Electoral district of Polwarth

Polwarth
Victoria—Legislative Assembly

Location of Polwarth (dark green) in Victoria
State Victoria
Created 1889
MP Richard Riordan
Party Liberal Party of Australia
Electors 43,856 (2015)
Area 12,561 km2 (4,849.8 sq mi)
Demographic Rural

The Electoral district of Polwarth is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It is located in south-west rural Victoria, west of Geelong, and covers the Colac and Corangamite local government areas (LGA), parts of the Moyne, Golden Plains and Surf Coast LGAs, and slivers of the Ararat and Greater Geelong LGAs, running along the Great Ocean Road taking in Anglesea, Cape Otway, Peterborough, Aireys Inlet, Lorne, Apollo Bay and Port Campbell, covering the inland towns of Winchelsea, Colac, Camperdown and Terang along the Princes Highway, and Inverleigh, Cressy, Lismore and Mortlake on the Hamilton Highway, and finally, includes the Otway Ranges and Lake Corangamite.[1]

The seat has existed since 1889 and has always been held by conservative parties. The Liberal Party of Australia has held the seat continuously since 1970, although the Nationals have provided strong challenges on occasions, such as at the 1999 election when election night figures suggested retired AFL Footballer Paul Couch would win the seat. Although ultimately Couch failed to finish ahead of the Labor Party candidate and the Liberals Terry Mulder won after receiving preferences from Couch.

The 2014 Victorian election saw the Liberal's Terry Mulder retain his seat,[2] with a 3.2% swing to Labor.[3] Mulder resigned from parliament on 3 September 2015. The 2015 Polwarth by-election occurred on 31 October, electing Richard Riordan as the new member.

Members for Polwarth

MemberPartyTerm
  Charles Forrest Unaligned 1889–1894
  Thomas Baker Unaligned 1894–1897
  Charles Forrest Unaligned 1897–1911
  John Johnstone Commonwealth Liberal 1911–1917
  James McDonald Nationalist 1917–1929
  Economy 1929–1931
  United Australia 1931–1933
  Allan McDonald United Australia 1933–1940
  Edward Guye Country 1940–1950
  Liberal and Country 1950–1958
  Tom Darcy Liberal and Country 1958–1959
  Liberal 1959–1970
  Cec Burgin Liberal 1970–1985
  Ian Smith Liberal 1985–1999
  Terry Mulder Liberal 1999–2015
  Richard Riordan Liberal 2015–present

Election results

Polwarth state by-election, 2015[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Richard Riordan 17,760 49.7 −5.7
Greens Joe Miles 5,689 15.9 +4.9
National David O'Brien 4,287 12.0 +12.0
Democratic Labour Carmel Kavanagh 2,900 8.1 +8.1
Sex Party Meredith Doig 2,135 6.0 +6.0
Country Melinda Cass 2,039 5.7 +0.1
Christians Geoff Rogers 574 1.6 +1.6
Independent Brendan Eckel 373 1.0 +1.0
Total formal votes 35,757 94.8 −1.3
Informal votes 1,948 5.2 +1.3
Turnout 37,705 86.0 (−8.9)
After distribution of preferences
Liberal Richard Riordan 17,976 50.3 n/a
Greens Joe Miles 5,829 16.3 n/a
National David O'Brien 4,409 12.3 n/a
Democratic Labour Carmel Kavanagh 3,115 8.7 n/a
Sex Party Meredith Doig 2,246 6.3 n/a
Country Melinda Cass 2,182 6.1 n/a
Liberal hold Swing n/a
Victorian state election, 2014: Polwarth[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Terry Mulder 21,861 55.4 −0.5
Labor Libby Coker 11,045 28.0 +1.1
Greens Simon Northeast 4,352 11.0 +2.8
Country Alliance Philip Edge 2,206 5.6 +1.7
Total formal votes 39,464 96.1 −0.1
Informal votes 1,599 3.9 +0.1
Turnout 41,063 94.9 +1.8
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Terry Mulder 23,944 60.6 −3.2
Labor Libby Coker 15,541 39.4 +3.2
Liberal hold Swing −3.2

Historical maps

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Victorian Electoral Commission". Polworth District Profile. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "Victorian Electoral Commission". State Election 2014 : Polwarth District. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "ABC Victoria Votes". Victoria Votes. Retrieved February 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. ↑ State District By-elections 2015: Polwarth District, VEC.
  5. ↑ State Election 2014: Polwarth District, VEC.

External links

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