The 1892 Victorian colonial election was held on 20 April 1892 to elect the 15th
Parliament of Victoria
The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria that follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system. It consists of the King, represented by the Governor of Victoria, the Legislative Assembly and ...
. All 95 seats in the
Legislative Assembly were up for election, though 13 were uncontested.
This was the first election contested by the
Labour Party, which was led by
William Trenwith
William Arthur Trenwith (15 July 1846 – 26 July 1925) was a pioneer trade union official and labour movement politician for Victoria, Australia.
Early life
Born to convict parents at Launceston, Tasmania, he followed his father's trade as a ...
.
Background
In February 1892, Premier
James Munro, who was deeply in debt, asked his Cabinet to appoint him Victorian Agent-General in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. He then resigned as Premier and immediately took ship from
Port Melbourne
Port Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Port Phillip local government areas. Port Melbourne recorded a populatio ...
.
The
Liberals turned to
William Shiels
William Shiels (3 December 1848 – 17 December 1904) was an Australian colonial-era politician, serving as the 16th Premier of Victoria.
Biography
Shiels was born in Maghera, County Londonderry, a town in the centre of Ulster in the north of ...
as a "clean" new leader, and he became the new Premier on 16 February 1892.
Results
13 seats were uncontested at this election, and therefore retained by the incumbent member:
*
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
:
Ararat,
Clunes and Allandale,
Daylesford,
Donald and Swan Hill,
Gippsland East,
Gippsland North,
Numurkah and Nathalia,
Warrenheip,
Warrnambool
Warrnambool ( Maar: ''Peetoop'' or ''Wheringkernitch'' or ''Warrnambool'') is a city on the south-western coast of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 census, Warrnambool had a population of 35,743. Situated on the Princes Highway, Warrnambool (Al ...
(9)
* Conservative:
Bourke West,
Evelyn
Evelyn may refer to:
Places
* Evelyn, London
*Evelyn Gardens, a garden square in London
* Evelyn, Ontario, Canada
* Evelyn, Michigan, United States
* Evelyn, Texas, United States
* Evelyn, Wirt County, West Virginia, United States
* Evelyn ...
,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
,
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
(4)
Aftermath
The Shiels government was defeated on a vote of confidence on 18 January 1893, and was succeeded by Conservative
James Patterson
James Brendan Patterson (born March 22, 1947) is an American author. Among his works are the ''Alex Cross'', '' Michael Bennett'', '' Women's Murder Club'', ''Maximum Ride'', '' Daniel X'', '' NYPD Red'', '' Witch & Wizard'', and ''Private'' se ...
. Patterson himself was defeated on a vote of confidence on 28 August 1894, and sought a dissolution of the house.
The Liberals returned to government in
1894
Events January–March
* January 4 – A military alliance is established between the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire.
* January 7 – William Kennedy Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film in the United S ...
, led by
George Turner.
References
{{Victorian elections
Elections in Victoria (state)
1890s elections in Australia
1890s in Victoria (state)