1883 Victorian colonial election

1883 Victorian colonial election
← 1880 (July) 22 February 1883 1886 →
All 86 seats in the Victorian Legislative Assembly
44 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader James Service Bryan O'Loghlen
Party Liberal-Conservative coalition Liberal-Conservative coalition
Leader's seat Castlemaine West Bourke
Seats won 31 19
Percentage 28.13 18.49
Premier before election

Bryan O'Loghlen
Liberal-Conservative coalition

Elected Premier

James Service
Liberal-Conservative coalition

The 1883 Victorian colonial election was held on 22 February 1883 to elect the 12th Parliament of Victoria. All 86 seats in 55 electorates in the Legislative Assembly were up for election, though twelve seats were uncontested.[1]

There were 31 single-member, 20 two-member and 5 three-member electorates.[1]

The government of Sir Bryan O'Loghlen was heavily defeated at the election, with O'Loghlen himself losing his seat.[1][2] After the election, with none of the political groupings having an outright majority, a government was formed on 8 March 1883 by a coalition led by James Service (taking the positions of Premier, Treasurer and Minister of Public Instruction), and Graham Berry (as Chief Secretary and Postmaster-General).[1][3][4] The coalition represented a joining of moderate conservatives (led by Service) and moderate liberals (led by Berry).[5]

  1. ^ a b c d "The Twelfth Parliament Elected 22 February 1883". Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive.
  2. ^ General Election, Seymour Express and Goulburn Valley, Avenel, Graytown, Nagambie, Tallarook and Yea Advertiser, 23 February 1883, page 2.
  3. ^ The New Government, The Herald (Melbourne), 8 March 1883, page 3.
  4. ^ James Service, Parliament of Victoria website; accessed 15 December 2023.
  5. ^ Geoffrey Serle (1976), James Service (1823–1899), Australian Dictionary of Biography website, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University; accessed 11 December 2023.