1971 Kew state by-election
by-election for the Victorian electoral district of Kew
A by-election for the seat of Kew was held on 17 April 1971 following the resignation of then Deputy Premier, Arthur Rylah. The by-election was won by Liberal candidate, Rupert Hamer, he won with a 64.8% primary vote and a swing of 23.1% in his primary vote.
Background
Since it was first created in 1927, the electoral district of Kew has typically been a safe seat for the Liberal Party.
The by-election was called after the sitting member and Deputy Premier at the time, Arthur Rylah, resigned from parliament. Rylah's resignation followed a failed attempt from members of the local East Kew branch to challenge his preselection. A month after Rylah's resignation announcement, he has collapsed at his desk and spent the following four months in hospital.
Candidates
A total of 3 candidates ran in the by-election.
Results
Preferences were not distributed as Hamer won with an absolute majority of votes (50% of votes).
See also
List of Victorian state by-elections
References
Further reading
Hughes, Colin A. (1987). Voting for the Australian state lower houses, 1975–1984.
“1971 Kew state by-election” enters the record as by-election for the Victorian electoral district of Kew. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what state, by-election and Victorian can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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