Electoral results for the district of Merthyr

This is a list of electoral results for the electoral district of Merthyr in Queensland state elections.

Members for Merthyr

Member Party Term
  Thomas Welsby Ministerialist 1912–1915
  Peter McLachlan Labor 1915–1920
  Peter MacGregor National 1920–1923
  Peter McLachlan Labor 1923–1929
  Patrick Kerwin Country and Progressive National 1929–1932
  James Keogh Labor 1932–1940
  William Moore Labor 1940–1957
  Queensland Labor 1957
  Sam Ramsden Liberal 1957–1971
  Don Lane Liberal 1971–1983
  National 1983–1989
  Santo Santoro Liberal 1989–1992

Election results

Elections in the 1980s

1989 Queensland state election: Merthyr[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Barbara Dawson 8,662 48.4 +15.9
Liberal Santo Santoro 7,267 40.6 +8.5
National Pat Kelly 1,955 10.9 −21.9
Total formal votes 17,884 97.0 +0.1
Informal votes 548 3.0 +0.1
Turnout 18,432 94.5 +5.2
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Santo Santoro 9,024 50.5 +50.5
Labor Barbara Dawson 8,860 49.5 +5.5
Liberal gain from National Swing N/A
1989 Merthyr state by-election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Santo Santoro 6,170 35.91 +3.82
Labor Barbara Dawson 5,623 32.73 +0.23
National Betty Byrne-Henderson 2,753 16.02 –16.74
Independent Nigel Powell 1,281 7.46 +7.46
Independent Tanya Wilde 540 3.14 +3.14
Democrats John Brown 443 2.58 +0.82
Independent Gerry Bellino 334 1.94 +1.94
Independent I. Ciadamidaro 36 0.21 +0.21
Total formal votes 17,180 95.29 –1.60
Informal votes 848 4.71 +1.60
Turnout 18,028 78.92 −10.35
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Santo Santoro 9,784 56.95 N/A
Labor Barbara Dawson 7,396 43.05 N/A
Liberal gain from National Swing N/A
1986 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Don Lane 5,553 32.8 +7.2
Labor Garrett Purtill 5,507 32.5 −8.1
Liberal Santo Santoro 5,439 32.1 −0.4
Democrats Bernard O'Malley 298 1.8 +1.8
Socialist Workers Maurice Sibelle 149 0.9 +0.9
Total formal votes 16,946 96.9
Informal votes 544 3.1
Turnout 17,490 89.3
Two-party-preferred result
National Don Lane 9,497 56.0 −3.8
Labor Garrett Purtill 7,449 44.0 +3.8
National gain from Liberal Swing N/A
1983 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Leon Pearce 5,520 40.6 −4.9
Liberal Don Lane 4,416 32.5 −22.0
National William Owen 3,480 25.6 +25.6
Independent Gary Waddell 183 1.4 +1.4
Total formal votes 13,599 97.9 +0.8
Informal votes 288 2.1 −0.8
Turnout 13,887 89.8 +5.8
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Don Lane 7,853 57.7 +3.2
Labor Leon Pearce 5,746 42.3 −3.2
Liberal hold Swing +3.2
1980 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Don Lane 7,334 54.5 +0.9
Labor Barbara Dawson 6,116 45.5 +3.1
Total formal votes 13,450 97.1 −0.4
Informal votes 398 2.9 +0.4
Turnout 13,848 84.0 −4.6
Liberal hold Swing −1.9

