1960 Hunter by-election

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A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Hunter on 9 April 1960. This was triggered by the resignation of Labor MP and former Opposition Leader H. V. Evatt. A by-election for the seat of La Trobe was held on the same day.

The seat was won by Labor candidate Bert James, the son of Evatt's predecessor Rowley James. The governing Liberal Party did not field a candidate, leaving as James' main opposition independent labor candidate Bob Brown, a shop-keeper and councillor on Cessnock City Council. He was apparently not related to the Bob Brown, who would win the seat as the endorsed Labor candidate twenty years later.

Results[]

Hunter by-election, 1960[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Bert James 21,978 57.0 -17.4
Independent Bob Brown 11,876 30.8 +30.8
Communist Charles Dumbrell 3,895 10.1 +10.1
Independent Keith Murinane 826 2.1 +2.1
Total formal votes 38,575 97.6
Informal votes 965 2.4
Turnout 39,540 85.8
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Bert James 77.2 -0.3
Independent Bob Brown 32.8 +32.8
Labor hold Swing -0.3

References[]

  1. ^ "By-Elections 1958-1961". Psephos.
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