1955 Australian federal election

← 1954 10 December 1955 1958 →
← outgoing members elected members →
All 124[b] seats of the House of Representatives 62 seats were needed for a majority in the House 30 (of the 60) seats of the Senate
Registered	5,172,443 1.49%
Turnout	4,525,774 (95.00%)[a] (1.09 pp)
First party Second party   Leader Robert Menzies H. V. Evatt Party Liberal/Country coalition Labor Leader since 23 September 1943 13 June 1951 Leader's seat Kooyong (Vic.) Barton (NSW) Last election 64 seats 57 seats Seats won 75 47 + NT + ACT Seat change 11 10 Popular vote 2,298,512 2,137,890 Percentage 46.55% 42.81% Swing 1.12 1.84 TPP 54.20% 45.80% TPP swing 4.90 4.90
Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.
Prime Minister before election Robert Menzies Liberal/Country coalition Subsequent Prime Minister Robert Menzies Liberal/Country coalition

The 1955 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 10 December 1955. All 122 seats in the House of Representatives and 30 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election. An early election was called to bring the House and Senate elections back in line; the previous election in 1954 had been House-only. The incumbent Liberal–Country coalition led by Prime Minister Robert Menzies increased its majority over the opposition Labor Party, led by H. V. Evatt.

Future Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and future opposition leader Billy Snedden both entered parliament at this election.

Results

House of Representatives

House of Reps (IRV) — 1955–58—Turnout 95.00% (CV) — Informal 2.88%

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Liberal–Country coalition		2,093,430	47.67	+0.10	75	+11
		Liberal	1,745,985	39.75	+0.75	57	+10
		Country	347,445	7.91	–0.66	18	+1
	Labor		1,961,359	44.65	–5.42	49[c]	–10
	Anti-Communist Labor		227,083	5.17	+5.17	0	0
	Communist		51,001	1.16	–0.09	0	0
	Independents		60,042	1.37	+0.26	0	0
	Total		4,392,915			122	+1
Two-party-preferred (estimated)
	Liberal–Country coalition		Win	54.20	+4.90	75	+11
	Labor			45.80	−4.90	49	−10

• Ten members were elected unopposed – five Liberal and five Country. This would be the last federal election where any seat attracted only one candidate.

Senate

Senate (STV) — 1955–58—Turnout 95.01% (CV) — Informal 9.63%

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats won	Seats held	Change
	Liberal–Country coalition		2,161,460	48.68	+4.25	17	30	–1
		Liberal–Country joint ticket	1,748,878	39.38	+12.93	8	N/A	N/A
		Liberal	384,732	8.66	–9.32	8	24	–2
		Country	27,850	0.63	+0.63	1	6	+1
	Labor		1,803,335	40.61	–10.00	12	28	–1
	Anti-Communist Labor		271,067	6.10	+6.10	1	2	+2
	Communist		161,869	3.64	+0.59	0	0	0
	Henry George Justice		3,366	0.08	–0.22	0	0	0
	Independents		39,928	0.90	+0.36	0	0	0
	Total		4,441,025			30	60

Seats changing hands

• Bob Joshua contested his seat as a candidate for the Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist).