Bland — Australian Federal Election Results
Bland was won by Chris Watson (Labor) at the 1903 federal election, with a margin of 925 votes over John Longmuir after preferences. This page covers every federal election in Bland from 1901 to 1903.
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), 1901–1903
| Election | Winner | Party | Final Votes | Final Share | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | Chris Watson | Labor | 4,132 | 64.5% | Patrick Heffernan (Independent) | 1,861 (29.1 pts) |
| 1903 | Chris Watson | Labor | 4,779 | 55.4% | John Longmuir (FT) | 925 (10.7 pts) |
First-Preference Result by Election
Every candidate's first-preference votes, before any preference redistribution.
1901
| Candidate | Party | First-Pref. Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Watson | Labor | 4,132 | 57.4% |
| Patrick Heffernan | Independent | 2,271 | 31.6% |
| William Lucas | FT | 792 | 11.0% |
1903
| Candidate | Party | First-Pref. Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Watson | Labor | 4,779 | 55.4% |
| John Longmuir | FT | 3,854 | 44.6% |
Margin Over Time
Final (after-preferences) winning margin, percentage points, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Bland has been contested at 2 federal elections on record since 1901. Winning party over that span: Labor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Bland in the 1903 federal election?
Chris Watson (Labor) won Bland in 1903 after preferences, with 4,779 votes (55.4%) to John Longmuir's 3,854.
Which parties have won Bland since 1901?
Since 1901, Bland has been won by: Labor.
What was the closest result in Bland?
The closest result on record for Bland was 1903, when Chris Watson (Labor) beat John Longmuir by 925 votes (10.7 percentage points) after preferences.