1917 Fijian general election

Changes were made to the constitution on 20 July 1916, increasing the number of nominated members in the Legislative Council from 10 to 12; eleven were civil servants and the other had to be a British subject not holding public office.[2][3] The number of elected Europeans remained at seven and the number of appointed Fijians at two. The Governor served as President of the Council.[1]

The Europeans were elected from six constituencies; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Suva, Vanua Levu & Taveuni and Western. Voting was restricted to men aged 21 or over who had been born to European parents (or a European father and was able to read, speak and write English) who were British subjects and had been continuously resident in Fiji for 12 months, either owning at least £20 of freehold or leasehold property or having an annual income of at least £120, and were not on the public payroll.[2]

The results of the Vanua Levu and Taveuni seat were later annulled by the Supreme Court. As a result, a by-election was held in November 1917 which Joseph MacKay was again elected,[4] receiving 84 votes to the 50 of J. Harper received 50 votes and three for James McConnell.[5] However, MacKay died on 6 December.[4] John Francis Dyer was subsequently elected in the constituency in another by-election in 1919.[6]