# 1977 Australian referendum

The 1977 Australian referendum was held on 21 May 1977. It contained four referendum questions and one non-binding plebiscite. To date, it is the most recent referendum to have been successful in Australia.
Result :
| Question | NSW | Vic | Qld | SA | WA | Tas | States in favour | Voters in favour | Result |
| (33) Simultaneous Elections | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | 3:3 | 62.2% | Not carried |
| (34) Senate Casual Vacancies | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6:0 | 73.3% | Carried |
| (35) Referendums | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6:0 | 77.7% | Carried |
| (36) Retirement of Judges | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6:0 | 80.1% | Carried |
This referendum had a particularly strong "Yes" vote. All but one of the referendum questions were carried, and the only one not carried had a clear national majority, but was held back by not achieving a majority of the states. No referendum since then has been successful.
Plebiscite :
| | NSW | Vic | Qld | SA | WA | Tas | ACT | NT | Total voters |
| National Song (Song with most votes) | Advance Australia Fair | Advance Australia Fair | Advance Australia Fair | Song of Australia | Advance Australia Fair | Advance Australia Fair | Waltzing Matilda | Advance Australia Fair | Advance Australia Fair |
The four referendum questions were only voted on in the states; voters in the territories only gained the right to vote on constitutional changes as a result of the Referendums amendment passing. Voters in the territories, however, were able to vote on the plebiscite.

## Results in detail
### Simultaneous Elections

    This section is an excerpt from 1977 Australian referendum (Simultaneous Elections) § Results
Result :
| State | Electoral roll | Ballots issued | For | For | Against | Against | Informal |
| State | Electoral roll | Ballots issued | Vote | % | Vote | % | Informal |
| New South Wales | 3,007,511 | 2,774,388 | 1,931,775 | 70.71 | 800,331 | 29.29 | 42,282 |
| Victoria | 2,252,831 | 2,083,136 | 1,325,708 | 65.00 | 713,929 | 35.00 | 43,499 |
| Queensland | 1,241,426 | 1,138,842 | 534,968 | 47.51 | 590,942 | 52.49 | 12,932 |
| South Australia | 799,243 | 745,990 | 480,827 | 65.99 | 247,762 | 34.01 | 17,401 |
| Western Australia | 682,291 | 617,463 | 292,344 | 48.47 | 310,765 | 51.53 | 14,354 |
| Tasmania | 259,081 | 246,063 | 82,785 | 34.26 | 158,818 | 65.74 | 4,460 |
| Total for Commonwealth | 8,242,383 | 7,605,882 | 4,648,407 | 62.22 | 2,822,547 | 37.78 | 134,928 |
| Results | Obtained majority in three states and an overall majority of 1,825,860 votes. Not carried | Obtained majority in three states and an overall majority of 1,825,860 votes. Not carried | Obtained majority in three states and an overall majority of 1,825,860 votes. Not carried | Obtained majority in three states and an overall majority of 1,825,860 votes. Not carried | Obtained majority in three states and an overall majority of 1,825,860 votes. Not carried | Obtained majority in three states and an overall majority of 1,825,860 votes. Not carried | Obtained majority in three states and an overall majority of 1,825,860 votes. Not carried |

### Senate Casual Vacancies

    This section is an excerpt from 1977 Australian referendum (Senate Casual Vacancies) § Results
Result :
| State | Electoral roll | Ballots issued | For | For | Against | Against | Informal |
| State | Electoral roll | Ballots issued | Vote | % | Vote | % | Informal |
| New South Wales | 3,007,511 | 2,774,388 | 2,230,218 | 81.62 | 502,171 | 18.38 | 41,999 |
| Victoria | 2,252,831 | 2,083,136 | 1,552,558 | 76.13 | 486,798 | 23.87 | 43,780 |
| Queensland | 1,241,426 | 1,138,842 | 662,732 | 58.86 | 463,165 | 41.14 | 12,945 |
| South Australia | 799,243 | 745,990 | 557,950 | 76.59 | 170,536 | 23.41 | 17,504 |
| Western Australia | 682,291 | 617,463 | 344,389 | 57.11 | 258,655 | 42.89 | 14,419 |
| Tasmania | 259,081 | 246,063 | 129,924 | 53.78 | 111,638 | 46.22 | 4,501 |
| Total for Commonwealth | 8,242,383 | 7,605,882 | 5,477,771 | 73.32 | 1,992,963 | 26.68 | 135,148 |
| Results | Obtained majority in all six states and an overall majority of 3,484,808 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six states and an overall majority of 3,484,808 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six states and an overall majority of 3,484,808 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six states and an overall majority of 3,484,808 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six states and an overall majority of 3,484,808 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six states and an overall majority of 3,484,808 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six states and an overall majority of 3,484,808 votes. Carried |

