Southern melbourne — Australian Federal Election Results
Southern melbourne was won by James Ronald (Labor) at the 1903 federal election, with a margin of 775 votes over Charles Monteith after preferences. This page covers every federal election in Southern melbourne 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 | James Ronald | Labor | 3,211 | 58.7% | Donald Mcarthur (Prot) | 955 (17.5 pts) |
| 1903 | James Ronald | Labor | 9,057 | 52.2% | Charles Monteith (Independent) | 775 (4.5 pts) |
First-Preference Result by Election
Every candidate's first-preference votes, before any preference redistribution.
1901
| Candidate | Party | First-Pref. Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Ronald | Labor | 3,211 | 40.9% |
| Donald Mcarthur | Prot | 2,256 | 28.8% |
| Alexander Sutherland | FT | 1,865 | 23.8% |
| David Gaunson | Independent | 513 | 6.5% |
1903
| Candidate | Party | First-Pref. Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Ronald | Labor | 9,057 | 47.7% |
| Charles Monteith | Independent | 8,282 | 43.6% |
| Ernest Joske | Independent | 1,066 | 5.6% |
| John Sloss | Independent | 600 | 3.2% |
Margin Over Time
Final (after-preferences) winning margin, percentage points, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Southern melbourne has been contested at 2 federal elections on record since 1901. Winning party over that span: Labor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Southern melbourne in the 1903 federal election?
James Ronald (Labor) won Southern melbourne in 1903 after preferences, with 9,057 votes (52.2%) to Charles Monteith's 8,282.
Which parties have won Southern melbourne since 1901?
Since 1901, Southern melbourne has been won by: Labor.
What was the closest result in Southern melbourne?
The closest result on record for Southern melbourne was 1903, when James Ronald (Labor) beat Charles Monteith by 775 votes (4.5 percentage points) after preferences.