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Northern territory — Australian Federal Election Results

Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30

Northern territory was won by Warren Snowdon (Labor) at the 1998 federal election, with a margin of 1,035 votes over Nick Dondas after preferences. This page covers every federal election in Northern territory from 1922 to 1998.

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), 1922–1998

Election Winner Party Final Votes Final Share Runner-up Margin
1922 Harold Nelson Labor 608 50.4% Arthur Love (Independent) 9 (0.7 pts)
1925 Harold Nelson Labor 853 62.4% Charles Story (National) 340 (24.9 pts)
1928 Harold Nelson Labor 902 78.3% Douglas Watts (Independent) 652 (56.6 pts)
1929 Harold Nelson Labor -1 100.0% None (None) -1 (100.0 pts)
1931 Harold Nelson Labor 747 56.4% William Easton (Independent) 170 (12.8 pts)
1934 Adair Blain Independent 964 51.8% Harold Nelson (Labor) 67 (3.6 pts)
1937 Adair Blain Independent 1,310 52.0% Robert Toupein (Independent) 99 (3.9 pts)
1940 Adair Blain Independent 2,579 61.8% Lindsay Craig (Independent) 983 (23.5 pts)
1943 Adair Blain Independent 1,274 52.6% William Murray (Labor) 128 (5.3 pts)
1946 Adair Blain Independent 1,690 55.9% Leigh Wallman (Independent) 357 (11.8 pts)
1949 John Nelson Labor 2,737 52.7% Adair Blain (Independent) 278 (5.4 pts)
1951 John Nelson Labor 3,213 74.8% Ralph Edwards (Country Party) 2,128 (49.5 pts)
1954 John Nelson Labor 4,021 77.6% Ralph Edwards (Country Party) 2,858 (55.1 pts)
1955 John Nelson Labor -1 100.0% None (None) -1 (100.0 pts)
1958 John Nelson Labor 4,153 73.9% James Martin (Independent) 2,684 (47.7 pts)
1961 John Nelson Labor 4,659 51.0% Harold Brennan (Independent) 191 (2.1 pts)
1963 John Nelson Labor -1 100.0% None (None) -1 (100.0 pts)
1966 Sam Calder Country Party 7,221 51.7% Richard Ward (Labor) 487 (3.5 pts)
1969 Sam Calder Country Party 10,137 59.2% Edward Robertson (Labor) 3,160 (18.5 pts)
1972 Sam Calder Country Party 13,416 54.5% Edward Robertson (Labor) 2,200 (8.9 pts)
1974 Sam Calder Country Party 15,522 52.7% John Waters (Labor) 1,576 (5.3 pts)
1975 Sam Calder Country Liberal Party (NT) 15,976 55.2% John Nelson (Labor) 3,032 (10.5 pts)
1977 Sam Calder Country Liberal Party (NT) 18,250 52.5% John Waters (Labor) 1,762 (5.1 pts)
1980 Grant Tambling Country Liberal Party (NT) 22,090 51.2% John Waters (Labor) 1,008 (2.3 pts)
1983 John Reeves Labor 23,132 51.9% Grant Tambling (Country Liberal Party (NT)) 1,671 (3.7 pts)
1984 Paul Everingham Country Liberal Party (NT) 28,747 51.4% John Reeves (Labor) 1,553 (2.8 pts)
1987 Warren Snowdon Labor 31,386 52.2% Peter Paroulakis (Country Liberal Party (NT)) 2,663 (4.4 pts)
1990 Warren Snowdon Labor 37,498 55.0% Helen Galton (Country Liberal Party (NT)) 6,848 (10.0 pts)
1993 Warren Snowdon Labor 43,578 55.3% Arthur Palmer (Country Liberal Party (NT)) 8,371 (10.6 pts)
1996 Nick Dondas Country Liberal Party (NT) 42,630 50.4% Warren Snowdon (Labor) 627 (0.7 pts)
1998 Warren Snowdon Labor 45,986 50.6% Nick Dondas (Country Liberal Party (NT)) 1,035 (1.1 pts)

First-Preference Result by Election

Every candidate's first-preference votes, before any preference redistribution.

