The Constitution
Referendums
The Constitution changes only when a majority of voters across the nation, and a majority in at least four of the six States, approve it (section 128). Of 45 proposals since 1901, 8 were carried. 5 more won a national majority but failed in the States.
Every proposal
State figures are the percentage of formal votes for yes. Shaded cells had a majority for yes. Territory votes count in the national total only, and only since 1977.
| No. | Date | Proposal | Yes | NSW | Vic | Qld | SA | WA | Tas | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 December 1906 | Senate ElectionsChanged s 13 | 82.65 | 83.8 | 83.1 | 76.8 | 87.0 | 78.9 | 81.3 | Carried |
| 2 | 13 April 1910 | State DebtsChanged s 105 | 54.95 | 33.3 | 64.6 | 64.6 | 73.2 | 72.8 | 81.0 | Carried |
| 3 | 13 April 1910 | Finance | 49.04 | 47.4 | 45.3 | 54.6 | 49.1 | 61.7 | 60.0 | Not carried |
| 4 | 26 April 1911 | Legislative Powers | 39.42 | 36.1 | 38.6 | 43.8 | 38.1 | 54.9 | 42.1 | Not carried |
| 5 | 26 April 1911 | Monopolies | 39.89 | 36.7 | 39.0 | 44.3 | 38.4 | 55.8 | 42.4 | Not carried |
| 6 | 31 May 1913 | Trade and Commerce | 49.38 | 46.9 | 49.1 | 54.3 | 51.3 | 52.9 | 45.2 | Not carried |
| 7 | 31 May 1913 | Corporations | 49.33 | 46.8 | 49.1 | 54.3 | 51.3 | 52.8 | 45.1 | Not carried |
| 8 | 31 May 1913 | Industrial Matters | 49.33 | 46.9 | 49.0 | 54.4 | 51.4 | 52.7 | 45.2 | Not carried |
| 9 | 31 May 1913 | Trusts | 49.78 | 47.1 | 49.7 | 54.8 | 51.7 | 53.6 | 45.4 | Not carried |
| 10 | 31 May 1913 | Nationalisation of Monopolies | 49.33 | 46.9 | 49.1 | 54.2 | 51.3 | 53.2 | 45.2 | Not carried |
| 11 | 31 May 1913 | Railway Disputes | 49.13 | 46.7 | 48.8 | 54.2 | 51.3 | 52.4 | 45.0 | Not carried |
| 12 | 13 December 1919 | Legislative Powers | 49.65 | 40.0 | 64.7 | 57.4 | 25.3 | 51.8 | 33.4 | Not carried |
| 13 | 13 December 1919 | Nationalisation of Monopolies | 48.64 | 38.3 | 63.3 | 56.9 | 25.5 | 54.0 | 34.1 | Not carried |
| 14 | 4 September 1926 | Industry and Commerce | 43.50 | 51.5 | 36.2 | 52.1 | 29.3 | 29.3 | 44.9 | Not carried |
| 15 | 4 September 1926 | Essential Services | 42.80 | 50.4 | 35.5 | 50.6 | 31.3 | 25.9 | 48.6 | Not carried |
| 16 | 17 November 1928 | State DebtsChanged s 105A | 74.30 | 64.5 | 87.8 | 88.6 | 62.7 | 57.5 | 66.9 | Carried |
| 17 | 6 March 1937 | Aviation | 53.56 | 47.2 | 65.1 | 61.9 | 40.1 | 47.6 | 38.9 | Not carried |
| 18 | 6 March 1937 | Marketing | 36.26 | 33.8 | 46.6 | 38.8 | 20.8 | 27.8 | 21.9 | Not carried |
| 19 | 19 August 1944 | Post-War Reconstruction and Democratic Rights | 45.99 | 45.4 | 49.3 | 36.5 | 50.6 | 52.2 | 38.9 | Not carried |
| 20 | 28 September 1946 | Social ServicesChanged s 51(xxiiiA) | 54.39 | 54.0 | 56.0 | 51.3 | 51.7 | 62.3 | 50.6 | Carried |
| 21 | 28 September 1946 | Organised Marketing of Primary Products | 50.57 | 51.8 | 52.4 | 45.7 | 48.7 | 56.2 | 42.5 | Not carried |
| 22 | 28 September 1946 | Industrial Employment | 50.30 | 51.7 | 52.1 | 43.4 | 48.2 | 55.7 | 41.4 | Not carried |
| 23 | 29 May 1948 | Rent and Prices | 40.66 | 41.7 | 44.6 | 30.8 | 42.1 | 38.6 | 35.5 | Not carried |
| 24 | 22 September 1951 | Power to deal with Communists and Communism | 49.44 | 47.2 | 48.7 | 55.8 | 47.3 | 55.1 | 50.3 | Not carried |
| 25 | 27 May 1967 | Parliament | 40.25 | 51.0 | 30.9 | 44.1 | 33.9 | 29.1 | 23.1 | Not carried |
| 26 | 27 May 1967 | AboriginesChanged s 51(xxvi); s 127 | 90.77 | 91.5 | 94.7 | 89.2 | 86.3 | 81.0 | 90.2 | Carried |
| 27 | 8 December 1973 | Prices | 43.81 | 48.5 | 45.2 | 38.5 | 41.2 | 31.9 | 38.2 | Not carried |
| 28 | 8 December 1973 | Incomes | 34.42 | 40.3 | 33.4 | 31.7 | 28.2 | 25.2 | 28.3 | Not carried |
| 29 | 18 May 1974 | Simultaneous Elections | 48.30 | 51.1 | 49.2 | 44.3 | 47.1 | 44.1 | 41.4 | Not carried |
| 30 | 18 May 1974 | Mode of Altering the Constitution | 47.99 | 51.4 | 49.2 | 44.3 | 44.3 | 42.5 | 40.7 | Not carried |
| 31 | 18 May 1974 | Democratic Elections | 47.20 | 50.5 | 47.7 | 43.7 | 44.1 | 42.9 | 40.8 | Not carried |
| 32 | 18 May 1974 | Local Government Bodies | 46.85 | 50.8 | 47.4 | 43.7 | 42.5 | 40.7 | 40.0 | Not carried |
| 33 | 21 May 1977 | Simultaneous Elections | 62.20 | 70.7 | 65.0 | 47.5 | 66.0 | 48.5 | 34.3 | Not carried |
| 34 | 21 May 1977 | Senate Casual VacanciesChanged s 15 | 73.32 | 81.6 | 76.1 | 58.9 | 76.6 | 57.1 | 53.8 | Carried |
| 35 | 21 May 1977 | Territory Voting in ReferendumsChanged s 128 | 77.72 | 83.9 | 80.8 | 59.6 | 83.3 | 72.6 | 62.2 | Carried |
| 36 | 21 May 1977 | Retirement of JudgesChanged s 72 | 80.10 | 84.8 | 81.4 | 65.2 | 85.6 | 78.4 | 72.5 | Carried |
| 37 | 1 December 1984 | Terms of Senators | 50.64 | 52.9 | 53.2 | 45.6 | 50.0 | 46.5 | 39.3 | Not carried |
| 38 | 1 December 1984 | Interchange of Powers | 47.06 | 49.0 | 49.9 | 41.7 | 45.9 | 44.3 | 34.6 | Not carried |
| 39 | 3 September 1988 | Parliamentary Terms | 32.91 | 31.7 | 36.2 | 35.1 | 26.8 | 30.7 | 25.3 | Not carried |
| 40 | 3 September 1988 | Fair Elections | 37.59 | 35.6 | 40.1 | 44.8 | 30.6 | 32.0 | 28.9 | Not carried |
| 41 | 3 September 1988 | Local Government | 33.61 | 31.7 | 36.1 | 38.3 | 29.9 | 29.8 | 27.5 | Not carried |
| 42 | 3 September 1988 | Rights and Freedoms | 30.79 | 29.6 | 33.4 | 32.9 | 26.0 | 28.1 | 25.5 | Not carried |
| 43 | 6 November 1999 | Republic | 45.13 | 46.4 | 49.8 | 37.4 | 43.6 | 41.5 | 40.4 | Not carried |
| 44 | 6 November 1999 | Preamble | 39.34 | 42.1 | 42.5 | 32.8 | 38.1 | 34.7 | 35.7 | Not carried |
| 45 | 14 October 2023 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice | 39.94 | 41.0 | 45.9 | 31.8 | 35.8 | 36.7 | 41.1 | Not carried |