Elections in the 1970s

1977 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Don Lane 7,508 53.6 −12.9
Labor Barbara Dawson 5,937 42.4 +8.9
Progress Harold Scruton 550 3.9 +3.9
Total formal votes 13,995 97.5
Informal votes 356 2.5
Turnout 14,351 88.6
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Don Lane 7,893 56.4 −10.1
Labor Barbara Dawson 6,102 43.6 +10.1
Liberal hold Swing −10.1
1974 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Don Lane 7,004 66.6 +14.4
Labor Terence Dawson 3,517 33.4 −6.1
Total formal votes 10,521 97.8 0.0
Informal votes 241 2.2 0.0
Turnout 10,762 85.0 −7.5
Liberal hold Swing +7.5
1972 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Don Lane 5,369 52.2 +2.3
Labor Denis Pie 4,058 39.5 −0.9
Queensland Labor James Moss 849 8.3 −1.4
Total formal votes 10,276 97.8
Informal votes 228 2.2
Turnout 10,504 92.5
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Don Lane 6,075 59.1 +2.5
Labor Denis Pie 4,201 40.9 −2.5
Liberal hold Swing +2.5
1971 Merthyr state by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Don Lane 4,026 53.1 +3.2
Labor Brian Mellifont 2,672 35.3 −5.1
Queensland Labor Peter Flanagan 882 11.6 +1.9
Total formal votes 7,580 97.6 +0.5
Informal votes 187 2.4 −0.5
Turnout 7,767 73.9 −13.4
Liberal hold Swing N/A
  • Preferences were not distributed.

Elections in the 1960s

1969 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sam Ramsden 4,508 49.9 −1.2
Labor Brian Mellifont 3,651 40.4 +0.4
Queensland Labor Maurice O'Connor 880 9.7 +0.8
Total formal votes 9,039 97.1 +0.1
Informal votes 268 2.9 −0.1
Turnout 9,307 87.3 −4.2
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Sam Ramsden 5,182 57.3 −0.2
Labor Brian Mellifont 3,857 42.7 +0.2
Liberal hold Swing −0.2
1966 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sam Ramsden 4,781 51.1 −2.3
Labor Brian Mellifont 3,745 40.0 +3.0
Queensland Labor Laurence Kehoe 830 8.9 −0.6
Total formal votes 9,356 97.0 −0.4
Informal votes 284 3.0 +0.4
Turnout 9,640 91.5 0.0
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Sam Ramsden 5,384 57.5 −3.7
Labor Brian Mellifont 3,972 42.5 +3.7
Liberal hold Swing −3.7
1963 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sam Ramsden 5,298 53.4 +3.3
Labor Tom Campbell 3,672 37.0 +3.8
Queensland Labor Geoffrey Traill 946 9.5 −7.2
Total formal votes 9,916 97.4 −0.7
Informal votes 268 2.6 +0.7
Turnout 10,184 91.5 +2.9
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Sam Ramsden 6,068 61.2
Labor Tom Campbell 3,848 38.8
Liberal hold Swing N/A
1960 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sam Ramsden 5,376 50.1
Labor Tom Campbell 3,562 33.2
Queensland Labor Mick O'Connor 1,794 16.7
Total formal votes 10,732 98.1
Informal votes 205 1.9
Turnout 10,937 88.6
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

1957 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sam Ramsden 3,151 37.0 −3.2
Queensland Labor Bill Moore 3,028 35.6 +35.6
Labor Tom Campbell 2,336 27.4 −32.4
Total formal votes 8,515 99.0 +0.4
Informal votes 88 1.0 −0.4
Turnout 8,603 94.1 +3.1
Liberal gain from Labor Swing N/A
1956 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Bill Moore 5,030 59.8 −4.0
Liberal Sam Ramsden 3,380 40.2 +4.0
Total formal votes 8,410 98.6 −0.1
Informal votes 120 1.4 +0.1
Turnout 8,530 91.0 −2.9
Labor hold Swing −4.0
1953 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Bill Moore 6,110 63.8 +7.8
Liberal William Knox 3,470 36.2 −7.8
Total formal votes 9,580 98.7 0.0
Informal votes 129 1.3 0.0
Turnout 9,709 93.9 +0.5
Labor hold Swing +7.8
1950 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Bill Moore 5,948 56.0
Liberal Albert Rees 4,669 44.0
Total formal votes 10,617 98.7
Informal votes 134 1.3
Turnout 10,751 93.4
Labor hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