1922

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Harold NelsonLabor45237.4%
Arthur LoveIndependent36230.0%
Walter YoungIndependent21818.1%
George StevensIndependent12710.5%
William ByrneIndependent433.6%
Frederick ThompsonIndependent50.4%

1925

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Harold NelsonLabor85362.4%
Charles StoryNational51337.6%

1928

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Harold NelsonLabor90268.1%
Douglas WattsIndependent25018.9%
Arthur LoveIndependent17313.1%

1929

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Harold NelsonLabor-1100.0%

1931

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Harold NelsonLabor74750.4%
William EastonIndependent57739.0%
John McmillanIndependent15710.6%

1934

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Adair BlainIndependent92649.8%
Harold NelsonLabor85045.7%
Charles PriestIndependent854.6%

1937

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Adair BlainIndependent96338.2%
Robert ToupeinIndependent92036.5%
Ronald Hughes-JonesIndependent33313.2%
Harold NelsonIndependent30512.1%

1940

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Adair BlainIndependent1,62238.9%
Lindsay CraigIndependent1,32131.6%
Frederick ColsonIndependent84120.1%
John McdonaldIndependent3919.4%

1943

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Adair BlainIndependent85935.5%
William MurrayLabor68228.2%
John NelsonIndependent60224.9%
Hector FullerIndependent994.1%
Sydney BarkerIndependent994.1%
Alexander GrantIndependent431.8%
Harry RussellIndependent361.5%

1946

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Adair BlainIndependent1,28142.4%
Leigh WallmanIndependent92430.6%
William MurrayLabor67722.4%
Ralph EdwardsIndependent1414.7%

1949

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
John NelsonLabor2,30344.3%
Adair BlainIndependent1,93237.2%
Victor WebsterIndependent96118.5%

1951

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
John NelsonLabor3,21364.1%
Ralph EdwardsCountry Party1,08521.6%
Jessie LitchfieldIndependent71714.3%

1954

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
John NelsonLabor4,02177.6%
Ralph EdwardsCountry Party1,16322.4%

1955

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
John NelsonLabor-1100.0%

1958

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
John NelsonLabor4,15373.9%
James MartinIndependent1,46926.1%

1961

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
John NelsonLabor4,65951.0%
Harold BrennanIndependent4,46849.0%

1963

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
John NelsonLabor-1100.0%

1966

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Sam CalderCountry Party7,22151.7%
Richard WardLabor6,73448.3%

1969

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Sam CalderCountry Party8,28148.4%
Edward RobertsonLabor5,20430.4%
Harold BrennanIndependent3,37719.7%
Alan GrayIndependent2521.5%

1972

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Sam CalderCountry Party11,65747.3%
Edward RobertsonLabor9,67639.3%
Alexander Allan-StewartIndependent1,8217.4%
Gordon BriscoeAP9443.8%
William WalshIndependent3491.4%
Charles MoffattAP1850.8%

1974

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Sam CalderCountry Party14,51449.3%
John WatersLabor13,39745.5%
Alexander Allan-StewartIndependent1,5575.3%

1975

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Sam CalderCountry Liberal Party (NT)15,97653.9%
John NelsonLabor12,94443.7%
James ForbesAP7012.4%

1977

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Sam CalderCountry Liberal Party (NT)16,46247.4%
John WatersLabor14,81142.6%
Josephine ReadAustralian Democrats2,4787.1%
Ian SmithIndependent9872.8%

1980

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Grant TamblingCountry Liberal Party (NT)18,80543.6%
John WatersLabor17,42640.4%
Max StewartAustralian Democrats2,5095.8%
Gallarwuy YunupinguIndependent2,4155.6%
Pamela GardinerIndependent1,1292.6%
Graham GillianIndependent4861.1%
John McelroyIndependent2720.6%
Malcolm WomersleyIndependent1300.3%

1983

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
John ReevesLabor20,76446.6%
Grant TamblingCountry Liberal Party (NT)20,47945.9%
Joy KingAustralian Democrats1,5713.5%
Bill CainIndependent1,1322.5%
Pamela GardinerIndependent3950.9%
StriderIndependent2520.6%

