1944 Kearsley Shire Council election

1944 Kearsley Shire Council election
← 1941 2 December 1944 1947 →
  First party Second party Third party
 
IND
ALP
Leader Bill Varty N/A A. Johnson
Party Communist Independents Labor
Seats won 5 seats 2 seats 1 seat
Popular vote 4,149 3,084 703
Percentage 52.29% 38.66% 8.85%
Swing Increase 52.29

The 1944 Kearsley Shire Council election was held on 2 December 1944 to elect eight councillors to Kearsley Shire. The election was held as part of the statewide local government elections in New South Wales, Australia.[1]

The election was notable for resulting in five members of the Australian Communist Party being elected. According to the party's official newspaper, Tribune, this was the first time a communist party had won a local government majority in the English-speaking world.[2][3]

As of 2024, this is the most seats won by a communist political party in Australia in a single LGA. The present-day Communist Party of Australia had one councillor elected to Auburn City Council from 2012 until 2016, which remains its only electoral victory.[4]

  1. ^ "Local Government Election Results". Sydney Morning Herald. 4 December 1944.
  2. ^ "NELLIE SIMM — A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY AND COURAGE". Tribune. 3 August 1983.
  3. ^ "KEARSLEY COUNCIL ELECTS PRESIDENT". Tribune. 21 December 1944.
  4. ^ "Auburn City Council". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2014-08-22. Retrieved 2024-03-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)