1973 South Australian state election


State elections were held in South Australia on 10 March 1973. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan won a second term in government, defeating the Liberal and Country League led by Leader of the Opposition Bruce Eastick.

Background

Parliamentary elections for both houses of the Parliament of South Australia were held in South Australia in 1973, which saw Don Dunstan and the Australian Labor Party win a second successive term, against the Liberal and Country League led by Bruce Eastick.
It was only the second time that a Labor government in South Australia had been re-elected for a second term, the first being the early Thomas Price Labor government. It would be the first five-year-incumbent Labor government however.
Moderate Liberal Movement forces within the LCL broke away to form its own party led by Steele Hall after the election in 1973. The LCL became the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia a year after the election.
The Country Party also won a seat for the first time in Flinders, and finished second after preferences with no Labor candidate in five LCL seats − Rocky River, Mallee, Alexandra, Goyder and Victoria.
A 1973 Semaphore by-election and a 1974 Goyder by-election were triggered. Labor and the Liberal Movement easily retained their respective seats.

Key dates

House of Assembly

Legislative Council

Post-election pendulum

LABOR SEATS ---
Marginal---
GillesJack SlaterALP5.8%
Fairly safe---
MillicentDes CorcoranALP6.5%
ColesLen KingALP9.2%
PeakeDon SimmonsALP9.6%
NorwoodDon DunstanALP9.6%
Safe---
Henley BeachGlen BroomhillALP10.2%
MitchellRon PayneALP11.0%
UnleyGil LangleyALP11.6%
BrightonHugh HudsonALP12.0%
Mount GambierAllan BurdonALP14.0%
MawsonDon HopgoodALP14.1%
Tea Tree GullyMolly ByrneALP14.1%
Ascot ParkGeoff VirgoALP14.7%
PlayfordTerry McRaeALP14.8%
AdelaideJack WrightALP16.7%
ElizabethPeter DuncanALP19.6%
FloreyCharles WellsALP20.4%
Albert ParkCharles HarrisonALP21.7%
PriceJohn RyanALP22.5%
PirieDave McKeeALP23.9% v IND
WhyallaMax BrownALP24.7%
SemaphoreReg HurstALP26.0%
Ross SmithJack JenningsALP30.3% v IND
StuartGavin KeneallyALP31.2% v IND
SpenceErnie CrimesALP31.9% v IND
SalisburyReg GrothALP34.0% v IND