1974 Northern Territory general election


The first general election for the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday 19 October 1974.
The Liberal Party, formed a few months earlier from the merger of the territorial Country and Liberal parties, won a landslide victory with 49.01% of the vote. The [Australian Australian Labor Party (Northern Territory Branch)|Labor Party (Northern Territory Branch)|Labor Party] won 30.46% and independent candidates won 20.54%. The Country Liberals took 17 of the 19 assembly seats. The other two were held by independents; Dawn Lawrie won the seat of Nightcliff, and Ron Withnall won the seat of Port Darwin. Despite finishing second in the vote count, Labor failed to win any seats. Its support was spread out across the Territory, and was not concentrated in enough areas to translate into seats.
As the territory was still being prepared for self-government, Country Liberal leader Goff Letts took the post of Majority Leader–equivalent to a state premier. Instead of a cabinet, a seven-person "executive" managed internal affairs.
This would be the first of the CLP's eight consecutive election victories. The party would govern the territory for 28 years, one of the longest unbroken runs in government in Australia.

Candidates

Successful candidates are highlighted in the relevant colour. Where there is possible confusion, an asterisk is used.
ElectorateLaborCLPIndependent
Alice SpringsJean LeunigBernie KilgariffAlan Gray
ArnhemElizabeth PearceRupert Kentish
BarklyEric MarksIan Tuxworth
CasuarinaAllan DunstanNick DondasRobert McGahey
Dudley Orr
ElseyKevin FrazerLes MacFarlaneLeslie James
James Martin
Fannie BayJames BowditchGrant TamblingEleanor Fisher
John McCormack
GillenPeter LeunigJim Robertson
JingiliThomas BellPaul Everingham
LudmillaHazel RobertsonRoger SteeleEdward D'Ambrosio
Brian Smith
Grahame Stewart
William Sullivan
MacdonnellDave PollockBruce Breaden
Malcolm Wolf
MillnerJack HuntRoger RyanWilliam Forrest
John Quinn
NhulunbuyJohn FlynnMilton BallantyneWilliam Hendry
NightcliffEdward EllisAlfred HooperDawn Lawrie
Port DarwinJames GallacherWilliam JettnerBrian Manning
Ron Withnall*
SandersonMark PhelanLiz AndrewAlexander Allan-Stewart
Herbert Sinclair
StuartHarry NelsonRoger ValeReginald Harris
Stuart ParkGeoffrey LovedayMarshall PerronWilliam Fisher
John McNamee
TiwiJohn NixonHyacinth TungutalumPeter Lawrence
Robert Oaten
Noel Padgham-Purich
Lou Stewart
Victoria RiverGoff LettsWiyendji Nunggula
Charles Renfrey