Division of Eden-Monaro

Eden-Monaro
Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Eden-Monaro in New South Wales, as of the 2016 federal election.
Created 1901
MP Mike Kelly
Party Labor
Namesake Eden and Monaro
Electors 107,817 (2016)
Area 41,617 km2 (16,068.4 sq mi)
Demographic Rural

The Division of Eden-Monaro is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. The division was created in 1900, and was one of the original 65 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named for the town of Eden and the Monaro district of southern New South Wales.

Its boundaries have changed very little throughout its history, and it includes the towns of Yass, Bega and Cooma and the city of Queanbeyan. It completely surrounds the Australian Capital Territory.

Until 1943 the seat was held by non-Labor parties for all but three years. Since then, it has been consistently marginal, though it was in Labor hands for all but one term from 1943 to 1975. This is mainly because of the seat's demographics. The Eden area tilts toward the Liberals; most of the area is part of the historically safe Liberal state seat of Bega. In contrast, the Monaro area has traditionally been more of a swing area.

Prior to the 2016 election, Eden-Monaro was long regarded as Australia's most well-known "bellwether seat". From the 1972 election until the 2013 election, Eden-Monaro was won by the party that also won the election. During this time, all of its sitting members were defeated at the polls – none retired or resigned.

Liberal incumbent Peter Hendy was defeated by Labor's Mike Kelly at the 2016 election. Kelly had previously represented Eden-Monaro from 2007 to 2013. Kelly's 2016 victory made him the seat's first opposition MP since 1969. The nation's new bellwether became the seat of Robertson – continually won by the party that also won government since the 1983 election. "Best" bellwether aside, ABC psephologist Antony Green classed a total of eleven electorates as bellwethers in his 2016 election guide.[1]

Members

MemberPartyTerm
  (Sir) Austin Chapman Protectionist 1901–1909
  Commonwealth Liberal 1909–1917
  Nationalist 1917–1926
  John Perkins Nationalist 1926–1929
  John Cusack Labor 1929–1931
  John Perkins United Australia 1931–1943
  Allan Fraser Labor 1943–1966
  Dugald Munro Liberal 1966–1969
  Allan Fraser Labor 1969–1972
  Bob Whan Labor 1972–1975
  Murray Sainsbury Liberal 1975–1983
  Jim Snow Labor 1983–1996
  Gary Nairn Liberal 1996–2007
  Mike Kelly Labor 2007–2013
  Peter Hendy Liberal 2013–2016
  Mike Kelly Labor 2016–present

Election results

Australian federal election, 2016: Eden-Monaro[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labor Mike Kelly 39,565 41.88 +5.93
Liberal Peter Hendy 39,049 41.34 +0.07
Greens Tamara Ryan 7,177 7.60 +0.15
Animal Justice Frankie Seymour 1,986 2.10 +2.10
Christian Democrats Ursula Bennett 1,763 1.87 +0.85
Independent Daniel Grosmaire 1,683 1.78 +1.78
Defence Veterans Don Friend 1,448 1.53 +1.53
Independent Andrew Thaler 981 1.04 −0.05
Independent Ray Buckley 817 0.86 +0.86
Total formal votes 94,469 93.66 −0.81
Informal votes 6,399 6.34 +0.81
Turnout 100,868 93.55 −2.58
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Mike Kelly 50,003 52.93 +5.84
Liberal Peter Hendy 44,466 47.07 −5.84
Labor gain from Liberal Swing +5.84

References

  1. ↑ The Bellwether Contests: Antony Green ABC
  2. ↑ Eden-Monaro, NSW, Virtual Tally Room 2016, Australian Electoral Commission.

Coordinates: 36°17′31″S 149°20′38″E / 36.292°S 149.344°E / -36.292; 149.344

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