1984

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Paul EveringhamCountry Liberal Party (NT)27,33548.8%
John ReevesLabor25,14044.9%
Wiyendji RobertsAustralian Democrats1,9063.4%
Phil WardIndependent1,1912.1%
StriderIndependent3900.7%

1987

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Warren SnowdonLabor28,19546.9%
Peter ParoulakisCountry Liberal Party (NT)21,66836.0%
Bob LiddleIndependent10,27317.1%

1990

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Warren SnowdonLabor34,10650.0%
Helen GaltonCountry Liberal Party (NT)27,66840.5%
Don BeatonIndependent1,9002.8%
Bob LiddleIndependent1,4272.1%
Tig DonnellanIndependent1,3802.0%
StriderIndependent9751.4%
Ron SterryIndependent8011.2%

1993

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Warren SnowdonLabor43,57855.3%
Arthur PalmerCountry Liberal Party (NT)35,20744.7%

1996

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Nick DondasCountry Liberal Party (NT)38,30245.0%
Warren SnowdonLabor36,99443.5%
Philip NitschkeGreens5,3246.3%
Bernie BrianIndependent2,7103.2%
Pamela GardinerIndependent1,7132.0%

1998

CandidatePartyFirst-Pref. VotesShare
Warren SnowdonLabor38,46942.3%
Nick DondasCountry Liberal Party (NT)36,01439.6%
Peter SchirmerOne Nation7,4018.1%
Craig SeilerAustralian Democrats4,6585.1%
Ilana EldridgeGreens2,7533.0%
Barry NattrassIndependent1,0181.1%
Natalie ZirngastIndependent6240.7%

Margin Over Time

Final (after-preferences) winning margin, percentage points, coloured by the winning party.

1922: Labor margin 0.7 pts 1925: Labor margin 24.9 pts 1928: Labor margin 56.6 pts 1929: Labor margin 100.0 pts 1931: Labor margin 12.8 pts 1934: Independent margin 3.6 pts 1937: Independent margin 3.9 pts 1940: Independent margin 23.5 pts 1943: Independent margin 5.3 pts 1946: Independent margin 11.8 pts 1949: Labor margin 5.4 pts 1951: Labor margin 49.5 pts 1954: Labor margin 55.1 pts 1955: Labor margin 100.0 pts 1958: Labor margin 47.7 pts 1961: Labor margin 2.1 pts 1963: Labor margin 100.0 pts 1966: Country Party margin 3.5 pts 1969: Country Party margin 18.5 pts 1972: Country Party margin 8.9 pts 1974: Country Party margin 5.3 pts 1975: Country Liberal Party (NT) margin 10.5 pts 1977: Country Liberal Party (NT) margin 5.1 pts 1980: Country Liberal Party (NT) margin 2.3 pts 1983: Labor margin 3.7 pts 1984: Country Liberal Party (NT) margin 2.8 pts 1987: Labor margin 4.4 pts 1990: Labor margin 10.0 pts 1993: Labor margin 10.6 pts 1996: Country Liberal Party (NT) margin 0.7 pts 1998: Labor margin 1.1 pts 1922 1925 1928 1929 1931 1934 1937 1940 1943 1946 1949 1951 1954 1955 1958 1961 1963 1966 1969 1972 1974 1975 1977 1980 1983 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1998

Trend

Northern territory has been contested at 31 federal elections on record since 1922. Winning parties over that span: Labor, Independent, Country Party, Country Liberal Party (NT).

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Northern territory in the 1998 federal election?

Warren Snowdon (Labor) won Northern territory in 1998 after preferences, with 45,986 votes (50.6%) to Nick Dondas's 44,951.

Which parties have won Northern territory since 1922?

Since 1922, Northern territory has been won by: Country Liberal Party (NT), Country Party, Independent, Labor.

What was the closest result in Northern territory?

The closest result on record for Northern territory was 1922, when Harold Nelson (Labor) beat Arthur Love by 9 votes (0.7 percentage points) after preferences.

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