Electoral district of Richmond (Victoria)

History

Richmond is one of only three electorates (along with Brighton and Williamstown) to have been contested at every election since 1856. |access-date=18 July 2025}} It was initially a two-member electorate, but was changed to a single-member electorate in the redistribution of 1904 when several new districts were created including Abbotsford. It covers a series of traditionally working-class, industrial suburbs, and was continuously held by the Labor Party and Democratic Labor Party between 1904 and 2022. Following the Labor split of 1955, incumbent Labor member, Frank Scully, joined six other Catholic MPs in breaking away to found the Democratic Labor Party. Scully, as the party's leader, was the only MP to hold his seat at the next election. He was defeated in 1958 by Bill Towers, previously the member for the abolished seat of Collingwood.

Labor member Demetri Dollis was disendorsed for extended absence overseas in 1999 and Richard Wynne was preselected by the party instead. Wynne served as the state Minister for Housing and Minister for Local Government in the Bracks and Brumby governments from 2006 to 2010, and was the Minister for Planning in the second Andrews government.

Though a traditionally safe Labor seat, it has become progressively marginal in recent years due to significant gentrification. Support for the Greens has increased as the seat became wealthier. This first occurred at the 2002 state election, when union organiser Gemma Pinnell nearly won the seat on Liberal preferences, taking 47 per cent of the two-party preferred vote. The Green surge was seen as a reaction to the conservative policies of the then federal Labor leader, Kim Beazley. Labor polled slightly better in the 2006 state election, taking 54% of the two-party preferred against Greens candidate and local councillor Gurm Sekhon. It remained a marginal seat and was strongly contested by Greens candidate, Kathleen Maltzahn, at the 2010 and 2014 state elections.

Following Wynne's retirement at the 2022 election, there was fierce contest between Labor and the Greens. Former City of Yarra mayor, Gabrielle de Vietri, was preselected as the Greens candidate. De Vietri won the seat with a 14.1% swing towards the party. This was due to numerous factors such as the loss of Wynne's personal vote and controversy surrounding the Labor candidate's claims of Aboriginal heritage. De Vietri is currently the Greens spokesperson for the Arts and Public Housing.

Historical maps

File:Electoral district of Richmond 1859.png|Location within Greater Melbourne area, 1859 File:Central Province and electoral districts of Melbourne, St. Kilda, Collingwood, South Melbourne, Richmond and Williamstown.tif|Map of Richmond district (etc.), 1856

Members for Richmond

Two-member electorate (1856–1904)

Single-member electorate (1904–present)

Election results

Main article: Electoral results for the district of Richmond (Victoria)

References

References

1. (27 November 1855). "Central Province and Electoral Districts of Melbourne, St Kilda, Collingwood, South Melbourne, Richmond and Williamstown.". State Library of Victoria.
2. (18 September 1866). "RICHMOND ELECTION". The Age.
3. (26 September 1866). "THE RICHMOND ELECTION". The Age.
4. (8 September 1908). "POPULAR MEMBER PASSES". The Herald.
5. (10 October 1945). "TWO SURPRISES IN PRE-SELECTIONS". Weekly Times.
6. (29 October 1949). "Off Together To Resign". The Herald.
7. (29 October 1949). "Retiring MLA's resign tonight". The Argus.
8. (30 March 1955). "LABOR EXPELS MULLENS: SUSPENDS 24 MP'S". The Argus.
9. (31 March 1955). "BARRY, COLEMAN TO LEAD REBELS: CAIN WILL FIGHT ON". The Argus.
10. (14 April 1955). "A.L.P. Expulsions In Victoria". The Central Queensland Herald.
11. (31 March 2022). "Remembering the "first Greek-born member of an Australian parliament"". SBS Greek.
12. (25 January 2022). "Richmond – Victoria 2022". The Tally Room.
13. (31 August 1999). "Steve Bracks disendorses two MPs". ABC PM.
14. (18 June 2012). "Greek minister Demetrios Dollis draws on Aussie career". The Australian.
15. (17 November 2022). "Dollis the former Greek Aussie politician negotiates the release of two Greek tankers seized by Iran". Neos Kosmos.
16. (25 November 2021). "Statement From The Premier". Premier of Victoria.
17. (25 November 2021). "Senior Victorian Labor MP Richard Wynne won't recontest seat at next year's state election". ABC News.