Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
Barrier was won by Michael Considine (Independent) at the 1919 federal election, with a margin of 4,051 votes over Arthur Lawrence after preferences. This page covers every federal election in Barrier from 1901 to 1919.
Australia uses instant-runoff (preferential) voting: voters rank candidates in order of preference, and if no one has a majority of first-preference votes, the lowest-placed candidate is eliminated and their votes redistributed to voters' next preference, repeating until one candidate has a majority. The "Winner" and "Margin" below reflect the final result after preferences (equivalent to the AEC's own two-candidate-preferred figure) — not simply whoever led on first preferences, which can occasionally be a different candidate.
Full Election History (After Preferences), 1901–1919
Election
Winner
Party
Final Votes
Final Share
Runner-up
Margin
1901
Josiah Thomas
Labor
4,649
87.4%
Benjamin Long (Independent)
3,979 (74.8 pts)
1903
Josiah Thomas
Labor
6,217
82.0%
John Dunstan (Independent)
4,850 (64.0 pts)
1906
Josiah Thomas
Labor
5,602
74.5%
George Marshall (AS)
3,683 (49.0 pts)
1910
Josiah Thomas
Labor
9,447
85.8%
William Shepherd (Liberal)
7,885 (71.6 pts)
1913
Josiah Thomas
Labor
15,047
76.8%
Arthur Harrison (Liberal)
10,510 (53.7 pts)
1914
Josiah Thomas
Labor
16,063
79.7%
William Ferguson (Liberal)
11,969 (59.4 pts)
1917
Michael Considine
Labor
9,710
52.6%
Arthur Lawrence (Independent)
976 (5.3 pts)
1919
Michael Considine
Independent
8,786
65.0%
Arthur Lawrence (Independent)
4,051 (30.0 pts)
First-Preference Result by Election
Every candidate's first-preference votes, before any preference redistribution.
1901
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Josiah Thomas
Labor
4,649
87.4%
Benjamin Long
Independent
670
12.6%
1903
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Josiah Thomas
Labor
6,217
82.0%
John Dunstan
Independent
1,367
18.0%
1906
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Josiah Thomas
Labor
5,602
74.5%
George Marshall
AS
1,919
25.5%
1910
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Josiah Thomas
Labor
9,447
85.8%
William Shepherd
Liberal
1,562
14.2%
1913
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Josiah Thomas
Labor
15,047
76.8%
Arthur Harrison
Liberal
4,537
23.2%
1914
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Josiah Thomas
Labor
16,063
79.7%
William Ferguson
Liberal
4,094
20.3%
1917
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Michael Considine
Labor
9,710
49.9%
Arthur Lawrence
Independent
8,734
44.9%
Brian Doe
National
1,004
5.2%
1919
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Michael Considine
Independent
8,786
51.7%
Arthur Lawrence
Independent
4,735
27.9%
Charles Mcallister
National
3,476
20.5%
Margin Over Time
Final (after-preferences) winning margin, percentage points, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Barrier has been contested at 8 federal elections on record since 1901. Winning parties over that span: Labor, Independent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Barrier in the 1919 federal election?
Michael Considine (Independent) won Barrier in 1919 after preferences, with 8,786 votes (65.0%) to Arthur Lawrence's 4,735.
Which parties have won Barrier since 1901?
Since 1901, Barrier has been won by: Independent, Labor.
What was the closest result in Barrier?
The closest result on record for Barrier was 1917, when Michael Considine (Labor) beat Arthur Lawrence by 976 votes (5.3 percentage points) after preferences.