# Electoral results for the district of Bowen

This is a list of electoral results for the electoral district of Bowen in Queensland state elections.

## Members for Bowen

First incarnation (1873–1950) :
| Member | Member | Party | Term |
| | Thomas Henry FitzGerald | | 1873–1875 |
| | Francis Amhurst | | 1875–1877 |
| | Henry Beor | Conservative | 1877–1880 |
| | Pope Alexander Cooper | Conservative | 1881–1883 |
| | Charles Chubb | Conservative | 1883–1888 |
| | Robert Smith | Conservative | 1888–1890 |
| | Robert Smith | Ministerial | 1890–1902 |
| | Francis Kenna | Labor | 1902–1907 |
| | Francis Kenna | Kidstonites | 1907–1909 |
| | Myles Ferricks | Labor | 1909–1912 |
| | Edward Caine | Liberal | 1912–1915 |
| | Charles Collins | Labor | 1915–1936 |
| | Ernest Riordan | Labor | 1936–1944 |
| | Fred Paterson | Communist | 1944–1950 |
| Second incarnation (1960-1971) ||||
| | Peter Delamothe | Liberal | 1960–1971 |
| Third incarnation (1986-1992) ||||
| | Ken Smyth | Labor | 1986–1992 |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1980s

Results for the 1989 election were:
1989 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Ken Smyth | 7,386 | 68.1 | +11.1 |
| | National | Trevor Maltby | 2,598 | 23.9 | -2.4 |
| | Independent | Josephine Cronin | 869 | 8.0 | +8.0 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 10,853 | 97.6 | −0.7 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 262 | 2.4 | +0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,115 | 90.1 | −1.9 |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Labor | Ken Smyth | | 70.6 | +8.9 |
| | National | Trevor Maltby | | 29.4 | -8.9 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | +8.9 | |
1986 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Ken Smyth | 6,274 | 57.0 | |
| | National | Jim Turner | 2,892 | 26.3 | |
| | Liberal | Jeanette Hunter | 1,836 | 16.7 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 11,002 | 98.3 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 195 | 1.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,197 | 92.0 | |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Labor | Ken Smyth | 6,869 | 62.5 | +4.9 |
| | National | Jim Turner | 4,127 | 37.5 | -4.9 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | +4.9 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

1969 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Peter Delamothe | 3,814 | 51.4 | +0.2 |
| | Labor | Leonard Bidgood | 3,599 | 48.6 | +5.2 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 7,413 | 98.6 | −0.1 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 105 | 1.4 | +0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,518 | 93.9 | −1.5 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -4.1 | |
1966 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Peter Delamothe | 3,632 | 51.2 | +4.7 |
| | Labor | John Gralton | 3,080 | 43.4 | -3.4 |
| | Queensland Labor | James McCane | 382 | 5.4 | -1.3 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 7,094 | 98.7 | +0.4 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 93 | 1.3 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,187 | 95.4 | 0.0 |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Liberal | Peter Delamothe | 3,943 | 55.6 | +3.7 |
| | Labor | John Gralton | 3,151 | 44.4 | -3.7 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +3.7 | |
1963 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | John Gralton | 3,252 | 46.8 | +7.4 |
| | Liberal | Peter Delamothe | 3,230 | 46.5 | +0.4 |
| | Queensland Labor | Jim McCane | 462 | 6.7 | -2.8 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 6,944 | 98.3 | −0.1 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 120 | 1.7 | +0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,064 | 95.4 | +1.3 |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Liberal | Peter Delamothe | 3,607 | 51.9 | |
| | Labor | John Gralton | 3,337 | 48.1 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
1960 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Peter Delamothe | 3,287 | 46.0 | |
| | Labor | William Klaka | 2,813 | 39.4 | |
| | Queensland Labor | James Berryman | 679 | 9.5 | |
| | Communist | James Nisbet | 358 | 5.0 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 7,137 | 98.4 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 115 | 1.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,252 | 94.1 | |
| | Liberal win | Liberal win | (new seat) | (new seat) | (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1940s

