Division of Bennelong

Australian federal electoral division

The Division of Bennelong is an Australian electorate in New South Wales. The division was set up in 1949. It is named for Bennelong, an Indigenous Australian man who became a friend of the first Governor of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip. Bennelong includes the suburbs of Eastwood, Carlingford, Epping and Ryde.

Bennelong
Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Bennelong (green) in New South Wales
Created1949
MPJerome Laxale
PartyLabor
NamesakeBennelong
Electors98,915 (2010)
Area58 km2 (22.4 sq mi)
DemographicInner Metropolitan
Bennelong

Electoral history

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When the Division of Bennelong was created in 1949, it covered mainly the suburbs of Ryde, Hunters Hill and Lane Cove. These were (and still are) richer areas, and Bennelong was a "safe" Liberal seat.

Over the years Bennelong has changed into a marginal seat for two reasons. Firstly, the electoral boundary of Bennelong has been changed many times, where it has moved west into Labor voting areas.[1] Rich suburbs like Lane Cove and Hunters Hill in the east are no longer included. The division now includes Eastwood, Epping, Carlingford and working class Ermington in the north and west. Secondly, the type of people living in the division has changed. Since the early 1990s, there has been an increase in migrants from China, Hong Kong, South Korea and India. These are wealthy and conservative people who would support the Liberal Party, but they have not like the Liberal policies on immigration and multiculturalism.[2]

 
2007 federal election in Bennelong
 
An Epping polling booth within Bennelong.

In the Australian federal 2007 election, the Member for Bennelong, and Prime Minister John Howard, lost the seat to Labor candidate Maxine McKew, after holding it for 33 years. This was only the second time in Australian history that a Prime Minister had lost his own seat in Parliament. The first was Stanley Bruce in 1929.

Members

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Member Party Term
  (Sir) John Cramer Liberal 1949–1974
  John Howard Liberal 1974–2007
  Maxine McKew Labor 2007–2010
  John Alexander Liberal 2010–present

Bennelong was held by the John Howard, the second longest serving Prime Minister of Australia. In 2010 the seat was won by former tennis star, John Alexander.

Election results

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2022 Australian federal election: Bennelong[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Simon Kennedy 41,206 41.35 −9.47
Labor Jerome Laxale 37,596 37.73 +3.70
Greens Tony Adams 11,395 11.44 +1.97
United Australia Rhys Collyer 2,915 2.93 +0.97
Fusion John August 2,125 2.13 +2.13
One Nation Victor Waterson 1,664 1.67 +1.67
Liberal Democrats Dougal Cameron 1,539 1.54 +1.54
Democratic Alliance Kyinzom Dhongdue 1,208 1.21 +1.21
Total formal votes 99,648 94.20 −0.64
Informal votes 6,130 5.80 +0.64
Turnout 105,778 92.03 −1.29
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Jerome Laxale 50,801 50.98 +7.89
Liberal Simon Kennedy 48,847 49.02 −7.89
Labor gain from Liberal Swing +7.89

References

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  1. "Archive for the 'Federal Redistributions' Category". The Poll Bludger. 13 September 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-07-07. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
  2. The Battle for Bennelong: The adventures of Maxine McKew, aged 50something by Margot Saville, Melbourne University Press, 2007
  3. Bennelong, NSW, 2022 Tally Room, Australian Electoral Commission.

Other websites

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Preceded by
Blaxland
Division represented by the Prime Minister
1996–2007
John Howard
Succeeded by
Griffith

33°47′35″S 151°05′56″E / 33.793°S 151.099°E / -33.793; 151.099