# List of Western Australian Legislative Council by-elections

The list of Western Australia Legislative Council by-elections includes every by-election held in the Australian state of Western Australia for the Legislative Council. Prior to the Acts Amendment (Electoral Reform) Act 1987 which came into force at the 1989 election, it was necessary for a by-election to be held to fill any vacancy; they have since been filled by recounts from the previous poll based on a proportional voting system. An imminent Council election often allowed the vacancy to remain until the inauguration of the new Council, usually on the following 22 May.

## Ministerial by-elections

Until a constitutional amendment in 1947, it was necessary for members who were appointed as a Minister to resign their seat and contest their seat at a ministerial by-election. This was because the Ministers became members of the Executive Council, which reported to the Governor of Western Australia and was therefore deemed an "office of profit" under the Crown. Most ministerial by-elections were a formality with the Minister being re-elected unopposed, but on one occasion, in 1901, a Minister from the Council was defeated at the by-elections.

## List of Legislative Council by-elections
### 1950–1989

| By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Vacated | Cause | Retained |
| South-West | 24 October 1987 | Vic Ferry | Liberal | Barry House | Liberal | 24 July 1987 | Resignation | Yes |
| Central | 17 November 1984 | Gordon Atkinson | Liberal | Eric Charlton | National | 4 August 1984 | Death | No |
| North | 31 July 1982 | Bill Withers | Liberal | Tom Stephens | Labor | 21 May 1982 | Resignation | No |
| South Metropolitan | 13 March 1982 | Howard Olney | Labor | Garry Kelly | Labor | 16 December 1981 | Resignation | Yes |
| North | 20 February 1971 | Harry Strickland | Labor | John Hunt | Labor | 31 December 1970 | Resignation | Yes |
| West | 21 October 1967 | Ray Jones | Country | Fred White | Country | 3 September 1967 | Death | Yes |
| Midland | 17 August 1963 | Charles Simpson | Country | Jack Heitman | Liberal | 12 June 1963 | Death | No |
| North-East | 29 June 1963 | William Hall | Labor | David Dellar | Labor | 1 May 1963 | Death | Yes |
| West | 29 June 1963 | Evan Davies | Labor | Jerry Dolan | Labor | 10 April 1963 | Death | Yes |
| West | 7 February 1959 | Gilbert Fraser | Labor | Ron Thompson | Labor | 1 November 1958 | Death | Yes |
| North | 22 September 1956 | Charles Barker | Labor | Frank Wise | Labor | 18 July 1956 | Death | Yes |
| Metropolitan | 9 June 1956 | Harry Hearn | Liberal | Reg Mattiske | Liberal | 20 March 1956 | Death | Yes |
| South-East | 10 September 1955 | Robert Boylen | Labor | John Cunningham | Liberal | 25 June 1955 | Death | No |
| South-West | 10 September 1955 | Charles Henning | Liberal | F. D. Willmott | Liberal | 22 June 1955 | Death | Yes |
| Suburban | 20 June 1953 | James Dimmitt | Liberal | Arthur Griffith | Liberal | 13 April 1953 | Resignation (appointed as Agent-General) | Yes |
| Central | 3 May 1952 | G. B. Wood | Country | Leslie Diver | Country | 3 January 1952 | Death | Yes |
| South-West | 2 June 1951 | William Mann | Liberal | James Murray | Liberal | 22 April 1951 | Death | Yes |
| South-West | 2 June 1951 | Hobart Tuckey | Liberal | Charles Henning | Liberal | 10 March 1951 | Death | Yes |
| Central | 6 May 1950 | Charles Baxter | Country | Norm Baxter | Country | 2 March 1950 | Death | Yes |

### 1940–1949

The changes of names of electoral provinces at the 1950 election, effected by the Electoral Districts Act 1947, were as follows:
* Central Province → Midland Province
* East Province → Central Province
* Metropolitan-Suburban Province → Suburban Province
* South Province → South-East Province
* South-East Province → South Province
| By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Vacated | Cause | Retained |
| Metropolitan | 8 May 1948 | Leonard Bolton | Liberal | Keith Watson | Liberal | 31 March 1948 | Resignation | Yes |
| Central | 30 August 1947 | John Drew | Labor | Harold Daffen | Liberal | 17 July 1947 | Death | No |
| West | 21 June 1947 | William Kitson | Labor | Evan Davies | Labor | 15 May 1947 | Resignation (appointed as Agent-General) | Yes |