1948 Geelong state by-election

A by-election for the seat of Geelong in the Victorian Legislative Assembly was held on Saturday 13 November 1948. The by-election was triggered by the death of Labor member Fanny Brownbill on 10 October 1948.

The candidates were M. J. Travers for the Labor Party (a metalworker employed by the Ford Motors Geelong plant, and former president of the Geelong Trades and Labour Council),[1] S. Baker for the Communist Party, and Edward Montgomery for the Liberal Party.

The Liberal Party won the seat, with Montgomery receiving about 45 per cent of preferences from the Communist candidate, and a nearly ten per cent swing away from Labor. This attracted comment from acting state Labor leader Bill Galvin, who said "there was a sinister influence in the way the Liberals and the Communists had put up a united front" in the by-election;[2] and from Labor Prime Minister Ben Chifley, who also noted the role of Communist preferences in Labor's loss.[3] Acting Liberal leader Wilfrid Kent Hughes called the win "a magnificent victory for the Liberal Party and the present Government".[4]

Results

Geelong state by-election, 1948[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Edward Montgomery	9,659	49.58	+10.28
	Labor	M. J. Travers	8,777	45.05	−10.28
	Communist	S. Baker	1,045	5.36	+5.36
Total formal votes			19,481	97.36
Informal votes			528	2.64
Turnout			20,009
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Edward Montgomery	10,147	52.09	+9.97
	Labor	M. J. Travers	9,334	47.91	−9.97
	Liberal gain from Labor		Swing

References

"LABOUR CANDIDATE FOR GEELONG". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 27 October 1948. p. 7. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
"HOW RED VOTES GO". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 24 November 1948. p. 2. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
"MR. CHIFLEY SAYS RED VOTE DECIDED GEELONG". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. 18 November 1948. p. 2. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
"LEADERS' COMMENTS ON GEELONG POLL "Magnificent victory for Liberals"". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 15 November 1948. p. 5. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
"GEELONG SEAT". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 16 November 1948. p. 10 Edition: 2nd EDITION. Retrieved 18 May 2012.

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[travers-1] "LABOUR CANDIDATE FOR GEELONG". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 27 October 1948. p. 7. Retrieved 18 May 2012.

[redvotes-2] "HOW RED VOTES GO". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 24 November 1948. p. 2. Retrieved 18 May 2012.

[chifley-3] "MR. CHIFLEY SAYS RED VOTE DECIDED GEELONG". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. 18 November 1948. p. 2. Retrieved 18 May 2012.

[libvictory-4] "LEADERS' COMMENTS ON GEELONG POLL "Magnificent victory for Liberals"". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 15 November 1948. p. 5. Retrieved 18 May 2012.

[results-5] "GEELONG SEAT". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 16 November 1948. p. 10 Edition: 2nd EDITION. Retrieved 18 May 2012.