1894 Western Australian colonial election

Elections of Western Australia of 1894 June 2020 January 2017 1894 Western Australian colonial election Western Australia 1870 parliamentary 1890 Western Australian colonial election 1890 Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1890–1894 1894 06 Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1894–1897 1897 Western Australian colonial election 1897 horizontal center 150 John Forrest.jpg John Forrest 152 George Randell HOFWA.jpg George Randell right Elections were held in the Colony of Western Australia in June and July 1894 to elect 33 members to the Legislative Assembly. Less than half of the seats were contested and virtually all campaigns were fought on local issues, although a few candidates were endorsed by extraparliamentary organisations. The election presented no threat to the government of Sir John Forrest, but its aftermath saw the establishment of a credible opposition for the first time, led by George Randell. Timeline Close of nominations 12 June: East Perth, Perth, West Perth 13 June: Fremantle, Moore, North Fremantle, South Fremantle 14 June: Bunbury, Geraldton, Roebourne, Williams 15 June: Murray, Nelson, Plantagenet, Sussex, Swan, Wellington 16 June: Greenough, Toodyay 18 June: Albany, Irwin, Northam 19 June: Ashburton, Gascoyne 21 June: York 22 June: East Kimberley, Pilbara, West Kimberley, Yilgarn 23 June: Beverley, De Grey 25 June: Murchison, Nannine Polling day 14 June: East Perth, Perth, West Perth 15 June: Fremantle, North Fremantle, South Fremantle 18 June: Murray, Roebourne, Swan 19 June: Bunbury, Geraldton 20 June: Nelson, Plantagenet, Sussex, Toodyay, Wellington, Williams 21 June: Greenough 22 June: Albany, Northam 25 June: Irwin, Moore, York 27 June: Beverley 29 June: Ashburton, De Grey, Gascoyne 3 July: East Kimberley, Murchison, Nannine, Pilbara, West Kimberley, Yilgarn Campaign and results Results of the Western Australian colonial election, 1894 Only 15 out of the 33 seats were contested at the election, although this represented an increase of four from the 1890 election. Five of the six seats in Perth and Fremantle were contested, the exception being South Fremantle, where Elias Solomon was returned unopposed.Black David David Black (historian) Prescott Valerie Election statistics : Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996 1997 Western Australian Parliamentary History Project and Western Australian Electoral Commission Perth, [W.A.] 0730984095 In Perth, the major campaign issue was education – in particular, whether Catholic schools should be funded by the state. Two extraparliamentary organisations were established on either side of the debate, with the Education Defence League (led by Thomas Molloy and Timothy Quinlan) in favour and the National Education League (led by George Randell) opposed. Both leagues endorsed candidates in the three Perth electorates, with all three pro-Catholic candidates being defeated.De Garis, Brian Self-Government and Political Parties 1991 The House on the Hill: A History of the Parliament of Western Australia 1832–1990 Black, David Perth, Western Australia Parliament of Western Australia 0-7309-3983-9 73 In North Fremantle, one of the candidates, George Baker, was endorsed by the Progressive Political League (PPL), which was the political arm of the Trades and Labour Council (and a forerunner of the Labor Party). Other PPL members had been unable to meet the property qualifications necessary to stand.De Garis, p. 73. Aftermath After the election, George Randell was chosen as Leader of the Opposition, and had this status acknowledged by Forrest. Other prominent figures in the opposition were William Loton and George Leake, and there was much variation in the leadership of the opposition in the years leading up to the 1897 election.De Garis, p. 73. References Category:1894 elections in Australia Category:Elections in Western Australia Category:June 1894 in Australia Category:July 1894 in Australia Category:1890s in Western Australia