Electoral district of Upper Hunter
Encyclopedia
New South Wales Legislative Assembly electoral districts
The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is elected from 93 single-member electorates called districts.- Current districts :This is a list of districts for the 2011 state election.* Albury* Auburn* Ballina...
of the Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
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 New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. It is represented by George Souris
George Souris
George Souris JP MP is an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He is currently the Minister for Hospitality in the O'Farrell Liberal/National government. He was born at Gunnedah and was educated at The Armidale School and the University of New England...
of the National Party of Australia
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
.
According to the report for the 2004 redistribution of electoral districts, it is estimated that the electoral district will have 47,303 electors on 29 April 2007. At the 2007 election it will include the lightly inhabited southwestern part of the City of Cessnock
City of Cessnock
Cessnock City Council is a Local Government Area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, located to the west of Newcastle. The largest population centre and council seat is the city of Cessnock, after which the LGA is named....
, Singleton Shire
Singleton Shire Council
Singleton Council is a local government area in New South Wales, Australia. It is on the New England Highway and CityRail's Hunter line.- Main towns and villages :...
(except for an area around Branxton
Branxton, New South Wales
Branxton is a town in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia. Branxton is north of Sydney via the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway and New England Highway.Branxton is located mostly in Cessnock City Council, but part of it is in Singleton Shire...
), Dungog Shire
Dungog Shire
Dungog Shire is a Local Government Area in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. It is situated in the Barrington Tops region and consists predominantly of very rugged to hilly country which becomes less rugged from north to south.- Incomes :...
, Gloucester Shire
Gloucester Shire
Gloucester Shire is a Local Government Area in New South Wales, Australia on the Mid North Coast. It is on the Bucketts Way and the North Coast railway line.- Incomes :According to the during 2003-04, there:...
, Muswellbrook Shire, Upper Hunter Shire, Liverpool Plains Shire (excluding the area around Werris Creek
Werris Creek, New South Wales
Werris Creek is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, near Tamworth, in Liverpool Plains Shire. It is north of Quirindi and is at the junction of the Main North railway line to Armidale and Moree. At the 2006 census, Werris Creek had a population of 1,490.-History:The area is thought to...
) and northeastern Mid-Western Regional Council (including Bylong
Bylong, New South Wales
Bylong is a village in New South Wales, Australia, in the Mid-Western Regional Council. It is located on the Bylong Valley Way.The area is home to numerous horse studs...
).
History
In 1859, Upper Hunter replaced the Electoral district of Phillip, Brisbane and BlighElectoral district of Phillip, Brisbane and Bligh
Phillip, Brisbane and Bligh was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1856 to 1859. It included Phillip, Brisbane and Bligh counties, including Scone, Murrurundi, Dunedoo and Mudgee. It was replaced by Upper Hunter and Mudgee.-Members for...
, established in the first Parliament in 1856. It had two members from 1880 to 1894. It was abolished in 1894 and largely replaced by Robertson
Electoral district of Robertson
Robertson was a former electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1894 to 1904, in the upper Hunter Valley around Scone and named after John Robertson.-Members for Robertson:...
and Singleton
Electoral district of Singleton
Singleton was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales created in 1894, replacing Patrick's Plains and named after Singleton. In 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed into the multi-member Maitland.-Members...
. In 1904 Robertson was abolished and Upper Hunter was recreated. It was abolished from 1920 with the introduction of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
, but was recreated in 1927.
Upper Hunter is one of three original (post 1927 redistribution) electorates to have never been held by the opposing Labor
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...
party and always by the Nationals or whilst in a coalition agreement, the Nationalists
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
, the other districts being Tamworth
Electoral district of Tamworth
Tamworth is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Kevin Anderson of the National Party of Australia...
and Oxley.
