Electoral district of Victoria Park
Encyclopedia
The Electoral district of Victoria Park is a Legislative Assembly
electorate
in the state
of Western Australia
. Victoria Park is named for the inner southeastern Perth
suburb of Victoria Park
which falls within its borders.
seat, and has been held by the party between 1930 and 1945, and since the 1953 state election
, with independent William Read holding the seat in the interim. From 1961 until 1986 it was held by Ron Davies
who served as Opposition Leader
from 1978 until 1981 when he was replaced by Brian Burke
, who mounted a successful campaign for the 1983 election
. Ron Davies left Parliament in 1986 after his appointment as Agent-General of Western Australia in London
, and at the resulting by-election on 7 June 1986, Dr Geoff Gallop
, a lecturer at Murdoch University
, was elected. In 1996, he followed his predecessor into the role of Opposition Leader, and just over four years later, became Premier
after Labor's victory at the 2001 election
. He retired from politics and as Premier on 16 January 2006 in order to aid his recovery from depression
, and that "in the interests of my health and my family, I've decided to rethink my career." Labor's Ben Wyatt
won the resulting by-election
, with a 5% swing to the opposition Liberal
candidate.
Of the five times the seat has changed members, four of them have occurred at by-elections (all except Hugh Andrew's win at the 1953 election
), two of which have been caused by the death of the incumbent in office (Howard Raphael and Hugh Andrew). No incumbent member has ever been defeated.
to the north, Orrong Road to the northeast, Mills and Burton Streets to the southeast, Manning Road to the south, and Kent Street, Banksia Terrace and Hurlingham Road to the west. It includes the suburbs of Bentley
, Burswood
, Carlisle
, East Victoria Park
, Lathlain
, St James
, Victoria Park
and parts of Kensington
and Welshpool
.
In the 2007 redistribution, the seat lost Cannington
, Queens Park
, Wilson
and parts of Welshpool
, while gaining parts of Kensington
and all sections of East Victoria Park
west of Berwick Street and Hill View Terrace.
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
electorate
Electoral districts of Western Australia
The Western Australian Legislative Assembly is elected from 59 single-member electoral districts. These districts are often referred to as electorates or seats....
in the state
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. Victoria Park is named for the inner southeastern Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
suburb of Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Western Australia
The Town of Victoria Park is a Local Government Area of Western Australia. It covers an area of 17.62 km² in metropolitan Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The Town of Victoria Park maintains 154.55 km of roads, a little over 1 km² of parks and gardens and has a...
which falls within its borders.
History
Victoria Park was created at the 1929 redistribution, at which five new metropolitan electorates were created to replace former Goldfields seats in Parliament. The seat is considered a safe Australian Labor PartyAustralian 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...
seat, and has been held by the party between 1930 and 1945, and since the 1953 state election
Western Australian state election, 1953
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 14 February 1953 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The two-term Liberal-Country Party coalition government, led by Premier Sir Ross McLarty, was defeated by the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Bert Hawke.The election...
, with independent William Read holding the seat in the interim. From 1961 until 1986 it was held by Ron Davies
Ron Davies (Western Australian politician)
Ronald "Ron" Davies was an Australian politician, who was an Australian Labor Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the electoral district of Victoria Park from 1961 to 1986....
who served as Opposition Leader
Leader of the Opposition (Western Australia)
The Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia is the leader of the largest minority political party or coalition of parties in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia. By convention, he or she is generally a member of the Legislative Assembly...
from 1978 until 1981 when he was replaced by Brian Burke
Brian Burke
Brian Thomas Burke was Labor premier of Western Australia from 25 February 1983 until his resignation on 25 February 1988...
, who mounted a successful campaign for the 1983 election
Western Australian state election, 1983
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 19 February 1983 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly and 18 members to the 34-seat Legislative Council....
. Ron Davies left Parliament in 1986 after his appointment as Agent-General of Western Australia in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and at the resulting by-election on 7 June 1986, Dr Geoff Gallop
Geoff Gallop
Geoffrey Ian Gallop, AC is an Australian academic and former politician. He was the Premier of Western Australia from 2001 to 2006. He currently resides in Sydney.-Early life and education:...
