1857 South Australian colonial election

A colonial election was held on 9 March 1857 to elect members to the 1st Parliament of South Australia. All 36 seats in the House of Assembly (the lower house), and all 18 seats in the Legislative Council (the upper house) were up for election. Prior to the election, Boyle Travers Finniss led a government which was formed to administer the election and to establish the first responsible government.

Registered12,235^[a]

Turnout6,877 (56.2%)

Quick facts All 36 seats in the House of Assembly All 18 seats in the Legislative Council, Registered ...

1857 South Australian colonial election

← 1855 9 March 1857 1860 â†’
elected members â†’
All 36 seats in the House of Assembly All 18 seats in the Legislative Council
Registered	12,235[a]
Turnout	6,877 (56.2%)
Leader Boyle Travers Finniss Leader's seat City of Adelaide
Premier before election Boyle Travers Finniss Elected Premier Boyle Travers Finniss

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The election used non-compulsory plurality block voting, in which electors deleted the names of candidates they did not support. Members of the House of Assembly were elected to 17 multi-member districts; most districts had two members, with the exception of City of Adelaide (6 members), The Burra and Clare (3), Flinders (1), The Murray (1), and Victoria (1). Members of the Legislative Council were elected in a single 18-member district. Suffrage extended to men (including Aboriginals) over 21 years of age (who owned property worth at least £50, for the Legislative Council), unless they were "attainted or convicted of treason or felony".

No parties or solid groupings would be formed until after the 1890 election, which resulted in frequent changes of the Premier. If the incumbent Premier lost sufficient support through a successful motion of no confidence at any time, he would tender his resignation to the Governor, which would result in another member being elected and sworn in by the Governor as the next Premier.