Division of Bendigo

Geography

Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australian Electoral Commission. Redistributions occur for the boundaries of divisions in a particular state, and they occur every seven years, or sooner if a state's representation entitlement changes or when divisions of a state are malapportioned.

In 1913, it gained Maldon and Castlemaine from the abolished Division of Laanecoorie, but lost Heathcote. In 1937, with the abolition of the Division of Echuca, the division expanded north to the state border with New South Wales to include Echuca and Rochester. 12 years later in 1949, this was reversed with the creation of the Division of Murray around those areas.

In 1955, the division expanded east to include Seymour. In 1968, it expanded towards the south-east into other towns along the Calder Highway, such as Gisborne and Lancefield, and other towns along the Hume Highway, such as Kilmore and Wandong. The expansion replaced the northern part of Division of Lalor. Kilmore and Lancefield were lost to Division of Burke in 1977. In 1984, the division was significantly shifted west, losing all areas along the Hume Highway (Seymour, Kilmore and Wandong) to the new Division of McEwen.

In the 2024 redistribution, it was proposed in May 2024 that the division be expanded southwards towards the Shire of Hepburn and replacing parts of Division of Ballarat. However, in the final redistribution in October 2024, the division was instead expanded northwards into Shire of Campaspe and included the town of Rochester, which was previously in Division of Nicholls. A proposed expansion to the east into the towns of Toolborac and Pyalong also went ahead.

History

In the early years of federation the seat consisted of little more than Bendigo itself, but on later boundaries the seat has included towns such as Echuca, Castlemaine, Maryborough and Seymour.

Bendigo has been a marginal seat, changing hands regularly between the Labor Party and the conservative parties; typically mirroring voting patterns in state elections. However, it has remained a Labor seat since the 1998 federal election.

Unlike most marginal seats, Bendigo is not a barometer for winning government. Since 1949, all but one of its members has spent at least one term in opposition. Indeed, during two elections that saw a change of government, it elected an opposition MP.

Its most notable members include its first representative, Sir John Quick, who was a leading federalist, and Prime Minister Billy Hughes who, although from Sydney, represented Bendigo for two terms at a time when the federal Parliament met in Melbourne, and who moved to the seat after leaving the Labor Party over conscription, holding the seat as the leader of the Nationalist Party.

John Brumby, who held the seat from 1983 to 1990, would subsequently be elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in 1993. He then transferred to the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Broadmeadows a few months later, after being elected Victorian Opposition Leader, a position he would hold until 1999. After serving as a senior state minister under Steve Bracks, Brumby went on to become Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010.

Brumby was defeated in Bendigo at the 1990 election by a former state Legislative Councillor, Bruce Reid, who retained the seat narrowly in 1993 and 1996, before retiring at the 1998 election, when a 4.3% swing delivered the seat to Labor's Steve Gibbons. Reid has a minor claim to fame through being the third candidate in the contest for Liberal leadership between John Hewson and John Howard after the party's 1993 election defeat. Reid attracted one vote, presumably his own.

Members

Election results

Main article: Electoral results for the Division of Bendigo

References

References

1. (1 October 2013). "Profile of the electoral division of Bendigo (Vic)". [[Australian Electoral Commission]].
2. (14 November 2017). "The process of federal redistributions: a quick guide".
3. "Laanecoorie".
4. "Echuca".
5. "Bendigo".
6. "Murray".
7. "Lalor".
8. "Burke".
9. (May 2024). "Map of Proposed Commonwealth Electoral Division of Bendigo". Austrlaian Electoral Commission.
10. (October 2024). "Map of Commonwealth Electoral Division of Bendigo". Austrlaian Electoral Commission.
11. (October 2024). "Report of the augmented Electoral Commission for Victoria - Redistribution of Victoria into electoral divisions". Australian Electoral Commission.
12. Green, Antony. (11 October 2013). "Federal election 2013: Bendigo results". [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation.