title: Electoral results for the Division of Watson (1934–1969)
text: # Electoral results for the Division of Watson (1934–1969)
  
  This is a list of electoral results for the Division of Watson (1934–69) in Australian federal elections from the division's creation in 1934 until its abolition in 1969.
  
  ## Members
  
  | Member | Party | Term |
  | - | - | - |
  | John Jennings | United Australia | 1934–1940 |
  | Max Falstein | Labor | 1940–1949 |
  | Max Falstein | Independent Labor | 1949–1949 |
  | Dan Curtin | Labor | 1949–1955 |
  | Jim Cope | Labor | 1955–1969 |
  
  ## Election results
  
  ### Elections in the 1960s
  
  **1966**
  
  1966 Australian federal election: Watson :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Jim Cope | 21,492 | 62.1 | -6.0 |
  | | Liberal | Peter Lowe | 10,476 | 30.2 | +6.9 |
  | | Democratic Labor | Thomas Colman | 2,664 | 7.7 | +1.7 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 34,632 | 95.6 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,608 | 4.4 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,240 | 94.0 | |
  | Two-party-preferred result ||||||
  | | Labor | Jim Cope | | 64.4 | -8.1 |
  | | Liberal | Peter Lowe | | 35.6 | +8.1 |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | -8.1 | |
  
  **1963**
  
  1963 Australian federal election: Watson :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Jim Cope | 24,280 | 68.1 | -12.0 |
  | | Liberal | Louis Mamo | 8,302 | 23.3 | +6.4 |
  | | Democratic Labor | Bernard Atkinson | 2,136 | 6.0 | +3.0 |
  | | Communist | Harry Hatfield | 951 | 2.7 | +2.7 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 35,669 | 96.9 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,143 | 3.1 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,812 | 93.9 | |
  | Two-party-preferred result ||||||
  | | Labor | Jim Cope | | 72.5 | -8.2 |
  | | Liberal | Louis Mamo | | 27.5 | +8.2 |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | -8.2 | |
  
  **1961**
  
  1961 Australian federal election: Watson :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Jim Cope | 29,079 | 80.1 | +9.1 |
  | | Liberal | Sidney Pitkethly | 6,134 | 16.9 | -8.2 |
  | | Democratic Labor | Mary Nappa | 1,081 | 3.0 | -0.9 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 36,294 | 97.0 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,141 | 3.0 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,435 | 94.7 | |
  | Two-party-preferred result ||||||
  | | Labor | Jim Cope | | 80.7 | +8.9 |
  | | Liberal | Sidney Pitkethly | | 19.3 | -8.9 |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | +8.9 | |
  
  ### Elections in the 1950s
  
  **1958**
  
  1958 Australian federal election: Watson :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Jim Cope | 27,232 | 71.0 | -3.4 |
  | | Liberal | John Bampton | 9,628 | 25.1 | +4.6 |
  | | Democratic Labor | Kenneth Collins | 1,503 | 3.9 | +3.9 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 38,363 | 96.5 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,397 | 3.5 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,760 | 95.5 | |
  | Two-party-preferred result ||||||
  | | Labor | Jim Cope | | 71.8 | -7.1 |
  | | Liberal | John Bampton | | 28.2 | +7.1 |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | -7.1 | |
  
  **1955**
  
  1955 Australian federal election: Watson :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Jim Cope | 30,129 | 74.4 | -3.8 |
  | | Liberal | Jill Huxtable | 8,316 | 20.5 | +2.1 |
  | | Communist | Harry Hatfield | 2,025 | 5.0 | +2.4 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 40,470 | 96.1 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,649 | 3.9 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,119 | 95.4 | |
  | Two-party-preferred result ||||||
  | | Labor | Jim Cope | | 78.9 | -2.1 |
  | | Liberal | Jill Huxtable | | 21.1 | +2.1 |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | -2.1 | |
  
  **1954**
  
  1954 Australian federal election: Watson :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Dan Curtin | 25,507 | 63.2 | +6.5 |
  | | Liberal | Hubert O'Connell | 14,846 | 36.8 | -6.5 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 40,353 | 98.2 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 728 | 1.8 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,081 | 96.2 | |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | +6.5 | |
  
  **1951**
  
  1951 Australian federal election: Watson :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Dan Curtin | 22,510 | 56.7 | +7.3 |
  | | Liberal | Donald Clark | 17,158 | 43.3 | +5.0 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 39,668 | 97.4 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,051 | 2.6 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,719 | 95.6 | |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | -2.3 | |
  
