List of Australian federal by-elections

This is a list of by-elections for the House of Representatives from its creation in 1901 until the present day.

Casual vacancies in the House of Representatives arise when a member dies, is disqualified or resigns, or for some other reason the seat becomes vacant. When a member resigns, he or she would normally tender the resignation to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Casual vacancies are filled by by-elections. The Speaker has a discretion as to when to call a by-election and may not call one at all, for example, if a general election is imminent. At least 33 days must elapse between the issue by the Speaker of a writ and the date of a by-election, and the Speaker cannot issue the writ until receipt of a formal letter of resignation. A by-election must take place on a Saturday.

List of by-elections

In the following table, gains for the Australian Labor Party are highlighted in red, for the Liberal Party of Australia and its predecessors (including the Protectionist Party) in blue, for the National Party of Australia and its predecessors as well as the unrelated Australian Greens in green, and for others in grey.

Brackets around a date indicate that the candidate was unopposed when nominations closed. These candidates were declared "elected unopposed" with effect from the date of the closing of nominations, as there was no need to hold a by-election.

Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
46th Parliament (2019–2022)
Groom	28 November 2020	Resignation	John McVeigh		Liberal National	Garth Hamilton		Liberal National
Eden-Monaro	4 July 2020	Resignation	Mike Kelly		Labor	Kristy McBain		Labor
45th Parliament (2016–2019)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Wentworth	20 October 2018	Resignation	Malcolm Turnbull		Liberal	Kerryn Phelps		Independent
Braddon	28 July 2018	Resignation	Justine Keay		Labor	Justine Keay		Labor
Fremantle	28 July 2018	Resignation	Josh Wilson		Labor	Josh Wilson		Labor
Longman	28 July 2018	Resignation	Susan Lamb		Labor	Susan Lamb		Labor
Mayo	28 July 2018	Resignation	Rebekha Sharkie		Centre Alliance	Rebekha Sharkie		Centre Alliance
Perth	28 July 2018	Resignation	Tim Hammond		Labor	Patrick Gorman		Labor
Batman	17 March 2018	Resignation	David Feeney		Labor	Ged Kearney		Labor
Bennelong	16 December 2017	Resignation	John Alexander		Liberal	John Alexander		Liberal
New England	2 December 2017	Disqualification	Barnaby Joyce		National	Barnaby Joyce		National
44th Parliament (2013–2016)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
North Sydney	5 December 2015	Resignation	Joe Hockey		Liberal	Trent Zimmerman		Liberal
Canning	19 September 2015	Death	Don Randall		Liberal	Andrew Hastie		Liberal
Griffith	8 February 2014	Resignation	Kevin Rudd		Labor	Terri Butler		Labor
43rd Parliament (2010–2013)
No by-elections held
42nd Parliament (2007–2010)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Higgins	5 December 2009	Resignation	Peter Costello		Liberal	Kelly O'Dwyer		Liberal
Bradfield	5 December 2009	Resignation	Brendan Nelson		Liberal	Paul Fletcher		Liberal
Lyne	6 September 2008	Resignation	Mark Vaile		National	Rob Oakeshott		Independent
Mayo	6 September 2008	Resignation	Alexander Downer		Liberal	Jamie Briggs		Liberal
Gippsland	28 June 2008	Resignation	Peter McGauran		National	Darren Chester		National
41st Parliament (2004–2007)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Werriwa	19 March 2005	Resignation	Mark Latham		Labor	Chris Hayes		Labor
40th Parliament (2001–2004)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Cunningham	19 October 2002	Resignation	Stephen Martin		Labor	Michael Organ		Greens
39th Parliament (1998–2001)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Aston	14 July 2001	Death	Peter Nugent		Liberal	Chris Pearce		Liberal
Ryan	17 March 2001	Resignation	John Moore		Liberal	Leonie Short		Labor
Isaacs	12 August 2000	Death^[1]	Greg Wilton		Labor	Ann Corcoran		Labor
Holt	6 November 1999	Resignation	Gareth Evans		Labor	Anthony Byrne		Labor
38th Parliament (1996–1998)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Fraser	1 February 1997	Resignation	John Langmore		Labor	Steve Dargavel		Labor
Lindsay	19 October 1996	Disqualification	Jackie Kelly		Liberal	Jackie Kelly		Liberal
Blaxland	15 June 1996	Resignation	Paul Keating		Labor	Michael Hatton		Labor
