Electoral district of Flinders
Encyclopedia
Flinders is an electoral district
of the House of Assembly
in the Australia
n state of South Australia
. It is named after explorer Matthew Flinders
, who was responsible for charting most of the state's coastline. It is a 55,260.6 km² coastal rural electorate encompassing the Eyre Peninsula
and the coast along the Nullarbor Plain
. Based in the town of Port Lincoln
, the electorate also includes the towns of Ceduna
, Cleve
, Cummins
, Elliston
, Port Lincoln
, Streaky Bay
and Tumby Bay
, as well as many small farming communities.
Flinders is the oldest electorate in the present House of Assembly, having been the only one of the original 17 electorates to survive to the present day. It was a multi-member electorate from 1856 to 1938, as with the rest of the state, and has been single-member since 1938. The electorate is amongst the safest in South Australia for the conservative parties, with the Liberal Party
holding a massive margin in the seat despite being out of government. The seat fell to the rival conservative National Party
on one occasion, with Peter Blacker
representing Flinders from 1973 to 1993, but he was defeated when Kangaroo Island
was briefly included in Flinders, and without the advantages of incumbency, was unable to regain his seat when it was removed four years later. It has since remained a safe seat for the Liberal Party.
South Australian House of Assembly electoral districts
Since 1970, the South Australian House of Assembly has consisted of 47 single-member electoral districts consisting of approximately the same number of enrolled voters...
of the House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
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 South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. It is named after explorer Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
, who was responsible for charting most of the state's coastline. It is a 55,260.6 km² coastal rural electorate encompassing the Eyre Peninsula
Eyre Peninsula
Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded on the east by Spencer Gulf, the west by the Great Australian Bight, and the north by the Gawler Ranges. It is named after explorer Edward John Eyre who explored some of it in 1839-1841. The coastline was first explored by...
and the coast along the Nullarbor Plain
Nullarbor Plain
The Nullarbor Plain is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its north. It is the world's largest single piece of limestone, and occupies an area of about...
. Based in the town of Port Lincoln
Port Lincoln, South Australia
- Transport :Port Lincoln is the port for the isolated narrow gauge Eyre Peninsular Railway.There is also a subsidiary port at Proper Bay which may be restored to use for iron ore traffic. The export of iron ore through Port Lincoln has been approved by the South Australian Government. Port...
, the electorate also includes the towns of Ceduna
Ceduna, South Australia
Ceduna is a small town in the West Coast region of South Australia. It is situated in the northwest corner of Eyre Peninsula, facing the islands of the Nuyts Archipelago. It lies west of the junction of the Flinders and Eyre Highways around 786 km northwest of the capital Adelaide. The port...
, Cleve
Cleve, South Australia
Cleve is a small agriculturally based town on Central Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. It is 226 km southwest of Port Augusta and 143 km north of Port Lincoln...
, Cummins
Cummins, South Australia
Cummins is a town on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, 67 km north of Port Lincoln and 68 m above sea level. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 705....
, Elliston
Elliston, South Australia
Elliston is a small coastal town in South Australia on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula 169 km northwest of Port Lincoln and 641 km west of Adelaide. The township is located on Waterloo Bay....
, Port Lincoln
Port Lincoln, South Australia
- Transport :Port Lincoln is the port for the isolated narrow gauge Eyre Peninsular Railway.There is also a subsidiary port at Proper Bay which may be restored to use for iron ore traffic. The export of iron ore through Port Lincoln has been approved by the South Australian Government. Port...
, Streaky Bay
Streaky Bay, South Australia
Streaky Bay is a coastal town on the western side of the Eyre Peninsula, in South Australia just off the Flinders Highway 303 km north west of Port Lincoln and 727 km by road from Adelaide...
and Tumby Bay
Tumby Bay, South Australia
Tumby Bay is a coastal town situated on the Spencer Gulf, on the eastern coast of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, 45 km north of Port Lincoln...
, as well as many small farming communities.
Flinders is the oldest electorate in the present House of Assembly, having been the only one of the original 17 electorates to survive to the present day. It was a multi-member electorate from 1856 to 1938, as with the rest of the state, and has been single-member since 1938. The electorate is amongst the safest in South Australia for the conservative parties, with the Liberal Party
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...
holding a massive margin in the seat despite being out of government. The seat fell to the rival conservative National Party
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...
on one occasion, with Peter Blacker
Peter Blacker
Peter Douglas Blacker is a former Australian politician who represented the seat of Flinders in the South Australian House of Assembly for the Nationals SA from 1973 to 1993. During that time he was the only Nationals member in the South Australian parliament. He is now the Chair of the Minister’s...
representing Flinders from 1973 to 1993, but he was defeated when Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island is Australia's third-largest island after Tasmania and Melville Island. It is southwest of Adelaide at the entrance of Gulf St Vincent. Its closest point to the mainland is off Cape Jervis, on the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula in the state of South Australia. The island is long...
was briefly included in Flinders, and without the advantages of incumbency, was unable to regain his seat when it was removed four years later. It has since remained a safe seat for the Liberal Party.
Members for Flinders since 1938
| Member | Party | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Craigie Edward Craigie Edward John Craigie was a Single Tax League member for the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Flinders from 1930 to 1941.... |
Single Tax League Single Tax League The Single Tax League was an Australian political party that flourished throughout the 1920s and 30s.Based upon the ideas of Henry George, who argued that all taxes should be abolished, save for a single tax on unimproved land values, the Single Tax League was founded shortly after World War I, and... |
1938–1941 | |
| Rex Pearson Rex Pearson Rex Whiting Pearson was an Australian politician. Born in Kadina, South Australia, he was educated in Adelaide at Prince Alfred College before becoming a farmer and grazier at Sandilands, South Australia.... |
Liberal and Country League Liberal and Country League The Liberal and Country League was a major political party in South Australia throughout its forty year existence. Thirty-four years were spent in government, in part due to the electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, introduced after coming to power.Created on 9 June 1932 as the... |
1941–1951 | |
| Glen Pearson | Liberal and Country League Liberal and Country League The Liberal and Country League was a major political party in South Australia throughout its forty year existence. Thirty-four years were spent in government, in part due to the electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, introduced after coming to power.Created on 9 June 1932 as the... |
1951–1970 | |
| John Carnie | Liberal and Country League Liberal and Country League The Liberal and Country League was a major political party in South Australia throughout its forty year existence. Thirty-four years were spent in government, in part due to the electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, introduced after coming to power.Created on 9 June 1932 as the... |
1970–1973 | |
| Peter Blacker Peter Blacker Peter Douglas Blacker is a former Australian politician who represented the seat of Flinders in the South Australian House of Assembly for the Nationals SA from 1973 to 1993. During that time he was the only Nationals member in the South Australian parliament. He is now the Chair of the Minister’s... |
Nationals SA | 1973–1993 | |
| Liz Penfold Liz Penfold Elizabeth Meryl "Liz" Penfold was an Australian politician who represented the seat of Flinders in the South Australian House of Assembly for the Liberal Party from 1993 to 2010.... |
Liberal Party of Australia 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... |
1993–2010 | |
| Peter Treloar Peter Treloar Peter Andrew Treloar is an Australian politician elected to the seat of Flinders as the Liberal Party candidate in the South Australian House of Assembly at the March 2010 election, after the resignation of the previous Liberal Party incumbent Liz Penfold.... |
Liberal Party of Australia 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... |
2010–present | |
