1881 South Australian colonial election

Colonial elections were held in South Australia from 8 April to 27 April 1881.[1] All 46 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election, along with six of the 18 seats in the South Australian Legislative Council.

1881 South Australian colonial election

8−27 April 1881
All seats in the South Australian House of Assembly

House of Assembly

Since the inaugural 1857 election, no parties or solid groupings had been formed, which resulted in frequent changes of the Premier. If for any reason the incumbent Premier of South Australia lost sufficient support through a successful motion of no confidence at any time on the floor of the house, he would tender his resignation to the Governor of South Australia, which would result in interested members declaring their intent to run for the vacant position. A parliamentary ballot would then take place, resulting in the member with the most votes being sworn in by the Governor as the next Premier.

Informal groupings began and increased government stability occurred from the 1887 election. The United Labor Party would be formed in 1891, while the National Defence League would be formed later in the same year.

Legislative Council

The franchise for the South Australian Legislative Council was more limited, requiring voters to meet a minimum value of land owned.

Six Members were elected in April 1881. They were:[1]^:21

• William Christie Buik
• James Rankine
• John Pickering
• Sir Henry Ayers
• Robert Alfred Tarlton
• John Brodie Spence

Ayers and Tarlton had been members whose terms had expired just before the election and they were re-elected.

See also

• Premier of South Australia

Notes

1. "Statistical Record of the Legislature, 1836 to 2009" (PDF). Parliament of South Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-03-27. Retrieved 2 February 2016.

References

• History of South Australian elections 1857-2006, volume 1: ECSA
• Statistical Record of the Legislature 1836-2007: SA Parliament