Electoral district of Darling Range
Encyclopedia
Darling Range is an electoral district
of the Legislative Assembly
in the Australia
n state of Western Australia
.
The district is based to the east and south-east of Perth
.
and running along most of its southern and eastern boundary. The district covers all of the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale as well as the less urbanised parts of the City of Armadale
, Shire of Kalamunda
and Shire of Mundaring
.
MP Ray Owen, who was previously the member for Swan
. The district was abolished ahead of the 1974 state election
. By this time its member was Liberal
MP Ian Thompson
, who went on to represent the new district of Kalamunda
. Darling Range was recreated just one term later for the 1977 state election
.
The seat was radically redistributed ahead of the 2008 state election
, with just 15% of the voters in the redrawn district coming from its former configuration. Half of the district's voters—and indeed the vast majority of its territory—previously belonged to the abolished district of Serpentine-Jarrahdale
, with the remainder coming from Armadale
and Swan Hills
. Thus, sitting Serpentine-Jarrahdale member, Liberal MP Tony Simpson
became the new member for Darling Range at the 2008 election. Whilst the former member for Darling Range, Liberal MP John Day
, successfully contested the new seat of Kalamunda
.
Whilst the district in both its incarnations has never been held by the Labor Party
, it has at times been highly marginal.
Electoral districts of Western Australia
The Western Australian Legislative Assembly is elected from 59 single-member electoral districts. These districts are often referred to as electorates or seats....
of the Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
The district is based to the east and south-east of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
Geography
Darling Range is situated in the outer east and south-east of Perth. It is a mixture of suburbia and hinterland, falling inside the Metropolitan Region SchemeMetropolitan Region Scheme
The Metropolitan Region Scheme is the legal land plan covering urban planning throughout the Perth Metropolitan Region. It classifies land into broad zones and reservations and is administered by the Western Australian Planning Commission....
and running along most of its southern and eastern boundary. The district covers all of the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale as well as the less urbanised parts of the City of Armadale
City of Armadale
The City of Armadale is a Local Government Area in the south-eastern suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth, located about southeast of Perth's central business district...
, Shire of Kalamunda
Shire of Kalamunda
The Shire of Kalamunda is a Local Government Area in the eastern suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth, located about east of Perth's central business district. The Shire covers an area of , much of which is state forest rising into the Darling Scarp to the east...
and Shire of Mundaring
Shire of Mundaring
The Shire of Mundaring is a Local Government Area on the eastern fringe of metropolitan Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The Shire covers an area of and has a population of 35,097 .-History:...
.
History
Darling Range was first created for the 1950 state election. The seat's first member was CountryNational Party of Western Australia
The National Party of Western Australia is a political party in Western Australia. It is affiliated with the National Party of Australia but maintains a separate structure and identity....
MP Ray Owen, who was previously the member for Swan
Electoral district of Swan
Swan was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1890 to 1950 and again from 1962 to 1983....
. The district was abolished ahead of the 1974 state election
Western Australian state election, 1974
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 30 March 1974 to elect all 51 members to the Legislative Assembly and 15 members to the 30-seat Legislative Council...
. By this time its member was Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
MP Ian Thompson
Ian Thompson
Ian Reginald Thompson in Birkenhead, Merseyside is an English athlete, who gained success in marathon running. His Commonwealth Games marathon record set in 1974 remains unbeaten.-Making up the numbers:...
, who went on to represent the new district of Kalamunda
Electoral district of Kalamunda
Kalamunda is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.Politically, the district is a marginal one...
. Darling Range was recreated just one term later for the 1977 state election
Western Australian state election, 1977
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 19 February 1977 to elect all 55 members to the Legislative Assembly and 17 members to the 32-seat Legislative Council...
.
The seat was radically redistributed ahead of the 2008 state election
Western Australian state election, 2008
A general election was held in the state of Western Australia on Saturday 6 September 2008 to elect 59 members to the Legislative Assembly and 36 members to the Legislative Council...
, with just 15% of the voters in the redrawn district coming from its former configuration. Half of the district's voters—and indeed the vast majority of its territory—previously belonged to the abolished district of Serpentine-Jarrahdale
Electoral district of Serpentine-Jarrahdale
Serpentine-Jarrahdale was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 2005 to 2008.The district was named for the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale, which in turn is named for the communities of Serpentine and Jarrahdale in Perth's south-eastern...
, with the remainder coming from Armadale
Electoral district of Armadale
The Electoral district of Armadale is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. The district is named for the southeastern Perth suburb of Armadale which falls within its borders.-History:...
and Swan Hills
Electoral district of Swan Hills
-External links:* ABC Election Profiles: * WAEC District Maps:...
. Thus, sitting Serpentine-Jarrahdale member, Liberal MP Tony Simpson
Tony Simpson
Anthony James Simpson is an Australian politician. He has been a Liberal member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since February 2005, representing the electorate of Serpentine-Jarrahdale from 2005 to 2008 and the electorate of Darling Range since the 2008 election.He was born in...
became the new member for Darling Range at the 2008 election. Whilst the former member for Darling Range, Liberal MP John Day
John Day (Australian politician)
The Hon. John Howard Dadley Day MLA is the current Member for Kalamunda in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. He was elected to the 34th Parliament in 1993 and has been re-elected at every state election since.- Early life :...
, successfully contested the new seat of Kalamunda
Electoral district of Kalamunda
Kalamunda is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.Politically, the district is a marginal one...
.
Whilst the district in both its incarnations has never been held by the Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, it has at times been highly marginal.
Members for Darling Range
| Darling Range (1950–1974) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Term | Party | |
| Ray Owen | Country National Party of Western Australia The National Party of Western Australia is a political party in Western Australia. It is affiliated with the National Party of Australia but maintains a separate structure and identity.... |
1950–1962 | |
| Kenn Dunn | Liberal Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
1962–1971 | |
| Ian Thompson Ian Thompson (politician) Ian David Thompson was an Australian politician who served as Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly.... |
Liberal | 1971–1974 | |
| Darling Range (1977–present) | |||
| Member | Term | Party | |
| George Spriggs | Liberal | 1977–1987 | |
| Bob Greig | Liberal | 1987–1989 | |
| Ian Thompson | Liberal | 1989–1990 | |
| Independent | 1990–1993 | ||
| John Day John Day (Australian politician) The Hon. John Howard Dadley Day MLA is the current Member for Kalamunda in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. He was elected to the 34th Parliament in 1993 and has been re-elected at every state election since.- Early life :... |
Liberal | 1993–2008 | |
| Tony Simpson Tony Simpson Anthony James Simpson is an Australian politician. He has been a Liberal member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since February 2005, representing the electorate of Serpentine-Jarrahdale from 2005 to 2008 and the electorate of Darling Range since the 2008 election.He was born in... |
Liberal | 2008–present | |