# Electoral results for the district of Semaphore

This is a list of election results for the electoral district of Semaphore in South Australian elections.

## Members for Semaphore

| Member | Party | Term |
| Albert Thompson | Labor | 1938–1946 |
| Harold Tapping | Labor | 1946–1964 |
| Reg Hurst | Labor | 1964–1973 |
| Jack Olson | Labor | 1973–1979 |
| Norm Peterson | Independent | 1979–1993 |

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

1989 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Norm Peterson | 7,210 | 40.0 | -1.7 |
| | Labor | Kevin Foley | 6,069 | 33.7 | -7.3 |
| | Liberal | Terence Daviess | 3,655 | 20.2 | +3.9 |
| | Democrats | Eric Mack | 1,097 | 6.1 | +5.1 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 18,031 | 97.3 | +0.2 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 494 | 2.7 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,525 | 94.5 | +0.1 |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Labor | Kevin Foley | 12,712 | 70.5 | -4.5 |
| | Liberal | Terence Daviess | 5,319 | 29.5 | +4.5 |
| Two-candidate-preferred result ||||||
| | Independent | Norm Peterson | 11,319 | 62.8 | +5.5 |
| | Labor | Kevin Foley | 6,712 | 37.2 | -5.5 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | +5.5 | |
1985 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Labor | Norm Peterson | 7,226 | 41.7 | -3.3 |
| | Labor | Rod Sawford | 7,104 | 41.0 | +15.0 |
| | Liberal | Mark Laing | 2,831 | 16.3 | -11.7 |
| | Democrats | F Goncalves | 177 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 17,338 | 97.1 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 526 | 2.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,864 | 94.4 | |
| Two-candidate-preferred result ||||||
| | Independent Labor | Norm Peterson | 9,939 | 57.3 | |
| | Labor | Rod Sawford | 7,399 | 42.7 | |
| | Independent Labor hold | Independent Labor hold | Swing | N/A | |
1982 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Norm Peterson | 7,915 | 46.8 | +15.1 |
| | Labor | Peter Bicknell | 6,462 | 38.2 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal | Macleay Lawrie | 2,244 | 13.3 | -14.7 |
| | Democrats | Peter Gagliardi | 295 | 1.7 | -2.7 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 16,916 | 94.9 | +0.5 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 910 | 5.1 | −0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,826 | 93.4 | −1.2 |
| Two-candidate-preferred result ||||||
| | Independent | Norm Peterson | 10,207 | 60.3 | -1.9 |
| | Labor | Peter Bicknell | 6,709 | 39.7 | +1.9 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | -1.9 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

1979 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | George Apap | 5,778 | 35.9 | -34.9 |
| | Independent Labor | Norm Peterson | 5,106 | 31.7 | +31.7 |
| | Liberal | Mac Lawrie | 4,500 | 28.0 | +0.9 |
| | Democrats | Dean Richards | 715 | 4.4 | +4.4 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 16,099 | 94.4 | −2.7 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 957 | 5.6 | +2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,056 | 94.6 | +1.4 |
| Two-candidate-preferred result ||||||
| | Independent Labor | Norm Peterson | 10,022 | 62.2 | +62.2 |
| | Labor | George Apap | 6,077 | 37.8 | -34.4 |
| | Independent Labor gain from Labor | Independent Labor gain from Labor | Swing | N/A | |
1977 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Jack Olson | 11,601 | 70.8 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal | Terence Hanson | 4,447 | 27.1 | +11.1 |
| | Socialist | J Mitchell | 343 | 2.1 | +2.1 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 16,391 | 97.1 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 481 | 2.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,872 | 93.2 | |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Labor | Jack Olson | 11,833 | 72.2 | -0.3 |
| | Liberal | Terence Hanson | 4,558 | 27.8 | +0.3 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | -0.3 | |
1975 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Jack Olson | 11,813 | 69.9 | -2.8 |
| | Liberal | Willem Van Wyk | 2,732 | 16.2 | -7.4 |
| | Liberal Movement | Rodney Sporn | 2,348 | 13.9 | +13.9 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 16,893 | 94.8 | −0.9 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 929 | 5.2 | +0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,822 | 95.1 | +0.3 |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Labor | Jack Olson | 12,045 | 71.3 | -4.7 |
| | Liberal | Willem Van Wyk | 4,848 | 28.7 | +4.7 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | -4.7 | |
1973 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Reg Hurst | 11,472 | 72.7 | -1.9 |
| | Liberal and Country | John Howarth | 3,729 | 23.6 | -1.8 |
| | Socialist | Keith Waye | 576 | 3.7 | +3.7 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 15,777 | 95.7 | −1.8 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 701 | 4.3 | +1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,478 | 94.8 | +0.2 |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Labor | Reg Hurst | 11,991 | 76.0 | +1.4 |
| | Liberal and Country | John Howarth | 3,786 | 24.0 | -1.4 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | +1.4 | |
1970 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labor | Reg Hurst | 11,428 | 74.6 |
| | Liberal and Country | Reginald Appelkamp | 3,884 | 25.4 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 15,312 | 97.5 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 389 | 2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,701 | 94.6 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1960s