### Referendums

    This section is an excerpt from 1977 Australian referendum (Inclusion of territories) § Results
Result :
| State | Electoral roll | Ballots issued | For | For | Against | Against | Informal |
| State | Electoral roll | Ballots issued | Vote | % | Vote | % | Informal |
| New South Wales | 3,007,511 | 2,774,388 | 2,292,822 | 83.92 | 439,247 | 16.08 | 42,319 |
| Victoria | 2,252,831 | 2,083,136 | 1,647,187 | 80.78 | 391,855 | 19.22 | 44,094 |
| Queensland | 1,241,426 | 1,138,842 | 670,820 | 59.58 | 455,051 | 40.42 | 12,971 |
| South Australia | 799,243 | 745,990 | 606,743 | 83.29 | 121,770 | 16.71 | 17,477 |
| Western Australia | 682,291 | 617,463 | 437,751 | 72.62 | 165,049 | 27.38 | 14,663 |
| Tasmania | 259,081 | 246,063 | 150,346 | 62.25 | 91,184 | 37.75 | 4,533 |
| Total for Commonwealth | 8,242,383 | 7,605,882 | 5,805,669 | 77.72 | 1,664,156 | 22.28 | 136,057 |
| Results | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,141,513 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,141,513 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,141,513 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,141,513 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,141,513 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,141,513 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,141,513 votes. Carried |

### Retirement of Judges

    This section is an excerpt from 1977 Australian referendum (Retirement of Judges) § Results
Result :
| State | Electoral roll | Ballots issued | For | For | Against | Against | Informal |
| State | Electoral roll | Ballots issued | Vote | % | Vote | % | Informal |
| New South Wales | 3,007,511 | 2,774,388 | 2,316,999 | 84.84 | 414,070 | 15.16 | 43,319 |
| Victoria | 2,252,831 | 2,083,136 | 1,659,273 | 81.43 | 378,505 | 18.57 | 45,358 |
| Queensland | 1,241,426 | 1,138,842 | 734,183 | 65.24 | 391,227 | 34.76 | 13,432 |
| South Australia | 799,243 | 745,990 | 622,760 | 85.57 | 104,987 | 14.43 | 18,243 |
| Western Australia | 682,291 | 617,463 | 472,228 | 78.37 | 130,307 | 21.63 | 14,928 |
| Tasmania | 259,081 | 246,063 | 174,951 | 72.46 | 66,478 | 27.54 | 4,634 |
| Total for Commonwealth | 8,242,383 | 7,605,882 | 5,980,394 | 80.10 | 1,485,574 | 19.90 | 139,914 |
| Results | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,494,820 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,494,820 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,494,820 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,494,820 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,494,820 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,494,820 votes. Carried | Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 4,494,820 votes. Carried |

### National Song

    This section is an excerpt from 1977 Australian plebiscite (National Song) § Results
Voters were presented with the following choice: Against the background that 'GOD SAVE THE QUEEN' is the NATIONAL ANTHEM to be played on Regal and Vice Regal occasions, electors may indicate their preferences as to which of the tunes of the songs listed below they would prefer to be played on other occasions.
Result :
| State | Electoral roll | Ballots issued | "God Save the Queen" | "God Save the Queen" | "Advance Australia Fair" | "Advance Australia Fair" | "The Song of Australia" | "The Song of Australia" | "Waltzing Matilda" | "Waltzing Matilda" | Informal |
| State | Electoral roll | Ballots issued | Vote | % | Vote | % | Vote | % | Vote | % | Informal |
| New South Wales | 3,007,511 | 2,537,805 | 348,885 | 15.32 | 1,169,421 | 51.35 | 121,456 | 5.33 | 637,795 | 28.00 | 260,248 |
| Victoria | 2,252,831 | 1,951,160 | 352,603 | 20.68 | 683,451 | 40.09 | 110,591 | 6.49 | 557,991 | 32.73 | 246,524 |
| Queensland | 1,241,426 | 1,056,804 | 204,453 | 21.38 | 438,929 | 45.90 | 61,234 | 6.40 | 251,609 | 26.31 | 100,579 |
| South Australia | 799,243 | 706,392 | 114,477 | 18.07 | 152,507 | 24.07 | 215,085 | 33.95 | 151,434 | 23.90 | 72,889 |
| Western Australia | 682,291 | 487,879 | 113,054 | 23.17 | 183,159 | 37.54 | 75,524 | 15.48 | 116,142 | 23.81 | 68,394 |
| Tasmania | 259,081 | 253,525 | 47,346 | 22.38 | 88,825 | 41.98 | 21,091 | 9.97 | 54,329 | 25.68 | 23,934 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 120,875 | 22,136 | 1,448 | 6.65 | 7,857 | 36.11 | 1,863 | 8.56 | 10,593 | 48.68 | 375 |
| Northern Territory | 38,209 | 2,951 | 423 | 14.93 | 1,143 | 40.35 | 413 | 14.58 | 854 | 30.14 | 118 |
| Total for Commonwealth | 8,401,467 | 7,069,046 | 1,182,689 | 18.78 | 2,725,292 | 43.29 | 607,257 | 9.65 | 1,780,747 | 28.28 | 773,061 |