1947 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Bill Moore 5,865 55.4 +0.7
People's Party Bert Frost 4,726 44.6 −0.7
Total formal votes 10,591 98.3 +0.2
Informal votes 183 1.7 −0.2
Turnout 10,774 90.2 +1.5
Labor hold Swing +0.7
1944 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Bill Moore 5,322 54.7 −3.7
People's Party Leonard King 4,400 45.3 +3.7
Total formal votes 9,722 98.1 −0.2
Informal votes 184 1.9 +0.2
Turnout 9,906 88.7 −5.0
Labor hold Swing −3.7
1941 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Bill Moore 5,302 58.4 +9.1
United Australia Samuel Glassey 3,780 41.6 +11.8
Total formal votes 9,082 98.3 −0.7
Informal votes 158 1.7 +0.7
Turnout 9,240 93.7 +2.8
Labor hold Swing +4.6
1940 Merthyr state by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Bill Moore 4,839 57.5 +8.2
United Australia Patrick Kerwin 3,574 42.5 +12.7
Total formal votes 8,413
Informal votes
Turnout
Labor hold Swing +3.7

Elections in the 1930s

1938 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor James Keogh 4,801 49.3 −17.2
United Australia Edmund Cuppaidge 2,903 29.8 −3.7
Protestant Labor Frederick Brown 2,042 20.9 +20.9
Total formal votes 9,746 99.0 +0.7
Informal votes 97 1.0 −0.7
Turnout 9,843 90.9 −0.6
Two-party-preferred result
Labor James Keogh 4,982 53.8 −12.7
United Australia Edmund Cuppaidge 4,272 46.2 +12.7
Labor hold Swing −12.7
1935 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor James Keogh 6,035 66.5
CPNP William Stevens 3,046 33.5
Total formal votes 9,081 98.3
Informal votes 155 1.7
Turnout 9,236 91.5
Labor hold Swing
1932 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor James Keogh 4,780 51.6
CPNP Patrick Kerwin 4,293 46.4
Lang Labor Kenneth McDonald 187 2.0
Total formal votes 9,259 99.4
Informal votes 54 0.6
Turnout 9,313 84.0
Labor gain from CPNP Swing
  • Preferences were not distributed.

Elections in the 1920s

1929 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
CPNP Patrick Kerwin 4,204 57.0 +8.5
Labor Peter McLachlan 3,177 43.0 −8.5
Total formal votes 7,381 99.0 −0.2
Informal votes 73 1.0 +0.2
Turnout 7,454 80.2 +1.2
CPNP gain from Labor Swing +8.5
1926 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Peter McLachlan 3,666 51.5 −0.9
CPNP Edwin Fowles 3,448 48.5 +0.9
Total formal votes 7,114 99.2 −0.4
Informal votes 54 0.8 +0.4
Turnout 7,168 79.0 −0.5
Labor hold Swing −0.9
1923 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Peter McLachlan 3,509 52.4 +4.0
United Peter MacGregor 3,189 47.6 −4.0
Total formal votes 6,698 99.6 +0.1
Informal votes 28 0.4 −0.1
Turnout 6,726 79.5 +7.5
Labor gain from United Swing +4.0
1920 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Peter MacGregor 3,213 51.6 +4.3
Labor Peter McLachlan 3,013 48.4 −4.3
Total formal votes 6,226 99.5 +0.1
Informal votes 28 0.5 −0.1
Turnout 6,254 72.0 −11.6
National gain from Labor Swing +4.3

Elections in the 1910s

1918 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Peter McLachlan 3,090 52.7 −4.6
National Peter MacGregor 2,776 47.3 +4.6
Total formal votes 5,866 99.4 0.0
Informal votes 33 0.6 0.0
Turnout 5,899 83.6 −8.1
Labor hold Swing −4.6
1915 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Peter McLachlan 2,881 57.3 +7.4
Liberal John Lackey 2,144 42.7 −7.4
Total formal votes 5,025 99.4 +0.5
Informal votes 29 0.6 −0.5
Turnout 5,054 91.7 +6.2
Labor gain from Liberal Swing +7.4
1912 Queensland state election: Merthyr
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Welsby 2,119 50.05
Labor Peter McLachlan 2,115 49.95
Total formal votes 4,234 98.9
Informal votes 47 1.1
Turnout 4,281 85.5
Liberal hold Swing

References

  1. ^ Green, Antony. "1989 Results for Merthyr". Queensland Election Archive. ABC. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  2. ^ Queensland Legislative Assembly (6 March 1990). Details of polling at general election held on 2 December 1989. p. 69.