ELECTIONS FOR THE DIVISION OF MERNDA, VICTORIA ==================================================================== ELECTION OF 29-30 MARCH 1901 ==================================================================== North-East of Melbourne: Lilydale, Mitcham, Seymour, Yea -------------------------------------------------------------------- Enrolled voters: 11,409 Votes cast: 5,786 50.7 Informal votes: 49 00.9 Formal votes: 5,737 99.1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Candidate Party Votes % -------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert HARPER Prot 2,601 45.3 Thomas Hunt 2,110 37.8 Sydney Stott 1,026 17.9 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 5,737 03.8 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Hunt was Vic MLA for Kilmore 1874-77, Kilmore and Anglesey 1877- 89, 1903-04, Upper Goulburn 1904-08. 2. Hunt and Stott were independent protectionist candidates. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Harper (1842-1919): Elected 1901 Born: 1 February 1842, Glasgow, Scotland. Career: Educated Glasgow Academy. Migrated 1856. Tea and coffee merchant. Pastoralist. Colonial politics: Vic MLA for West Bourke 1879-80, East Bourke 1882-89 1891-97. -------------------------------------------------------------------- ELECTION OF 16 DECEMBER 1903 ==================================================================== North-East of Melbourne: Lilydale, Mitcham, Seymour, Yea -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1901 majority: Protectionist over Independent 03.8 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Enrolled voters: 21,969 +92.6 Votes cast: 9,927 45.2 -05.5 Informal votes: 166 01.7 +00.8 Formal votes: 9,761 98.3 -00.8 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Candidate Party Votes % Swing -------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert HARPER * Prot 5,178 53.0 +07.7 Frederick Hickford FT 2,807 28.8 Edward Hodges 1,776 18.2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 9,761 12.1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Hickford was Vic MLA for East Bourke 1902-03. 2. Hodges was an independent protectionist. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Harper (1842-1919): Elected 1901, 1903 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ELECTION OF 12 DECEMBER 1906 ==================================================================== North-east of Melbourne: Gisborne, Kyneton, Lilydale, Yea -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1903 majority: Protectionist over Free Trade 12.1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Enrolled voters: 29,191 +32.9 Votes cast: 15,257 52.3 +07.1 Informal votes: 702 04.6 +02.9 Formal votes: 14,555 95.4 -02.9 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Candidate Party Votes % Swing -------------------------------------------------------------------- Hon Robert HARPER * Prot 5,306 36.5 -16.5 James Kenneally Lab 3,962 27.2 John Leckie AS 3,753 25.8 -03.0 Richard O'Neill 1,534 10.5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 14,555 04.7 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. For Leckie, see Indi 1917. 2. O'Neill was Vic MLA for Mandurang 1893-1902. He was an independent protectionist. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Harper (1842-1919): Elected 1901, 1903, 1906 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ELECTION OF 13 APRIL 1910 ==================================================================== North-east of Melbourne: Gisborne, Kyneton, Lilydale, Yea -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1906 majority: Protectionist over Anti-Socialist 04.7 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Enrolled voters: 29,466 +00.9 Votes cast: 18,322 62.2 +09.9 Informal votes: 386 02.1 -02.5 Formal votes: 17,936 97.9 +02.5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Candidate Party Votes % Swing -------------------------------------------------------------------- Hon Robert HARPER * Lib 7,917 44.1 Thomas Hunt 1,945 10.8 James Kenneally ALP 7,280 40.6 +13.4 Stephen Thompson 794 04.4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 17,936 01.8 02.9 to ALP -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. The Liberal vote of 44.1% was a decline of 18.2% from the 62.3% polled by one Protectionist (Harper) and one Anti-Socialist candidate in 1906. 2. Hunt was Vic MLA for Kilmore 1874-77, Kilmore and Anglesey 1877- 89, 1903-04, Upper Goulburn 1904-08. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Harper (1842-1919): Elected 1901, 1903, 1906, 1910 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Mernda was abolished at the 1912 redistribution. Harper retired in 1913. Died 9 January 1919 --------------------------------------------------------------------