Two firsts and a last – the 1963 election

Television presenters broadcasting federal election results from the National Tally Room at Albert Hall, 1963

‘The magic of coaxial cable’ transformed Australia’s federal elections, enabling results to be televised nationally as they were collated in a central tally room.

On 30 November 1963 Albert Hall became the first National Tally Room for the House of Representatives election. This election was Prime Minister Robert Menzies’ twelfth and last. This was also the first federal election in which Indigenous people had equal voting rights with all other Australians.

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NAA: A1200, L45922

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