# 1917 Australian Senate election

The 1917 Australian Senate election was held on 5 May 1917 to elect 18 of the 36 senators in the Australian Senate as part of the 1917 federal election. Each state elected three senators to serve a six-year term beginning on 1 July 1917.
The election was a landslide victory for the Nationalist Party, who won all 18 contested seats to gain control of the Senate.

## Australia

1917 Australian federal election: Senate, National :
| Party | Party | Votes | % | ± | Seats | Seats | Seats | Seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | ± | Seats won | Not up | New total | Seat change |
| | Nationalist | 3,516,354 | 55.37 | +7.60 | 18 | 6 | 24 | 18 |
| | Labor | 2,776,648 | 43.72 | −8.42 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 18 |
| | Socialist Labor | 32,692 | 0.51 | +0.51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| | Independents | 24,676 | 0.39 | +0.39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | Total | 6,350,370 | 100.00 | – | 18 | 18 | 36 | – |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 86,011 | 3.90 | −0.34 | – | – | – | – |
| Turnout | Turnout | 2,202,801 | 77.69 | +4.06 | – | – | – | – |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 2,835,327 | – | – | – | – | – | – |

## New South Wales

Each elector voted for up to three candidates. Percentages refer to the number of voters rather than the number of votes.
1917 Australian federal election: Senate, New South Wales :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nationalist | Edward Millen (re-elected 1) | 413,774 | 55.61 | |
| | Nationalist | Herbert Pratten (elected 2) | 407,547 | 54.78 | |
| | Nationalist | Josiah Thomas (elected 3) | 406,892 | 54.69 | |
| | Labor | David Watson (defeated) | 326,411 | 43.87 | |
| | Labor | Arthur Rae | 322,991 | 43.41 | |
| | Labor | Peter Bowling | 321,789 | 43.25 | |
| | Socialist Labor | James Moroney | 12,184 | 1.64 | |
| | Socialist Labor | Ernie Judd | 11,983 | 1.61 | |
| | Socialist Labor | Ludwig Klausen | 8,525 | 1.15 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 2,232,096 744,032 voters | 96.17 | +1.15 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 29,625 | 3.83 | −1.15 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 773,657 | 70.66 | +5.81 |
| Party total votes ||||||
| | Nationalist | | 1,228,213 | 55.03 | +5.59 |
| | Labor | | 971,191 | 43.51 | −7.05 |
| | Socialist Labor | | 32,692 | 1.46 | +1.46 |

## Victoria

Each elector voted for up to three candidates. Percentages refer to the number of voters rather than the number of votes.
1917 Australian federal election: Senate, Victoria :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nationalist | George Fairbairn (elected 1) | 367,402 | 55.18 | |
| | Nationalist | William Bolton (elected 2) | 364,846 | 54.79 | |
| | Nationalist | William Plain (elected 3) | 363,798 | 54.63 | |
| | Labor | Albert Blakey (defeated) | 301,286 | 45.25 | |
| | Labor | Andrew McKissock (defeated) | 297,432 | 44.67 | |
| | Labor | Edward Findley (defeated) | 295,087 | 44.32 | |
| | Independent | Vida Goldstein | 7,768 | 1.17 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 1,997,619 665,873 voters | 96.79 | +0.08 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 22,062 | 3.21 | −0.08 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 687,935 | 83.92 | +4.77 |
| Party total votes ||||||
| | Nationalist | | 1,096,046 | 54.87 | +8.28 |
| | Labor | | 893,805 | 44.74 | −8.67 |
| | Independent | | 7,768 | 0.39 | +0.39 |

## Queensland

Each elector voted for up to three candidates. Percentages refer to the number of voters rather than the number of votes.
1917 Australian federal election: Senate, Queensland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nationalist | Thomas Crawford (elected 1) | 163,741 | 51.05 | |
| | Nationalist | Matthew Reid (elected 2) | 163,126 | 50.86 | |
| | Nationalist | Harry Foll (elected 3) | 162,965 | 50.81 | |
| | Labor | James Stewart (defeated) | 154,316 | 48.11 | |
| | Labor | Harry Turley (defeated) | 153,894 | 47.98 | |
| | Labor | John Mullan (defeated) | 153,337 | 47.81 | |
| | Independent | John Adamson | 10,796 | 3.37 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 962,175 320,725 voters | 95.24 | −0.53 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 16,026 | 4.76 | +0.53 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 336,751 | 89.02 | +13.95 |
| Party total votes ||||||
| | Nationalist | | 489,832 | 50.91 | +8.28 |
| | Labor | | 461,547 | 47.97 | −9.40 |
| | Independent | | 10,796 | 1.12 | +1.12 |

## Western Australia

Each elector voted for up to three candidates. Percentages refer to the number of voters rather than the number of votes.
1917 Australian federal election: Senate, Western Australia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nationalist | Richard Buzacott (re-elected 1) | 84,771 | 68.40 | |
| | Nationalist | George Henderson (re-elected 2) | 84,549 | 68.22 | |
| | Nationalist | Hugh de Largie (re-elected 3) | 84,104 | 67.86 | |
| | Labor | Cyril Bryan | 40,822 | 32.94 | |
| | Labor | George Dennis | 38,846 | 31.34 | |
| | Labor | John Lutey | 38,704 | 31.23 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 371,796 123,932 voters | 94.84 | +0.17 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 6,740 | 5.16 | −0.17 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 130,672 | 77.77 | +6.31 |
| Party total votes ||||||
| | Nationalist | | 253,424 | 68.16 | +21.71 |
| | Labor | | 118,372 | 31.84 | −21.71 |

## South Australia

Each elector voted for up to three candidates. Percentages refer to the number of voters rather than the number of votes.
1917 Australian federal election: Senate, South Australia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nationalist | Robert Guthrie (re-elected 1) | 106,408 | 58.24 | |
| | Nationalist | William Senior (re-elected 2) | 103,832 | 56.83 | |
| | Nationalist | James Rowell (elected 3) | 102,700 | 56.21 | |
| | Labor | Thomas Butterfield | 79,751 | 43.65 | |
| | Labor | Lionel Hill | 79,036 | 43.26 | |
| | Labor | Frank Lundie | 76,358 | 41.80 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 548,085 182,695 voters | 95.56 | −0.60 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 8,483 | 4.44 | +0.60 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 191,178 | 71.93 | −8.21 |
| Party total votes ||||||
| | Nationalist | | 312,940 | 57.10 | +3.73 |
| | Labor | | 235,145 | 42.90 | −3.73 |

## Tasmania

Each elector voted for up to three candidates. Percentages refer to the number of voters rather than the number of votes.
1917 Australian federal election: Senate, Tasmania :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nationalist | John Earle (re-elected 1) | 46,332 | 58.26 | |
| | Nationalist | John Keating (re-elected 2) | 45,595 | 57.33 | |
| | Nationalist | Thomas Bakhap (re-elected 3) | 43,972 | 55.29 | |
| | Labor | James Hurst | 32,855 | 41.31 | |
| | Labor | James Belton | 32,470 | 40.83 | |
| | Labor | Walter Woods | 31,263 | 39.31 | |
| | Independent | Cyril Cameron | 4,783 | 6.01 | |
| | Independent | Henry Goodluck | 1,329 | 1.67 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 238,599 79,533 voters | 96.28 | +0.99 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 3,075 | 3.72 | −0.99 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 82,608 | 76.01 | −1.51 |
| Party total votes ||||||
| | Nationalist | | 135,899 | 56.96 | +8.81 |
| | Labor | | 96,588 | 40.48 | −9.28 |
| | Independent | | 6,112 | 2.56 | +0.48 |