Lyne by-election, 1952

The 1952 by-election for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Lyne was called after the death of the incumbent Country Party of Australia member James Eggins who died in office on 28 January 1952.

Candidates

Contesting the seat for the Country Party were Donald Lancaster and Philip Lucock, who had stood as one of multiple Country Party candidates for the seat at the 1949 election cite web |url= http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1949/1949repsnsw.txt |title= Commonwealth of Australia Legislative Election of 10 December 1949 |accessdate=2008-08-02 |author= Adam Carr|date= |work=psephos |publisher=Adam Carr] .

Their main opponent was Edward Hayes of the Australian Labor Party. He had been the Labor party candidate at several previous polls cite web |url= http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1951/1951repsnsw.txt |title= Commonwealth of Australia Legislative Election of 1951 |accessdate=2008-08-02 |author= Adam Carr|date= |work=psephos |publisher=Adam Carr] .

Two independents, Edward Spensley and Joseph Cordner, also stood for the seat.

Results

Election box begin
title=Lyne by-election, 1952Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Edward Hayes
party = Labor
votes = 13,588
percentage = 37.3
change = +7.4

Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Philip Lucock
party = Country
votes = 10,994
percentage = 30.2
change = -3.1

Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Donald Lancaster
party = Country
votes = 10,631
percentage = 29.2
change = -3.1

Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Edward Spensley
party = Independent
votes = 775
percentage = 2.1
change = +2.1

Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Joseph Cordner
party = Independent
votes = 421
percentage = 1.2
change = -3.4

Election box formal
votes = 36,409
percentage = 98.5
change =

Election box informal
votes = 565
percentage = 1.5
change =

Election box turnout
votes = 36,974
percentage = 92.1
change =

Election box candidate AU party
party = Country
candidate = Philip Lucock
votes = 21,484
percentage = 59.0
change = -9.8

Election box candidate AU party
party = Labor
candidate = Edward Hayes
votes = 14,925
percentage = 41.0
change = +9.8

Election box hold AU party
winner = Country
swing = -9.8

The presence of two Country Party candidates split the vote and Hayes took three thousand votes more than either Lucock or Lancaster, but with preferences from Lancaster, Lucock easily won the seat cite web |url= http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1951/1952-lyne-by.txt|title= Lyne By-election of 1952|accessdate=2006-10-08 |author= Adam Carr|date= |work= psephos|publisher=Adam Carr] .

Aftermath

When Philip Lucock was sworn in as the member for Lyne on 22 March 1952, he became the first member of the House of Representatives to swear allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II who had ascended to the throne on 6 February. cite web |url= http://wopared.parl.net/Hansard/reps/dailys/dr200896.pdf|title= Condolence Motions|accessdate=2008-08-02 |author= |date= 20 August 1996|work=House of Representatives Official Hansard |format= pdf |pages= 26-32|publisher= Commonwealth of Australia]

At the following Federal election in 1954 Lancaster stood as the Labor Party candidate against his former Country Party colleague.cite web |url= http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1954/1954-lyne.txt |title= Commonwealth of Australia Legislative Election of 1954 |accessdate=2006-10-08 |author= Adam Carr|date= |work=psephos |publisher=Adam Carr]

References