  ### Elections in the 1940s
  
  **1949**
  
  1949 Australian federal election: Watson :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Dan Curtin | 19,515 | 49.4 | -5.9 |
  | | Liberal | Stanley Card | 15,147 | 38.3 | +12.5 |
  | | Independent Labor | Max Falstein | 3,656 | 9.2 | +9.2 |
  | | Lang Labor | Harold O'Reilly | 1,210 | 3.1 | -3.1 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 39,528 | 97.3 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,079 | 2.7 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,607 | 96.5 | |
  | Two-party-preferred result ||||||
  | | Labor | Dan Curtin | | 59.0 | -3.5 |
  | | Liberal | Stanley Card | | 41.0 | +3.5 |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | -3.5 | |
  
  **1946**
  
  1946 Australian federal election: Watson :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Max Falstein | 38,025 | 53.7 | +1.4 |
  | | Liberal | Charles de Monchaux | 24,246 | 34.2 | +6.7 |
  | | Protestant People | Charles Wilson | 6,177 | 8.7 | +8.7 |
  | | Services | Wallace Knox | 2,364 | 3.3 | +3.3 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 70,812 | 97.5 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,809 | 2.5 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 72,621 | 94.8 | |
  | Two-party-preferred result ||||||
  | | Labor | Max Falstein | | 56.7 | -5.4 |
  | | Liberal | Charles de Monchaux | | 45.3 | +5.4 |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | -5.4 | |
  
  **1943**
  
  1943 Australian federal election: Watson :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Max Falstein | 35,400 | 52.3 | +18.0 |
  | | United Australia | Norman Whitfield | 18,588 | 27.5 | -17.5 |
  | | State Labor | Richard Wilson | 5,662 | 8.4 | -1.2 |
  | | Independent UAP | Les Fingleton | 2,304 | 3.4 | +3.4 |
  | | Liberal Democratic | Arthur Dudley | 2,218 | 3.3 | +3.3 |
  | | Independent | Harry Yates | 1,942 | 2.9 | +2.9 |
  | | Independent UAP | Hubert O'Connell | 1,579 | 2.3 | +2.3 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 67,693 | 95.9 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 2,873 | 4.1 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 70,566 | 98.0 | |
  | Two-party-preferred result ||||||
  | | Labor | Max Falstein | | 62.1 | +10.1 |
  | | United Australia | Norman Whitfield | | 37.9 | -10.1 |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | +10.1 | |
  
  **1940**
  
  1940 Australian federal election: Watson :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | United Australia | John Jennings | 27,586 | 45.0 | -8.8 |
  | | Labor | Max Falstein | 21,101 | 34.5 | -11.7 |
  | | Labor (N-C) | Cecil Irwin | 6,693 | 10.9 | +10.9 |
  | | State Labor | Richard Wilson | 5,868 | 9.6 | +9.6 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 61,248 | 97.9 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,290 | 2.1 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 62,538 | 94.7 | |
  | Two-party-preferred result ||||||
  | | Labor | Max Falstein | 31,831 | 52.0 | +5.8 |
  | | United Australia | John Jennings | 29,417 | 48.0 | -5.8 |
  | | Labor gain from United Australia | Labor gain from United Australia | Swing | +5.8 | |
  
  ### Elections in the 1930s
  
  **1937**
  
  1937 Australian federal election: Watson :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | United Australia | John Jennings | 31,187 | 53.8 | -1.1 |
  | | Labor | William Dignam | 26,788 | 46.2 | +39.7 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 57,975 | 98.0 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,157 | 2.0 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,132 | 96.5 | |
  | | United Australia hold | United Australia hold | Swing | -4.9 | |
  
  **1934**
  
  1934 Australian federal election: Watson :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | United Australia | John Jennings | 28,758 | 54.9 | -1.4 |
  | | Labor (NSW) | Joe Lamaro | 17,817 | 34.0 | +13.4 |
  | | Labor | William Murphy | 3,398 | 6.5 | -10.9 |
  | | Social Credit | Vincent Murtagh | 2,371 | 4.5 | +4.5 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 52,344 | 97.1 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,537 | 2.9 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,881 | 95.4 | |
  | Two-party-preferred result ||||||
  | | United Australia | John Jennings | | 58.7 | -5.8 |
  | | Labor (NSW) | Joe Lamaro | | 41.3 | +5.8 |
  | | United Australia notional hold | United Australia notional hold | Swing | -5.8 | |
  