Division of Curtin

Curtin
Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Curtin in Western Australia, as of the 2016 federal election.
Created 1949
MP Julie Bishop
Party Liberal
Namesake John Curtin
Electors 97,534 (2016)
Area 98 km2 (37.8 sq mi)
Demographic Inner Metropolitan

The Division of Curtin is an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia. The division was created in 1949 and is named for John Curtin, who was Prime Minister of Australia from 1941 to 1945. Prior to its creation, much of this area was part of the Division of Fremantle, which Curtin represented for most of the time from 1928 to 1945. It is located in the wealthy beachside suburbs of Perth, including Claremont, Cottesloe, Mosman Park, Nedlands, Subiaco and Swanbourne.

It was created as a notional Labor seat. However, this area was located in naturally Liberal territory, and the Liberals won it resoundingly as part of their massive victory in the 1949 election, turning it into a safe Liberal seat in one stroke. It has been held comfortably by either a Liberal or a conservative independent since. The only time it was out of Liberal hands came when Allan Rocher won it in 1996 after losing his Liberal endorsement. Rocher was defeated at the 1998 election, when current member Julie Bishop reclaimed it for the Liberals.

Its most prominent member has been Paul Hasluck, who was a senior Cabinet minister in the Menzies and Holt governments and then Governor-General of Australia after leaving politics. Other prominent members include Victor Garland, a minister in the McMahon and Fraser governments, and Bishop, the former Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party (the first woman to hold this role) and a minister in the Howard, Abbott, and Turnbull governments. With a two-party preferred margin as of the 2016 election of 20.7%, it is currently the safest federal seat in Western Australia and the second-safest Coalition seat in metropolitan Australia.

Geography

Curtin covers an area west of Perth, bordered by the Indian Ocean in the west and the Swan River in the south. The suburbs include:[1]

Members

MemberPartyTerm
  Paul Hasluck Liberal 1949–1969
  Victor Garland Liberal 1969–1981
  Allan Rocher Liberal 1981–1995
  Independent 1995–1998
  Julie Bishop Liberal 1998–present

Election results

Australian federal election, 2016: Curtin[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Julie Bishop 56,175 65.50 +2.99
Labor Melissa Callanan 13,476 15.71 −1.95
Greens Viv Glance 12,180 14.20 −0.60
Independent Sandra Boulter 2,389 2.79 +2.79
Liberty Alliance David Archibald 1,544 1.80 +1.80
Total formal votes 85,764 97.98 +1.26
Informal votes 1,772 2.02 −1.26
Turnout 87,536 89.75 −3.80
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Julie Bishop 60,631 70.70 +2.48
Labor Melissa Callanan 25,133 29.30 −2.48
Liberal hold Swing +2.48

References

  1. ↑ "Profile of the electoral division of Curtin (WA)". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  2. ↑ Curtin, WA, Virtual Tally Room 2016, Australian Electoral Commission.

Coordinates: 31°57′25″S 115°47′46″E / 31.957°S 115.796°E / -31.957; 115.796

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