View source for 1953 Western Australian state election

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1953 Western Australian state election
| country = Western Australia
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1950 Western Australian state election
| previous_year = 1950
| next_election = 1956 Western Australian state election
| next_year = 1956
| seats_for_election = All 50 seats in the [[Western Australian Legislative Assembly]]<br /><small>26 Assembly seats were needed for a majority</small>
| election_date      = 14 February 1953

<!--      Australian Labor Party     -->
| image1 = [[File:Albert_Hawke_1965.jpg|150x150px]]
| leader1 = [[Albert Hawke]]
| leader_since1 = 3 July 1951
| party1 = Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)
| leaders_seat1 = [[Electoral district of Northam|Northam]]
| percentage1 = 49.76%
| swing1 = {{increase}}7.92
| last_election1 = 23 seats
| seats1 = 26 seats 
| seat_change1 = {{increase}}3

<!--      Liberal/Country coalition      -->
| image2 = [[File:Ross McLarty.jpg|150x150px]]
| leader2 = [[Ross McLarty]]
| leader_since2 = 14 December 1946
| party2 = Liberal/Country coalition
| leaders_seat2 = [[Electoral district of Murray-Wellington|Murray-Wellington]]
| percentage2 = 42.86%
| swing2 = {{decrease}}6.53
| last_election2 = 24 seats
| seats2 = 24 seats
| seat_change2 = {{steady}}0
| title = [[Premier of Western Australia|Premier]]
| before_election = [[Ross McLarty]]
| before_party = Liberal/Country coalition
| after_election = [[Albert Hawke]]
| after_party = Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)
}}Elections were held in the [[States and territories of Australia|state]] of [[Western Australia]] on 14 February 1953 to elect all 50 members to the [[Western Australian Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]]. The two-term [[Liberal and Country League (Western Australia)|Liberal]]-[[National Party of Australia (WA)|Country Party]] coalition government, led by [[Premier of Western Australia|Premier]] Sir [[Ross McLarty]], was defeated by the [[Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)|Labor Party]], led by [[Leader of the Opposition (Western Australia)|Opposition Leader]] [[Albert Hawke]].

The election was notable in that 22 of the 50 seats were not contested at the election. Only two other elections—those held in [[1890 Western Australian colonial election|1890]] and [[1894 Western Australian colonial election|1894]]—had a greater percentage or number of uncontested seats.

==Key dates==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|-
| 7 January 1953
| The Legislative Council was prorogued and the Legislative Assembly was dissolved.<ref>{{Gazette WA|page=1953:41|title=Prorogation of the Legislative Council and Dissolution of the Legislative Assembly. Proclamation.|date=9 January 1953}}</ref>
|-
| 23 January 1953
| Writs were issued by the [[Governor of Western Australia|Governor]] to proceed with an election.<ref>{{Gazette WA|page=1953:157|title=The Electoral Act, 1907–1952. Legislative Assembly General Election, 1953.|date=23 January 1953}}</ref>
|-
| 30 January 1953
| Close of nominations.
|-
| 14 February 1953
| Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm.
|-
| 23 February 1953
| The [[McLarty–Watts Ministry]] resigned and the [[Hawke Ministry (Western Australia)|Hawke Ministry]] was sworn in.
|-
| 27 February 1953
| The writ was returned and the results formally declared.
|-
| 6 August 1953
| Parliament was summoned for business.<ref>{{Gazette WA|page=1953:983|title=Parliament Summoned to Meet for Business - Proclamation.|date=13 May 1953}}</ref>
|}

==Results==
{{see also|Results of the Western Australian state election, 1953 (Legislative Assembly)}}

{{Australian elections/Title row
| title        = Western Australian state election, 14 February 1953
| house        = [[Western Australian Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]]
| series       = Western Australian state election
| back         = 1950
| forward      = 1956
| enrolled     = 205,644{{ref label|cont|1|1}}
| total_votes  = 192,225
| turnout %    = 93.47%
| turnout chg  = +0.86%
| informal     = 5,028
| informal %   = 2.62%
| informal chg = +0.64%
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
  |government  = yes
  |party_id    = Labor WA
  |votes       = 93,157
  |votes %     = 49.76%
  |votes chg   = +7.92%
  |seats       = 26
  |seats chg   = + 3
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
  |party_id    = LCL WA
  |votes       = 71,042
  |votes %     = 37.95%
  |votes chg   = –2.13%
  |seats       = 15
  |seats chg   = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
  |party_id    = WA Country
  |votes       = 9,196
  |votes %     = 4.91%
  |votes chg   = –4.40%
  |seats       = 9
  |seats chg   = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
  |party_id    = Nationalist
  |party       = Ind. Lib.
  |votes       = 3,458
  |votes %     = 1.85%
  |votes chg   = –0.40%
  |seats       = 0
  |seats chg   = – 2
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
  |party_id    = Communist
  |votes       = 1,350
  |votes %     = 0.72%
  |votes chg   = +0.36%
  |seats       = 0
  |seats chg   = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
  |party_id    = Independent
  |votes       = 8,994
  |votes %     = 4.80%
  |votes chg   = –1.35%
  |seats       = 0
  |seats chg   = – 1
}}
{{Australian elections/Total row |
  |total_votes = 192,225
  |total_seats = 50
}}
|}

:{{note label|cont|1|1}} 319,941 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but 22 seats (44% of the total) were uncontested—12 Labor seats (six more than 1950) representing 65,993 enrolled voters, 3 Liberal seats (one more than 1950) representing 14,297 enrolled voters, and 7 Country seats (three more than 1950) representing 34,007 enrolled voters.

==See also==
* [[Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1950–1953]]
* [[Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1953–1956]]
* [[Candidates of the 1953 Western Australian state election]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Western Australian elections}}

[[Category:Elections in Western Australia]]
[[Category:1953 elections in Australia|Western Australian state election]]
[[Category:1950s in Western Australia|State election, 1953]]
[[Category:February 1953 events in Australia|Western Australian state election]]