1947 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Communist | Fred Paterson | 3,331 | 39.3 | -5.1 |
| | Labor | John Barry | 2,584 | 30.5 | -8.1 |
| | Country | George McLean | 2,551 | 30.1 | +13.2 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 8,466 | 99.3 | +0.3 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 57 | 0.7 | −0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,523 | 93.8 | +6.1 |
| | Communist hold | Communist hold | Swing | +2.8 | |
1944 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Communist | Fred Paterson | 3,434 | 44.4 | -2.9 |
| | Labor | Ernest Riordan | 2,988 | 38.6 | -14.1 |
| | Country | Bill Hancock | 1,310 | 16.9 | +16.9 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 7,732 | 99.0 | +2.4 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 80 | 1.0 | −2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,812 | 87.7 | −3.3 |
| | Communist gain from Labor | Communist gain from Labor | Swing | +6.2 | |
1941 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Ernest Riordan | 4,152 | 52.7 | +13.5 |
| | Communist | Fred Paterson | 3,733 | 47.3 | +18.0 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 7,885 | 96.6 | −2.6 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 275 | 3.4 | +2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,160 | 91.0 | −3.6 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | -4.5 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

1938 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Ernest Riordan | 3,098 | 39.2 | -13.4 |
| | Communist | Fred Paterson | 2,319 | 29.3 | +13.7 |
| | Country | Ernest Forde | 2,135 | 27.0 | -2.4 |
| | Social Credit | Henry Beck | 355 | 4.5 | +4.5 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 7,907 | 99.2 | +0.7 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 62 | 0.8 | −0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,969 | 94.6 | +0.7 |
| Two-candidate-preferred result ||||||
| | Labor | Ernest Riordan | 3,308 | 56.2 | |
| | Communist | Fred Paterson | 2,579 | 43.8 | |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | N/A | |
1935 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labor | Charles Collins | 3,943 | 52.6 |
| | CPNP | Arthur Bradford | 2,205 | 29.4 |
| | Communist | Fred Paterson | 1,173 | 15.6 |
| | Independent | George Kent | 181 | 2.4 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 7,502 | 98.5 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 113 | 1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,615 | 93.9 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | |
1932 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labor | Charles Collins | 3,926 | 57.1 |
| | CPNP | Thomas Mann | 2,948 | 42.9 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 6,874 | 98.9 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 78 | 1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,952 | 94.8 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1920s

1929 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Charles Collins | 3,105 | 51.6 | -6.0 |
| | CPNP | Thomas Mann | 2,916 | 48.4 | +6.0 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 6,021 | 98.1 | −0.8 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 118 | 1.9 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,139 | 90.5 | +0.7 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | -6.0 | |
1926 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Charles Collins | 3,273 | 57.6 | -5.4 |
| | CPNP | Frederick Woods | 2,410 | 42.4 | +5.4 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 5,683 | 98.9 | −0.3 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 65 | 1.1 | +0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,748 | 89.8 | +12.5 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | -5.4 | |
1923 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labor | Charles Collins | 3,069 | 63.0 |
| | United | Frank Ferguson | 1,800 | 37.0 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 4,869 | 99.2 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 40 | 0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,909 | 77.3 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | N/A |
1920 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Charles Collins | 3,576 | 63.8 | +4.4 |
| | Northern Country | John Leahy | 2,032 | 36.2 | +36.2 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 5,608 | 98.9 | −0.1 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 62 | 1.1 | +0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,670 | | |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | +4.4 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

1918 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Charles Collins | 3,046 | 59.4 | +1.9 |
| | National | John Mann | 2,080 | 40.6 | -1.9 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 5,126 | 99.0 | +1.3 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 53 | 1.0 | −1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,179 | 77.3 | −2.5 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | +1.9 | |
1915 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Charles Collins | 2,416 | 57.5 | +12.6 |
| | Liberal | Edwin Caine | 1,787 | 42.5 | -12.6 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 4,203 | 97.7 | −1.1 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 100 | 2.3 | +1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,303 | 79.8 | +3.4 |
| | Labor gain from Liberal | Labor gain from Liberal | Swing | +12.6 | |
1912 Queensland state election: Bowen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | Edwin Caine | 1,868 | 55.1 |
| | Labor | Myles Ferricks | 1,519 | 44.9 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 3,387 | 98.8 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 42 | 1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,429 | 76.4 |
| | Liberal gain from Labor | Liberal gain from Labor | Swing | |