House of Representatives Members – 14th Parliament 1934-1937

This is the full list of members who served in the fourteenth House of Representatives from 1934 until 1937.

The United Australia Party government led by Prime Minister Joe Lyons lost seven seats in the September 15, 1934 election, necessitating a return to the coalition arrangement with the Country Party. In a 74-member House, the UAP won 32 seats (-6), including four members of the South Australian Liberal and Country League. The Country Party won 15 seats (-1), including one member of the LCL. The Australian Labor Party won 18 seats (+4), whilst the Australian Labor Party (NSW), better known as Lang Labor, won 9 seats (+5).

The UAP-Country Party coalition governed with 47 seats to the ALP and Lang Labor’s 27, an overall majority of 20. The UAP polled 32.97% of the primary vote, down 3.13%. The ALP polled 26.81% (-0.28%). Lang Labor secured 14.37% (+3.80%). The Country Party polled 12.61% (+0.36%).

On a two-party-preferred basis, the UAP polled 53.50% (-5.00%) to the ALP’s 41.50%.

Ten past, present and future prime ministers all served in the 14th Parliament. Aside from the incumbent Joe Lyons, five future prime ministers entered or returned to the parliament at the 1934 election. On the conservative side, the UAP’s Robert Menzies (Kooyong-Vic) transferred from the Victorian Parliament, where he had been Deputy Premier. Harold Holt, the man who would succeed Menzies as prime minister in 1966, won a by-election (Fawkner-Vic). The Country Party’s John McEwen (Echuca-Vic) began a 37-year political career that would include three weeks as prime minister, whilst Arthur Fadden (Darling Downs-Qld) entered via a by-election in 1936. Fadden went on to be PM for forty days in 1941. The ALP’s John Curtin (Fremantle-WA) returned to the House, after having been defeated in 1931.

Two future and two past prime ministers already sat in the House. Billy Hughes (North Sydney-NSW), prime minister (1915-1922), was one of only two remaining members from the First Parliament of 1901. James Scullin (Yarra-Vic), who led the ill-fated Labor government (1929-32) continued as the Opposition Leader, although he was replaced by Curtin in 1935. The Country Party’s Earle Page (Cowper-NSW) would succeed Lyons for three weeks in 1939, whilst the ALP’s Frank Forde would be a stop-gap prime minister for eight days in 1945 after John Curtin died.

There were five by-elections in the Fourteenth Parliament:

• 1935: Newcastle (NSW) – David Watkins (ALP) died; replaced by his son David Watkins (ALP). Watkins had been a member of the First Parliament in 1901. His death left Billy Hughes as the only remaining member of the First Parliament.
• 1936: Fawkner (Vic) – George Maxwell (UAP) died; replaced by Harold Holt (UAP).
• 1936: Kennedy (Qld) – David “Darby” Riordan (ALP) died; replaced by his nephew, William Riordan (ALP).
• 1936: Darling Downs (Qld) – Sir Littleton Groom (UAP) died; replaced by Arthur Fadden (Country Party).
• 1937: Gwydir (NSW) – Aubrey Abbott (Country Party) resigned and was appointed Administrator of the Northern Territory; replaced by William Scully (ALP).

The first table shows the state-by-state breakdown of the House following the 1934 election.

The second table lists the 80 members who served in the 12th House of Representatives, 75 elected in 1934 and five who entered via by-elections. *The Northern Territory member (Adair Blain-Ind) had voting rights only for matters affecting the territory and is therefore excluded from the calculations of party strength in the House.