 votes distributed -------------------------------------------------------------------- CUNNINGHAM 36,650 92.2 106,333 51.4 ELECTED 1 Lynch * 1,541 03.9 41,404 20.0 Pearce * 1,538 03.9 59,264 28.6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- > 39,729 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd vacancy: Cunningham's 60,440 second preferences distributed -------------------------------------------------------------------- Clothier 15,753 26.1 48,118 23.2 CUNNINGHAM E ELECTED 1 Fraser 42,761 70.7 53,256 25.7 Lynch * 933 01.5 25,043 12.1 Marwick * 408 00.7 19,490 09.4 Pearce * 313 00.5 47,694 23.0 Ferguson 272 00.5 13,400 06.5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- > 60,440 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd vacancy, 2nd count: Ferguson's 13,400 votes distributed -------------------------------------------------------------------- Clothier 3,105 23.2 51,223 24.7 CUNNINGHAM E ELECTED 1 Fraser 1,728 12.9 54,984 26.6 Lynch * 1,862 13.9 26,905 13.0 Marwick * 2,763 20.6 22,253 10.8 Pearce * 3,942 29.4 51,636 24.9 -------------------------------------------------------------------- > 13,400 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd vacancy, 3rd count: Marwick's 22,253 votes distributed -------------------------------------------------------------------- Clothier 1,434 06.4 52,657 25.4 CUNNINGHAM E ELECTED 1 Fraser 1,403 06.3 56,387 27.2 Lynch * 13,411 60.3 40,316 19.5 Pearce * 6,005 27.0 57,641 27.8 -------------------------------------------------------------------- > 22,253 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd vacancy, 4th count: Lynch's 40,316 votes distributed -------------------------------------------------------------------- Clothier 5,788 14.4 58,445 28.2 CUNNINGHAM E ELECTED 1 Fraser 6,300 15.6 62,687 30.3 Pearce * 28,228 70.0 85,869 41.5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- > 40,316 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd vacancy, 5th count: Clothier's 58,445 votes distributed -------------------------------------------------------------------- CUNNINGHAM E ELECTED 1 FRASER 56,289 96.3 118,976 57.5 ELECTED 2 Pearce * 2,156 03.7 88,025 42.5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- > 58,445 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 3rd vacancy: Cunningham's 60,440 second preferences distributed -------------------------------------------------------------------- Clothier 57,604 95.3 89,969 43.5 CUNNINGHAM E ELECTED 1 FRASER E 10,495 05.1 ELECTED 2 Lynch * 1,396 02.3 25,506 12.3 Marwick * 587 01.0 19,669 09.5 Pearce * 412 00.7 47,793 23.1 Ferguson 441 00.7 13,569 06.6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- > 60,440 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 3rd vacancy: Fraser's 10,495 second preferences distributed -------------------------------------------------------------------- Clothier 8,785 83.7 98,754 47.7 CUNNINGHAM E ELECTED 1 FRASER E ELECTED 2 Lynch * 621 05.9 26,127 12.6 Marwick * 394 03.8 20,063 09.7 Pearce * 288 02.7 48,081 23.2 Ferguson 407 03.9 13,976 06.8 -------------------------------------------------------------------- > 10,495 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 3rd vacancy, 2nd count: Ferguson's 13,976 votes distributed -------------------------------------------------------------------- Clothier 4,600 32.9 103,354 49.9 CUNNINGHAM E ELECTED 1 FRASER E ELECTED 2 Lynch * 2,106 15.1 28,233 13.6 Marwick * 3,096 22.2 23,159 11.2 Pearce * 4,174 29.9 52,255 25.2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- > 13,976 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 3rd vacancy, 3rd count: Marwick's 23,159 votes distributed -------------------------------------------------------------------- CLOTHIER 2,810 12.1 106,164 51.3 ELECTED 3 CUNNINGHAM E ELECTED 1 FRASER E ELECTED 2 Lynch * 14,029 60.6 42,262 20.4 Pearce * 6,320 27.3 58,575 28.3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- > 23,159 207,001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Cunningham's term began 23 October 1937. Fraser's and Clothier's terms began 1 July 1938. Clothier, Cunningham and Fraser elected for a term ending 30 June 1944. Continuing senators (term to end 30 June 1941): Herbert COLLETT (UAP), Edward JOHNSTON (CP), Allan McDONALD (UAP). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Marwick's term ended and Cunningham's term began on 23 October 1937 because Marwick had been appointed to the remainder of Senator William Carroll's term in 1936. Since Carroll's term was technically unexpired, Cunningham was held to have replaced Marwick from the date of the election. -------------------------------------------------------------------- > Robert Ernest Clothier (1877-1964): Elected 1937 Born: 26 March 1877, Queensland Career: Primary education. Bootmaker. Foreman, boot factory, Perth. Secretary Bootmakers Union. State politics: WA MLA for Maylands 1933-36 > Herbert Brayley Collett (1877-1947): Appointed 1933. Elected 1934 Minister without portfolio 26 April 1939 to 13 August 1940 Vice-President of the Executive Council from 14 August 1940 Minister in charge of War Service Homes from 14 August 1940 Minister in charge of Scientific and Industrial Research from 14 August 1940 > James Cunningham (1879-1943): Elected 1937 Born: 28 December 1879, Western Australia Career: Primary education. Goldminer, Norseman and Boulder, Western Australia. Secretary Federated Miners Union. State politics: WA MLC for North-Eastern 1916-22, WA MLA for Kalgoorlie 1923-36. Honorary Minister 1924-27, Minister for Goldfields 1927-30, Minister for Agriculture 1927-30, Minister for Water Supply 1927-30. > James Mackintosh Fraser (1889-1961): Elected 1937 Born: 12 March 1889, Forres, Scotland Career: Primary education. Migrated as child. Tramway worker, Perth. Official Tramways Workers Union. Perth City Council. > Edward Bertram Johnston (1880-1942): Elected 1928, 1934 > Patrick Joseph Lynch (1867-1944): Elected 1906, 1913, 1914, 1919, 1925, 1931. Defeated 1937 President of the Senate to 30 June 1938 Later career: Farmer at Three Springs, Western Australia. Chairman, River Murray Commission. Died 15 January 1944 > Allan Nicoll MacDonald (1892-1978): Elected 1934 Minister without portfolio 29 November 1937 to 26 April 1939 > Thomas William Marwick (1895-1960): Appointed 1936. Defeated 1937 Later career: See House of Representatives 1940 by-elections. > George Foster Pearce (1870-1952): Elected 1901, 1906, 1913, 1914, 1919, 1925, 1931. Defeated 1937 Minister for External Affairs to 29 November 1937 Minister in charge of Territories to 29 November 1937 Later career: Member Commonwealth Grants Commission 1939-44, Chairman Defence Board of Business Administration 1940-47, company director, farmer at Mt Barker, Western Australia. Died 24 June 1952 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Pearce had been a Senator for 37 years and one month, the longest period ever served by a Senator. At his death he was the last surviving member of the Senate of the First Parliament. --------------------------------------------------------------------