Nepean — Australian Federal Election Results
Nepean was won by Eric Bowden (National) at the 1919 federal election, with a margin of 5,106 votes over Cornelius Wallace after preferences. This page covers every federal election in Nepean from 1906 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), 1906–1919
| Election | Winner | Party | Final Votes | Final Share | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | Eric Bowden | AS | 9,749 | 64.1% | Charles Dyer (Labor) | 4,278 (28.1 pts) |
| 1910 | George Cann | Labor | 11,113 | 51.5% | Eric Bowden (Liberal) | 652 (3.0 pts) |
| 1913 | Richard Orchard | Liberal | 16,322 | 55.8% | George Cann (Labor) | 3,375 (11.5 pts) |
| 1914 | Richard Orchard | Liberal | 16,815 | 52.7% | Voltaire Molesworth (Labor) | 1,723 (5.4 pts) |
| 1917 | Richard Orchard | National | 22,402 | 60.5% | Thomas Arthur (Labor) | 7,802 (21.1 pts) |
| 1919 | Eric Bowden | National | 20,630 | 57.1% | Cornelius Wallace (Labor) | 5,106 (14.1 pts) |
First-Preference Result by Election
Every candidate's first-preference votes, before any preference redistribution.
1906
| Candidate | Party | First-Pref. Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Bowden | AS | 9,749 | 60.6% |
| Charles Dyer | Labor | 5,471 | 34.0% |
| Thomas Taylor | Independent | 857 | 5.3% |
1910
| Candidate | Party | First-Pref. Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Cann | Labor | 11,113 | 51.5% |
| Eric Bowden | Liberal | 10,461 | 48.5% |
1913
| Candidate | Party | First-Pref. Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Orchard | Liberal | 16,322 | 54.2% |
| George Cann | Labor | 12,947 | 43.0% |
| Alexander Huie | Independent | 835 | 2.8% |
1914
| Candidate | Party | First-Pref. Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Orchard | Liberal | 16,815 | 52.7% |
| Voltaire Molesworth | Labor | 15,092 | 47.3% |
1917
| Candidate | Party | First-Pref. Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Orchard | National | 22,402 | 60.5% |
| Thomas Arthur | Labor | 14,600 | 39.5% |
1919
| Candidate | Party | First-Pref. Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Bowden | National | 20,630 | 57.1% |
| Cornelius Wallace | Labor | 15,524 | 42.9% |
Margin Over Time
Final (after-preferences) winning margin, percentage points, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Nepean has been contested at 6 federal elections on record since 1906. Winning parties over that span: AS, Labor, Liberal, National.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Nepean in the 1919 federal election?
Eric Bowden (National) won Nepean in 1919 after preferences, with 20,630 votes (57.1%) to Cornelius Wallace's 15,524.
Which parties have won Nepean since 1906?
Since 1906, Nepean has been won by: AS, Labor, Liberal, National.
What was the closest result in Nepean?
The closest result on record for Nepean was 1910, when George Cann (Labor) beat Eric Bowden by 652 votes (3.0 percentage points) after preferences.