37th Parliament (1993–1996)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Wentworth	8 April 1995	Resignation	John Hewson		Liberal	Andrew Thomson		Liberal
Canberra	25 March 1995	Resignation	Ros Kelly		Labor	Brendan Smyth		Liberal
Kooyong	19 November 1994	Resignation	Andrew Peacock		Liberal	Petro Georgiou		Liberal
Mackellar	26 March 1994	Resignation	Jim Carlton		Liberal	Bronwyn Bishop		Liberal
Warringah	26 March 1994	Resignation	Michael MacKellar		Liberal	Tony Abbott		Liberal
Bonython	19 March 1994	Resignation	Neal Blewett		Labor	Martyn Evans		Labor
Fremantle	12 March 1994	Resignation	John Dawkins		Labor	Carmen Lawrence		Labor
Werriwa	28 January 1994	Resignation	John Kerin		Labor	Mark Latham		Labor
36th Parliament (1990–1993)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Wills	11 April 1992	Resignation	Bob Hawke		Labor	Phil Cleary		Independent
Menzies	11 May 1991	Resignation	Neil Brown		Liberal	Kevin Andrews		Liberal
35th Parliament (1987–1990)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Gwydir	15 April 1989	Resignation	Ralph Hunt		National	John Anderson		National
Oxley	8 October 1988	Resignation	Bill Hayden		Labor	Les Scott		Labor
Groom	9 April 1988	Resignation	Tom McVeigh		National	Bill Taylor		Liberal
Port Adelaide	26 March 1988	Resignation	Mick Young		Labor	Rod Sawford		Labor
Adelaide	6 February 1988	Resignation	Chris Hurford		Labor	Mike Pratt		Liberal
34th Parliament (1984–1987)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Scullin	8 February 1986	Resignation	Harry Jenkins Sr.		Labor	Harry Jenkins		Labor
33rd Parliament (1983–1984)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Corangamite	18 February 1984	Resignation	Tony Street		Liberal	Stewart McArthur		Liberal
Hughes	18 February 1984	Resignation	Les Johnson		Labor	Robert Tickner		Labor
Richmond	18 February 1984	Resignation	Doug Anthony		National	Charles Blunt		National
Moreton	5 November 1983	Resignation	Sir James Killen		Liberal	Don Cameron		Liberal
Bruce	28 May 1983	Resignation	Sir Billy Snedden		Liberal	Ken Aldred		Liberal
Wannon	7 May 1983	Resignation	Malcolm Fraser		Liberal	David Hawker		Liberal
32nd Parliament (1980–1983)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Flinders	4 December 1982	Resignation	Sir Phillip Lynch		Liberal	Peter Reith		Liberal
Lowe	13 March 1982	Resignation	Sir William McMahon		Liberal	Michael Maher		Labor
Wentworth	11 April 1981	Resignation	Bob Ellicott		Liberal	Peter Coleman		Liberal
Boothby	21 February 1981	Resignation	John McLeay		Liberal	Steele Hall		Liberal
Curtin	21 February 1981	Resignation	Victor Garland		Liberal	Allan Rocher		Liberal
McPherson	21 February 1981	Death	Eric Robinson		Liberal	Peter White		Liberal
31st Parliament (1977–1980)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Grayndler	23 June 1979	Death	Frank Stewart		Labor	Leo McLeay		Labor
Werriwa	23 September 1978	Resignation	Gough Whitlam		Labor	John Kerin		Labor
30th Parliament (1975–1977)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Cunningham	25 October 1977	Death	Rex Connor		Labor	Stewart West		Labor
29th Parliament (1974–1975)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Bass	28 June 1975	Resignation	Lance Barnard		Labor	Kevin Newman		Liberal
28th Parliament (1972–1974)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Parramatta	22 September 1973	Resignation	Nigel Bowen		Liberal	Philip Ruddock		Liberal
27th Parliament (1969–1972)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Murray	20 March 1971	Resignation	Sir John McEwen		Country	Bruce Lloyd		Country
Chisholm	19 September 1970	Death	Sir Wilfrid Kent Hughes		Liberal	Tony Staley		Liberal
Australian Capital Territory	30 May 1970	Death	Jim Fraser		Labor	Kep Enderby		Labor
26th Parliament (1966–1969)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Bendigo	7 June 1969	Resignation	Noel Beaton		Labor	David Kennedy		Labor
Gwydir	7 June 1969	Resignation	Ian Allan		Country	Ralph Hunt		Country
Curtin	19 April 1969	Resignation	Paul Hasluck		Liberal	Victor Garland		Liberal
Higgins	24 February 1968	Death^[2]	Harold Holt		Liberal	John Gorton		Liberal
Capricornia	30 September 1967	Death	George Gray		Labor	Doug Everingham		Labor
Corio	22 July 1967	Resignation	Hubert Opperman		Liberal	Gordon Scholes		Labor
25th Parliament (1963–1966)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Kooyong	2 April 1966	Resignation	Sir Robert Menzies		Liberal	Andrew Peacock		Liberal
Dawson	26 February 1966	Death	George Shaw		Country	Rex Patterson		Labor
Riverina	27 February 1965	Resignation	Hugh Roberton		Country	Bill Armstrong		Country
Robertson	5 December 1964	Resignation	Roger Dean		Liberal	William Bridges-Maxwell		Liberal
Angas	20 June 1964	Resignation	Sir Alick Downer		Liberal	Geoffrey Giles		Liberal
Parramatta	20 June 1964	Resignation	Sir Garfied Barwick		Liberal	Nigel Bowen		Liberal
Denison	15 February 1964	Death	Athol Townley		Liberal	Adrian Gibson		Liberal
24th Parliament (1961–1963)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
East Sydney	28 September 1963	Death	Eddie Ward		Labor	Len Devine		Labor
Grey	1 June 1963	Death	Edgar Russell		Labor	Jack Mortimer		Labor
Batman	1 September 1962	Death	Alan Bird		Labor	Sam Benson		Labor
23rd Parliament (1958–1961)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Higinbotham	10 December 1960	Death	Frank Timson		Liberal	Don Chipp		Liberal
Calare	5 November 1960	Resignation	John Howse		Liberal	John England		Country
Balaclava	16 July 1960	Resignation	Percy Joske		Liberal	Ray Whittorn		Liberal
Bendigo	16 July 1960	Death	Percy Clarey		Labor	Noel Beaton		Labor
Hunter	9 April 1960	Resignation	H. V. Evatt		Labor	Bert James		Labor
La Trobe	9 April 1960	Resignation	Richard Casey		Liberal	John Jess		Liberal
22nd Parliament (1955–1958)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Parramatta	8 March 1958	Resignation	Howard Beale		Liberal	Sir Garfield Barwick		Liberal
Richmond	15 September 1957	Death	Larry Anthony		Country	Doug Anthony		Country
Wentworth	8 December 1956	Resignation	Sir Eric Harrison		Liberal	Les Bury		Liberal
Barker	13 October 1956	Death	Archie Cameron		Liberal	Jim Forbes		Liberal
Cunningham	(11 April 1956)	Death	Billy Davies		Labor	Victor Kearney		Labor
21st Parliament (1954–1955)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Cook	21 May 1955	Death	Tom Sheehan		Labor	Jim Cope		Labor
20th Parliament (1951–1954)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Gwydir	19 December 1953	Death	Thomas Treloar		Country	Ian Allan		Country
Corangamite	29 August 1953	Death	Allan McDonald		Liberal	Dan Mackinnon		Liberal
Lang	29 August 1953	Death	Dan Mulcahy		Labor	Frank Stewart		Labor
Dalley	9 May 1953	Death	Sol Rosevear		Labor	Arthur Greenup		Labor
Bradfield	20 December 1952	Death	Billy Hughes		Liberal	Harry Turner		Liberal
Werriwa	29 November 1952	Death	Bert Lazzarini		Labor	Gough Whitlam		Labor
Flinders	18 October 1952	Death	Rupert Ryan		Liberal	Keith Ewert		Labor
Lyne	22 March 1952	Death	Jim Eggins		Country	Philip Lucock		Country
Balaclava	28 July 1951	Resignation	Thomas White		Liberal	Percy Joske		Liberal
Macquarie	28 July 1951	Death	Ben Chifley		Labor	Tony Luchetti		Labor
19th Parliament (1949–1951)
No by-elections held
18th Parliament (1946–1949)
No by-elections held
17th Parliament (1943–1946)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Henty	30 March 1946	Resignation	Arthur Coles		Independent	Jo Gullett		Liberal
Wimmera	9 February 1946	Resignation	Alexander Wilson		Independent	Winton Turnbull		Country
Fremantle	18 August 1945	Death	John Curtin		Labor	Kim Beazley		Labor
16th Parliament (1940–1943)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Boothby	24 May 1941	Death	John Price		United Australia	Grenfell Price		United Australia
Swan	21 December 1940	Death	Henry Gregory		Country	Thomas Marwick		Country
Kalgoorlie	16 November 1940	Death	Albert Green		Labor	Herbert Johnson		Labor
15th Parliament (1937–1940)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Corio	2 March 1940	Resignation	Richard Casey		United Australia	John Dedman		Labor
Wilmot	27 May 1939	Death	Joseph Lyons		United Australia	Lancelot Spurr		Labor
Griffith	20 May 1939	Death	Frank Baker		Labor	William Conelan		Labor
Wakefield	10 December 1938	Death^[3]	Charles Hawker		United Australia	Sydney McHugh		Labor
14th Parliament (1934–1937)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Gwydir	8 May 1937	Resignation	Aubrey Abbott		Country	William Scully		Labor
Darling Downs	19 December 1936	Death	Sir Littleton Groom		United Australia	Arthur Fadden		Country
Kennedy	12 December 1936	Death	Darby Riordan		Labor	Bill Riordan		Labor
Fawkner	17 August 1935	Death	George Maxwell		United Australia	Harold Holt		United Australia
Newcastle	1 June 1935	Death	David Watkins		Labor	David Watkins		Labor
13th Parliament (1931–1934)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Flinders	11 November 1933	Resignation	Stanley Bruce		United Australia	James Fairbairn		United Australia
East Sydney	6 February 1932	Death	John Clasby		United Australia	Eddie Ward		Labor (NSW)
12th Parliament (1929–1931)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
East Sydney	7 March 1931	Death	John West		Labor	Eddie Ward		Labor
Parkes	31 January 1931	Resignation	Edward McTiernan		Labor	Charles Marr		Nationalist
Franklin	14 December 1929	Death	William McWilliams		Independent	Charles Frost		Labor
11th Parliament (1928–1929)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Balaclava	3 August 1929	Resignation	William Watt		Nationalist	Thomas White		Nationalist
10th Parliament (1925–1928)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Wide Bay	(3 September 1928)	Death	Edward Corser		Nationalist	Bernard Corser		Country
Martin	16 June 1928	Death	Herbert Pratten		Nationalist	Graham Pratten		Nationalist
Warringah	21 May 1927	Resignation	Sir Granville Ryrie		Nationalist	Archdale Parkhill		Nationalist
Dalley	26 February 1927	Resignation	William Mahony		Labor	Ted Theodore		Labor
Eden-Monaro	6 March 1926	Death	Sir Austin Chapman		Nationalist	John Perkins		Nationalist
9th Parliament (1922–1925)
No by-elections held
8th Parliament (1919–1922)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Yarra	18 February 1922	Death	Frank Tudor		Labor	James Scullin		Labor
Parramatta	10 December 1921	Resignation	Sir Joseph Cook		Nationalist	Herbert Pratten		Nationalist
West Sydney	3 September 1921	Death	T. J. Ryan		Labor	William Lambert		Labor
Maranoa	30 July 1921	Death	Jim Page		Labor	James Hunter		Country
Kalgoorlie	18 December 1920	Expulsion	Hugh Mahon		Labor	George Foley		Nationalist
Ballaarat	10 July 1920	Election declared void	Edwin Kerby		Nationalist	Charles McGrath		Labor
7th Parliament (1917–1919)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Echuca	20 September 1919	Death	Albert Palmer		Nationalist	William Hill		Victorian Farmers
Corangamite	14 December 1918	Death	Chester Manifold		Nationalist	William Gibson		Victorian Farmers
Swan	26 October 1918	Death	Sir John Forrest		Nationalist	Edwin Corboy		Labor
Flinders	11 May 1918	Resignation	Sir William Irvine		Nationalist	Stanley Bruce		Nationalist
Grampians	27 October 1917	Death	Carty Salmon		Nationalist	Edmund Jowett		Nationalist
Darwin	30 June 1917	Death	Charles Howroyd		Nationalist	William Spence		Nationalist
6th Parliament (1914–1917)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Wide Bay	11 December 1915	Resignation	Andrew Fisher		Labor	Edward Corser		Liberal
Dalley	(6 May 1915)	Death	Robert Howe		Labor	William Mahony		Labor
Grampians	20 February 1915	Death	Edward Jolley		Labor	Carty Salmon		Liberal
Bendigo	6 February 1915	Death	John Arthur		Labor	Alfred Hampson		Labor
5th Parliament (1913–1914)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Adelaide	10 January 1914	Death	Ernest Roberts		Labor	George Edwin Yates		Labor
Kalgoorlie	(22 December 1913)	Death	Charlie Frazer		Labor	Hugh Mahon		Labor
4th Parliament (1910–1913)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Werriwa	1 June 1912	Resignation	David Hall		Labor	Benjamin Bennett		Labor
Boothby	11 November 1911	Death	Lee Batchelor		Labour	David Gordon		Liberal
North Sydney	11 March 1911	Death	George Edwards		Liberal	Granville Ryrie		Liberal
Batman	8 February 1911	Death	Henry Beard		Labour	Frank Brennan		Labour
Kooyong	24 August 1910	Resignation	William Knox		Liberal	Sir Robert Best		Liberal
3rd Parliament (1906–1910)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Wakefield	28 August 1909	Death	Sir Frederick Holder		Independent	Richard Foster		Liberal
Adelaide	13 June 1908	Death	Charles Kingston		Protectionist	Ernest Roberts		Labour
Echuca	10 July 1907	Election declared void	Albert Palmer		Anti-Socialist	Albert Palmer		Anti-Socialist
2nd Parliament (1903–1906)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
Riverina	18 May 1904	Election declared void	Robert Blackwood		Free Trade	John Chanter		Protectionist
Melbourne	30 March 1904	Election declared void	Sir Malcolm McEacharn		Protectionist	William Maloney		Labour
Wilmot	26 February 1904	Death	Sir Edward Braddon		Free Trade	Norman Cameron		Free Trade
1st Parliament (1901–1903)
Division	Date	Cause	Former member	Party		Winner	Party
East Sydney	4 September 1903	Resignation^[4]	George Reid		Free Trade	George Reid		Free Trade
Tasmania	26 March 1902	Death	Frederick Piesse		Free Trade	William Hartnoll		Free Trade
Darling Downs	14 September 1901	Death	William Henry Groom		Protectionist	Littleton Groom		Protectionist

Notes

^ Wilton committed suicide
^ Holt was presumed to have drowned; his body was never recovered
^ Hawker was killed in an aircraft crash
^ Reid resigned in order to seek a fresh mandate from his constituents; he won the by-election caused by his own resignation

List of Australian federal by-elections

List of by-elections

46th Parliament (2019–2022)

45th Parliament (2016–2019)

44th Parliament (2013–2016)

43rd Parliament (2010–2013)

42nd Parliament (2007–2010)

41st Parliament (2004–2007)

40th Parliament (2001–2004)

39th Parliament (1998–2001)

38th Parliament (1996–1998)

37th Parliament (1993–1996)

36th Parliament (1990–1993)

35th Parliament (1987–1990)

34th Parliament (1984–1987)

33rd Parliament (1983–1984)

32nd Parliament (1980–1983)

31st Parliament (1977–1980)

30th Parliament (1975–1977)

29th Parliament (1974–1975)

28th Parliament (1972–1974)

27th Parliament (1969–1972)

26th Parliament (1966–1969)

25th Parliament (1963–1966)

24th Parliament (1961–1963)

23rd Parliament (1958–1961)

22nd Parliament (1955–1958)

21st Parliament (1954–1955)

20th Parliament (1951–1954)

19th Parliament (1949–1951)

18th Parliament (1946–1949)

17th Parliament (1943–1946)

16th Parliament (1940–1943)

15th Parliament (1937–1940)

14th Parliament (1934–1937)

13th Parliament (1931–1934)

12th Parliament (1929–1931)

11th Parliament (1928–1929)

10th Parliament (1925–1928)

9th Parliament (1922–1925)

8th Parliament (1919–1922)

7th Parliament (1917–1919)

6th Parliament (1914–1917)

5th Parliament (1913–1914)

4th Parliament (1910–1913)

3rd Parliament (1906–1910)

2nd Parliament (1903–1906)

1st Parliament (1901–1903)

Notes

See also