Division of Newcastle

Newcastle Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Newcastle in New South Wales, as of the 2016 federal election
Created	1901
MP	Sharon Claydon
Party	Labor
Namesake	Newcastle
Electors	122,587 (2022)
Area	171 km2 (66.0 sq mi)
Demographic	Provincial

The Division of Newcastle is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales.

Geography

Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australian Electoral Commission. Redistributions occur for the boundaries of divisions in a particular state, and they occur every seven years, or sooner if a state's representation entitlement changes or when divisions of a state are malapportioned.^[1]

History

The division was proclaimed in 1900, and was one of the original 65 divisions to be contested at the first federal election. The division was named after the city of Newcastle, around which the division is centred.

It has been held by the Australian Labor Party for its entire existence. Historically, it has been one of that party's safest non-metropolitan seats; the Hunter Region is one of the few country regions where Labor consistently does well. Labor has never tallied less than 58 percent of the Two-party-preferred vote in a general election, and has only come close to losing it once, when it tallied 53 percent in a 1935 by-election, when the top two candidates were representing Labor and Labor (NSW). It is the only original division to be held by just one party since the first federal election.

The Division of Newcastle has had just six members since 1901, the fewest of any of the original divisions. From 1901 to 1958, the seat was held by the Watkins family. The seat's first member, David Watkins, held the seat until his death in 1935. The ensuing by-election was won by his son, David Oliver. Allan Morris' brother Peter Morris was also a Member of the House, holding the Division of Shortland, which lies immediately to the south. Charles Jones' brother Sam was the member for Waratah in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for much of the time that he was the member. The electoral district of Waratah lay within the boundaries of the Division of Newcastle.

The seat's most prominent members were David Watkins, the second-longest serving member of the First Parliament, and Charles Jones, a minister in the Whitlam government. The current Member, since the 2013 federal election, is Sharon Claydon.

Following the 2022 Australian federal election, the division was the safest Labor seat in the nation.

Members

	Image	Member	Party	Term	Notes
		David Watkins (1865–1935)	Labor	29 March 1901 – 8 April 1935	Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Wallsend. Served as Chief Government Whip in the House under Fisher. Died in office. Son was David Oliver Watkins
		David Oliver Watkins (1896–1971)	Labor	1 June 1935 – 14 October 1958	Retired. Father was David Watkins
		Charles Jones (1917–2003)	Labor	22 November 1958 – 4 February 1983	Served as minister under Whitlam. Retired
		Allan Morris (1940–)	Labor	5 March 1983 – 8 October 2001	Retired
		Sharon Grierson (1951–)	Labor	10 November 2001 – 5 August 2013	Retired
		Sharon Claydon (1964–)	Labor	7 September 2013 – present	Incumbent. Current Deputy Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives.

Election results

References

External links

• Division of Newcastle - Australian Electoral Commission

32°50′28″S 151°45′11″E / 32.841°S 151.753°E / -32.841; 151.753

This page was last edited on 11 March 2024, at 07:50