1968 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Reg Hurst | 15,613 | 69.6 | -8.5 |
| | Liberal and Country | Reginald Appelkamp | 6,076 | 27.1 | +27.1 |
| | Social Credit | Edward Wright | 731 | 3.3 | -5.4 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 22,520 | 97.0 | +2.1 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 692 | 3.0 | −2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,112 | 95.1 | −0.4 |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Labor | Reg Hurst | 15,978 | 71.3 | -0.7 |
| | Liberal and Country | Reginald Appelkamp | 6,442 | 28.7 | +28.7 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | N/A | |
1965 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Reg Hurst | 16,430 | 78.1 | -21.9 |
| | Democratic Labor | Charles Coffey | 2,747 | 13.1 | +13.1 |
| | Social Credit | George Heritage | 1,821 | 8.7 | +8.7 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 21,028 | 94.9 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,116 | 5.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,144 | 95.5 | |
| Two-candidate-preferred result ||||||
| | Labor | Reg Hurst | 17,341 | 82.5 | -17.5 |
| | Democratic Labor | Charles Coffey | 3,687 | 17.5 | +17.5 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | N/A | |
1962 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Harold Tapping | unopposed | | |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

1959 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Harold Tapping | 18,246 | 92.2 | -7.8 |
| | Communist | James Mitchell | 1,539 | 7.8 | +7.8 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 19,785 | 94.4 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,166 | 5.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,951 | 94.1 | |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | N/A | |
1956 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Harold Tapping | unopposed | | |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | | |
1953 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Harold Tapping | 19,043 | 87.6 | +7.1 |
| | Independent | Roy Luckman | 2,693 | 12.4 | +12.4 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 21,736 | 95.4 | +1.2 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,037 | 4.6 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,773 | 93.9 | +1.8 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | N/A | |
1950 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Harold Tapping | 15,173 | 80.5 | -19.5 |
| | Independent | Joseph Talbot | 3,681 | 19.5 | +19.5 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 18,854 | 94.2 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,155 | 5.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,009 | 92.1 | |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1940s

1947 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Harold Tapping | unopposed | | |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | | |
1944 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Albert Thompson | unopposed | | |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | | |
1941 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Albert Thompson | 3,883 | 64.3 | +5.9 |
| | Independent | H J Harden | 2,158 | 35.7 | +35.7 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 6,041 | 96.6 | −1.0 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 214 | 3.4 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,255 | 38.4 | −17.8 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1930s

1938 South Australian state election: Semaphore :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labor | Albert Thompson | 4,849 | 58.4 |
| | Independent | Charles Grant | 1,261 | 15.2 |
| | Independent | Harry Bray | 1,211 | 14.6 |
| | Independent | Herbert Guthrie | 984 | 11.8 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 8,305 | 97.6 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 203 | 2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,508 | 56.2 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | |