1965 Western Australian state election


Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 20 February 1965 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly and 15 members to the 30-seat Legislative Council. The Liberal-Country coalition government, led by Premier Sir David Brand, won a third term in office against the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Albert Hawke.

Electoral changes

The Legislative Council election held on the same day was the first since significant changes to the Council's structure and manner of voting under the Constitution Acts Amendment Act 1963. The Act abolished the 10 three-member provinces which had existed almost unaltered since 1900, and created 15 new two-member provinces. Voting became compulsory and the property franchise was abolished, and the practice of having separate Legislative Council elections in May of every even-numbered year was abolished—the Council's members would now go to the voters at the same elections as members of the Legislative Assembly, although the rotational system where one member per province would retire at each election remained in effect, and unlike the Assembly, the Council's term expired on 22 May every three years, rather than at the election itself.
A number of transitional arrangements were necessary to put these changes into effect. Those who had terms expiring on 21 May 1964, and five of the ten whose terms were to expire on 21 May 1966 would retire on 21 May 1965. The remaining 15 members were eligible to be appointed to new provinces for terms expiring on 21 May 1968.

Post-election pendulum

LCL/Country seats ---
Marginal---
CanningRoss ElliottLCL0.7%
PerthPeter DurackLCL1.1%
BunburyMaurice WilliamsLCL2.4%
MaylandsBob MarshallLCL2.6%
Fairly safe---
KarrinyupLes NimmoLCL6.0%
SubiacoHugh GuthrieLCL8.3%
East MelvilleDes O'NeilLCL9.4% v IND
DaleGerald WildLCL9.8%
Safe---
Darling RangeKen DunnLCL10.9%
CottesloeRoss HutchinsonLCL11.7%
MurchisonRichard BurtLCL13.5%
Mount LawleyRay O'ConnorLCL13.6%
WellingtonIven ManningLCL13.6%
MurrayEwart RuncimanLCL13.8% v IND
MooreEdgar LewisCP18.0% v IND
WembleyGuy HennLCL19.6%
VasseStewart BovellLCL20.4%
ToodyayJames CraigCP24.2% v IND
ClaremontHarold CrommelinLCL27.0%
NarroginWilliam ManningCP30.5% v IND
NedlandsCharles CourtLCL30.9%
AvonHarry GayferCPunopp.
BlackwoodJohn HearmanLCLunopp.
GreenoughDavid BrandLCLunopp.
KatanningCrawford NalderCPunopp.
Mount MarshallGeorge CornellCPunopp.
RoeTom HartCPunopp.
South PerthBill GraydenLCLunopp.
StirlingClayton MitchellCPunopp.