The 1916 Australian referendum, concerning how conscripted soldiers could be deployed, was held on 28 October 1916. It was the first non-binding Australian referendum, and contained one proposition, which was Prime Minister Billy Hughes' proposal to allow conscripted troops to serve overseas during World War I.

William Morris Hughes was an Australian politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923. He led the country during World War I, and his influence on national politics spanned several decades. He was a member of the federal parliament from Federation in 1901 until his death in 1952, and is the only person to have served for more than 50 years. He represented six political parties during his career, leading five, outlasting four, and being expelled from three.