1951 Australian Federal Election

All 121 seats in the House of Representatives and all 60 seats in the Senate were up for election, due to a double dissolution called after the Senate rejected the Commonwealth Bank Bill. The incumbent Liberal–Country coalition led by Prime Minister Robert Menzies defeated the opposition Labor Party led by Ben Chifley with a modestly reduced majority, and secured a majority in the Senate. This was the last time the Labor party ever held a Senate majority. Chifley died just over a month after the election. This was the sixth and last federal election prior to the death of George VI a year later.

1951 Australian federal election

← 1949 28 April 1951 1954 →
← outgoing members elected members →
All 123 seats of the House of Representatives 61 seats were needed for a majority in the House All 60 seats of the Senate
Opinion polls
Registered	4,962,675 1.38%
Turnout	4,654,406 (96.00%) (0.03 pp)
First party Second party   Leader Robert Menzies Ben Chifley Party Liberal (Coalition) Labor Leader since 21 February 1945 13 July 1945 Leader's seat Kooyong (Vic.) Macquarie (NSW) Last election 74 seats 47 seats Seats won 69 52 + NT + ACT Seat change 5 6 Popular vote 2,298,512 2,174,840 Percentage 50.34% 47.63% Swing 0.08 1.65 TPP 50.70% 49.30% TPP 0.30 0.30
Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.
Prime Minister before election Robert Menzies Liberal/Country coalition Subsequent Prime Minister Robert Menzies Liberal/Country coalition

Although the Coalition had won a comfortable majority in the House in 1949, Labor still had a four-seat majority in the Senate. Chifley thus made it his business to obstruct Menzies's agenda at every opportunity. Realizing this, Menzies sought to call a double dissolution at the first opportunity in hopes of gaining control of both houses. He thought he had his chance in 1950, when he introduced a bill to ban the Australian Communist Party. However, after a redraft, Chifley let the bill pass.

A few months later, the Senate rejected the Commonwealth Bank Bill 1950, in which the Coalition government aimed to establish a "Commonwealth Bank Board", which Labor believed would be filled with private banking interests. This finally gave Menzies an excuse to call a double dissolution. While the Coalition lost five House seats to Labor, it still had a solid mandate. More importantly, it picked up six Senate seats, giving it control over both chambers.

House of Representatives

 

House of Reps (IRV) — 1951–54—Turnout 96.00% (CV) — Informal 1.90%

 

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Liberal–Country coalition		2,298,512	50.34	+0.08	69	–5
		Liberal	1,854,799	40.62	+1.23	52	–3
		Country	443,713	9.72	–1.15	17	–2
	Labor		2,174,840	47.63	+1.65	54	+6
	Communist		44,782	0.98	+0.09	0	0
	Independents		47,765	1.05	–1.11	0	–1
	Total		4,565,899			123
Two-party-preferred (estimated)
	Liberal–Country coalition		Win	50.70	−0.30	69	−5
	Labor			49.30	+0.30	52	+5

Notes

• Three members were elected unopposed – two Labor and one Liberal.

Senate

Senate (STV) — 1951–53—Turnout 95.99% (CV) — Informal 7.13%

 

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats won	Seats held	Change
	Liberal–Country coalition		2,198,687	49.70	–0.71	32	32	+6
		Liberal–Country joint ticket	1,925,631	43.52	–1.12	22	N/A	N/A
		Liberal	273,056	6.17	+0.41	10	26	+5
		Country	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	6	+1
	Labor		2,029,751	45.88	+0.99	28	28	−6
	Communist		93,561	2.11	+0.02	0	0	0
	Lang Labor		60,549	1.37	+1.37	0	0	0
	Protestant People's		13,090	0.30	–0.59	0	0	0
	Henry George Justice		6,015	0.14	+0.14	0	0	0
	Independents		22,584	0.51	–1.20	0	0	0
	Total		4,424,237			60	60

• Candidates of the 1951 Australian federal election
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1951–1954
• Members of the Australian Senate, 1951–1953