1966 Australian Labor Party leadership spill

A leadership spill in the Australian Labor Party, the party of opposition in the Parliament of Australia, was held on 27 April 1966. It followed the long awaited challenge by party deputy-leader Gough Whitlam against incumbent leader Arthur Calwell. Calwell received 49 votes to Whitlam's 25 in a caucus ballot.^[1] After claiming victory Calwell then announced that if Labor was defeated at the impending 1966 federal election, he would not stand for the leadership again.^[2]

Results[]

The following table gives the ballot results:

Name		Votes	Percentage
	Arthur Calwell	49	66.21
	Gough Whitlam	25	33.79

References[]

^ "Calwell defeats leadership challenge: Pledge of unity". The Canberra Times. 28 April 1966. p. 1.
^ Hocking, Jenny (2008), Gough Whitlam: A Moment in History, The Miegunyah Press, pp. 257–258, ISBN 978-0-522-85705-4

[1] "Calwell defeats leadership challenge: Pledge of unity". The Canberra Times. 28 April 1966. p. 1.

[2] Hocking, Jenny (2008), Gough Whitlam: A Moment in History, The Miegunyah Press, pp. 257–258, ISBN 978-0-522-85705-4

[1]

[2]

v t Australian Labor Party
Leaders	Chris Watson Andrew Fisher Billy Hughes Frank Tudor Matthew Charlton James Scullin John Curtin Ben Chifley H. V. Evatt Arthur Calwell Gough Whitlam Bill Hayden Bob Hawke Paul Keating Kim Beazley Simon Crean Mark Latham Kim Beazley Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard Kevin Rudd Bill Shorten Anthony Albanese
Deputy leaders	Gregor McGregor Billy Hughes George Pearce Albert Gardiner James Scullin Arthur Blakeley Ted Theodore Frank Forde H. V. Evatt Arthur Calwell Gough Whitlam Lance Barnard Jim Cairns Frank Crean Tom Uren Lionel Bowen Paul Keating Brian Howe Kim Beazley Gareth Evans Simon Crean Jenny Macklin Julia Gillard Wayne Swan Anthony Albanese Tanya Plibersek Richard Marles
Governments	Watson Curtin Chifley Whitlam Hawke Keating Rudd I Gillard Rudd II
Ministries	Watson Fisher 1 2 3 Hughes Scullin Curtin 1 2 Forde Chifley 1 2 Whitlam 1 2 3 Hawke 1 2 3 4 Keating 1 2 Rudd 1 Gillard 1 2 Rudd 2
Shadow cabinets	Crean Latham Beazley (2005–06) Rudd Shorten Albanese
State branches	Australian Capital Territory New South Wales Northern Territory Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia
Party institutions	National Conference National Executive Australian Young Labor Australian Fabian Society Australian Labor Party Caucus Chifley Research Centre John Curtin House
Factions	Labor Right Labor Left Historical Ferguson Left Lang Labor
History	History of the Australian Labor Party 1916 split 1931 split 1955 split 1975 Australian constitutional crisis Faceless men Federal Labor (NSW) Gang of Four Industrial Groups The light on the hill Tree of Knowledge
Leadership votes	1907 1913 1922 1928 1931 1935 1945 1951 1954 1956 1959 1960 1966 1967 1968 1976 1977 (May) 1977 (Dec) 1982 1983 1991 (Jun) 1991 (Dec) 1996 2001 2003 (Jun) 2003 (Dec) 2005 2006 2010 2012 2013 (Mar) 2013 (Jun) 2013 (Oct) 2019