Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
Lawson was won by Laurence Failes (Country Party) at the 1966 federal election, with a margin of 7,250 votes over John Canobi after preferences. This page covers every federal election in Lawson from 1949 to 1966.
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), 1949–1966
Election
Winner
Party
Final Votes
Final Share
Runner-up
Margin
1949
Laurence Failes
Country Party
20,733
55.8%
Alan Manning (Labor)
4,325 (11.6 pts)
1951
Laurence Failes
Country Party
19,819
53.0%
Alan Manning (Labor)
2,249 (6.0 pts)
1954
Laurence Failes
Country Party
19,565
50.3%
Alan Manning (Labor)
262 (0.7 pts)
1955
Laurence Failes
Country Party
22,030
56.7%
John Williamson (Labor)
5,185 (13.3 pts)
1958
Laurence Failes
Country Party
21,675
56.0%
John Tully (Labor)
4,666 (12.1 pts)
1961
Laurence Failes
Country Party
20,392
52.1%
John Canobi (Labor)
1,639 (4.2 pts)
1963
Laurence Failes
Country Party
20,991
55.8%
John Canobi (Labor)
4,332 (11.5 pts)
1966
Laurence Failes
Country Party
21,649
60.1%
John Canobi (Labor)
7,250 (20.1 pts)
First-Preference Result by Election
Every candidate's first-preference votes, before any preference redistribution.
1949
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Alan Manning
Labor
15,969
43.0%
Laurence Failes
Country Party
11,531
31.0%
Elwyn Croft
Liberal
9,249
24.9%
William Ferguson
Independent
392
1.1%
1951
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Laurence Failes
Country Party
19,819
53.0%
Alan Manning
Labor
17,570
47.0%
1954
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Alan Manning
Labor
18,998
48.9%
Laurence Failes
Country Party
18,497
47.6%
Richard Bourke
Independent
1,373
3.5%
1955
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Laurence Failes
Country Party
22,030
56.7%
John Williamson
Labor
16,845
43.3%
1958
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Laurence Failes
Country Party
19,237
49.7%
John Tully
Labor
16,367
42.3%
Edward English
Democratic Labor Party
3,080
8.0%
1961
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Laurence Failes
Country Party
18,750
47.9%
John Canobi
Labor
18,156
46.4%
Denis Searls
Democratic Labor Party
2,239
5.7%
1963
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Laurence Failes
Country Party
20,991
53.0%
John Canobi
Labor
16,659
42.0%
Mario Morandini
Democratic Labor Party
1,972
5.0%
1966
Candidate
Party
First-Pref. Votes
Share
Laurence Failes
Country Party
21,649
56.5%
John Canobi
Labor
14,399
37.6%
Mario Morandini
Democratic Labor Party
2,239
5.8%
Margin Over Time
Final (after-preferences) winning margin, percentage points, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Lawson has been contested at 8 federal elections on record since 1949. Winning party over that span: Country Party.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Lawson in the 1966 federal election?
Laurence Failes (Country Party) won Lawson in 1966 after preferences, with 21,649 votes (60.1%) to John Canobi's 14,399.
Which parties have won Lawson since 1949?
Since 1949, Lawson has been won by: Country Party.
What was the closest result in Lawson?
The closest result on record for Lawson was 1954, when Laurence Failes (Country Party) beat Alan Manning by 262 votes (0.7 percentage points) after preferences.