Members for Upper Hunter
| First incarnation (1856–1880, 1 member) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Party | Term | |
| John Robertson | None | 1859–1861 | |
| Thomas Dangar | None | 1861–1864 | |
| James White | None | 1864–1868 | |
| Archibald Bell Archibald Bell Jr. -Life and Family:Son of Archibald Bell senior and his wife Maria Kitching. He and his family arrived in New South Wales in 1807, his father being an officer of the New South Wales Corps. Married Francis Ann, daughter of Samuel North a police magistrate at Windsor. Commissioned as a Justice of the... |
None | 1868–1872 | |
| John Creed John Creed John Mildred Creed was an English-born Australian doctor and politician.Creed was born at Ashbrook , near Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England and educated at Cowley, Gloucestershire and Kingsdown College, Bristol. He migrated with his family to Melbourne in 1861 but returned to England to study... |
None | 1872–1874 | |
| Francis White | None | 1874–1875 | |
| Thomas Hungerford | None | 1875–1875 | |
| John McElhone | None | 1875–1880 | |
| (1880—1894, 2 members) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Party | Term | Robert FitzGerald | None | 1885–1887 | Thomas Hungerford | None | 1885–1887 | ||
| Free Trade Free Trade Party The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909... |
1887–1889 | John McElhone | Free Trade Free Trade Party The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909... |
1887–1889 | ||||||
| Protectionist Protectionist Party The Protectionist Party was an Australian political party, formally organised from 1889 until 1909, with policies centred on protectionism. It argued that Australia needed protective tariffs to allow Australian industry to grow and provide employment. It had its greatest strength in Victoria and in... |
1889–1894 | William Abbott | Protectionist Protectionist Party The Protectionist Party was an Australian political party, formally organised from 1889 until 1909, with policies centred on protectionism. It argued that Australia needed protective tariffs to allow Australian industry to grow and provide employment. It had its greatest strength in Victoria and in... |
1889–1891 | ||||||
| Thomas Williams | Labor 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... |
1891–1894 | ||||||||
| Second incarnation (1904–1920, 1 member) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Party | Term | |
| William Fleming William Fleming (Australian politician) William Montgomerie Fleming was an Australian politician, who served in the Australian House of Representatives and the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.... |
Liberal Reform Liberal Reform Party (Australia) The Liberal Reform Party was an Australian political party, active in New South Wales state politics between 1901 and 1916. The question of tariff policy which, had created and divided the Free Trade Party and Protectionist Party in New South Wales in the 1890s, became a federal issue at the time... |
1904–1910 | |
| William Ashford William Ashford (Australian politician) William George Ashford was an Australian politician.Born at Sparks Creek near Scone to selector John Ashford and Rebecca Bell, he attended Sparks Creek Public School before starting work on his father's farm. He later bought a farm on the Hawkesbury River, but sold it to return to Sparks Creek... |
Labor 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... |
1910–1910 | |
| Henry Willis Henry Willis (Australian politician) Henry Willis was an Australian politician, born in Port Adelaide, South Australia to English mariner John Willis and Jane, née Emmerson. Having been locally educated, Willis worked at his father's tannery, and in 1884 became a committee member of the South Australian Literary Societies' Union... |
Liberal Reform Liberal Reform Party (Australia) The Liberal Reform Party was an Australian political party, active in New South Wales state politics between 1901 and 1916. The question of tariff policy which, had created and divided the Free Trade Party and Protectionist Party in New South Wales in the 1890s, became a federal issue at the time... |
1910–1913 | |
| Independent Liberal Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
1913–1913 | ||
| Mac Abbott | Liberal Reform Liberal Reform Party (Australia) The Liberal Reform Party was an Australian political party, active in New South Wales state politics between 1901 and 1916. The question of tariff policy which, had created and divided the Free Trade Party and Protectionist Party in New South Wales in the 1890s, became a federal issue at the time... |
1913–1917 | |
| Nationalist Nationalist Party of Australia The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime... |
1917–1918 | ||
| William Cameron | Nationalist Nationalist Party of Australia The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime... |
1918–1920 | |
| (1927—present, 1 member) | |||
| Member | Party | Term | |
| William Cameron | Nationalist Nationalist Party of Australia The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime... |
1927–1931 | |
| Malcolm Brown Malcolm Brown (Australian politician) Malcolm Brown was an Australian politician. He was a Country Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1931 to 1939, representing the electorate of Upper Hunter.... |
Independent Country Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
1931–1932 | |
| Country National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is... |
1932–1939 | ||
| D'Arcy Rose D'Arcy Rose D'Arcy Rose was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1939 until 1959. He was a member of the Country Party.Rose was born in Ashfield, New South Wales... |
Country National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is... |
1939–1959 | |
| Leon Punch Leon Punch Leon Ashton Punch was a New South Wales politician, Deputy Premier, and Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of Sir Robert Askin, Tom Lewis and Sir Eric Willis. From 1975 to 1976 he was the Deputy Premier of New South Wales... |
Country National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is... |
1959–1962 | |
| Frank O'Keefe Frank O'Keefe Frank Lionel O'Keefe, AM was an Australian politician. Born in Gunnedah, New South Wales, he attended state schools before becoming a farm machinery distributor and oil merchant. He was mayor of Gunnedah Shire Council for 18 years, and also served on Namoi Valley County Council... |
Country National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is... |
1962–1969 | |
| Col Fisher Col Fisher Colin Murray "Col" Fisher, OAM was an Australian politician. He was the National Party member for Upper Hunter in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1970 to 1988, and held ministerial positions from 1975 to 1976.... |
Country National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is... , National National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is... |
1970–1988 | |
| George Souris George Souris George Souris JP MP is an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He is currently the Minister for Hospitality in the O'Farrell Liberal/National government. He was born at Gunnedah and was educated at The Armidale School and the University of New England... |
National National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is... |
1988–present | |