, a lecturer at Murdoch University
Murdoch University
Murdoch University is a public university based in Perth, Australia. It began operations as the state's second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975...
, was elected. In 1996, he followed his predecessor into the role of Opposition Leader, and just over four years later, became Premier
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
after Labor's victory at the 2001 election
Western Australian state election, 2001
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 10 February 2001 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly and all 34 members to the Legislative Council...
. He retired from politics and as Premier on 16 January 2006 in order to aid his recovery from depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
, and that "in the interests of my health and my family, I've decided to rethink my career." Labor's Ben Wyatt
Ben Wyatt
Benjamin Sana Wyatt is an Indigenous Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since March 2006, representing the electorate of Victoria Park.-Early life and education:...
won the resulting by-election
Victoria Park state by-election, 2006
The Victoria Park state by-election, 2006 was a by-election held on 11 March 2006 for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Victoria Park in the inner southeastern suburbs of Perth.-Background:...
, with a 5% swing to the opposition Liberal
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...
candidate.
Of the five times the seat has changed members, four of them have occurred at by-elections (all except Hugh Andrew's win at the 1953 election
Western Australian state election, 1953
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 14 February 1953 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The two-term Liberal-Country Party coalition government, led by Premier Sir Ross McLarty, was defeated by the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Bert Hawke.The election...
), two of which have been caused by the death of the incumbent in office (Howard Raphael and Hugh Andrew). No incumbent member has ever been defeated.
Geography
Victoria Park is bounded by the Swan RiverSwan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
to the north, Orrong Road to the northeast, Mills and Burton Streets to the southeast, Manning Road to the south, and Kent Street, Banksia Terrace and Hurlingham Road to the west. It includes the suburbs of Bentley
Bentley, Western Australia
Bentley is a southern suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, and is located 8 km southeast of Perth's central business district. Its Local Government Areas are the City of Canning and the Town of Victoria Park...
, Burswood
Burswood, Western Australia
Burswood is an inner southeastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located immediately across the Swan River from Perth's central business district via both The Causeway and Graham Farmer Freeway...
, Carlisle
Carlisle, Western Australia
Carlisle is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Town of Victoria Park.- History :The suburb known as Carlisle today was originally settled as part of a land allocation to early Western Australian settlers after 1829...
, East Victoria Park
East Victoria Park, Western Australia
East Victoria Park is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Town of Victoria Park....
, Lathlain
Lathlain, Western Australia
Lathlain is an inner south eastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Town of Victoria Park.-History:Lathlain's development commenced in the 1890s when Peet and Co subdivided and sold lots in the "Victoria Park Station Estate" east of the railway station, with...
, St James
St James, Western Australia
St James is a suburb of the City of Canning, partially contained within the Town of Victoria Park.-References:...
, Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Western Australia
The Town of Victoria Park is a Local Government Area of Western Australia. It covers an area of 17.62 km² in metropolitan Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The Town of Victoria Park maintains 154.55 km of roads, a little over 1 km² of parks and gardens and has a...
and parts of Kensington
Kensington, Western Australia
Kensington is an inner southern suburb of Perth. While mostly within the City of South Perth local government area, a small section is within the Town of Victoria Park....
and Welshpool
Welshpool, Western Australia
Welshpool is an inner southeastern suburb of Perth, located mostly within the City of Canning. The area is considered to be one of the main industrial areas of Perth, along with Kewdale, Kwinana, Henderson, Malaga, O'Connor, Canning Vale and Osborne Park....
.
In the 2007 redistribution, the seat lost Cannington
Cannington, Western Australia
Cannington is a southern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Canning.-History:Cannington's name derives from the Canning River, which forms part of the southwestern boundary of the suburb...
, Queens Park
Queens Park, Western Australia
Queens Park is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Canning. Its postcode is 6107.-History:The suburb derives its name from the former Queens Park Road Board that was incorporated into the Canning and Belmont Road Boards....
, Wilson
Wilson, Western Australia
Wilson is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Canning on the north bank of the Canning River....
and parts of Welshpool
Welshpool, Western Australia
Welshpool is an inner southeastern suburb of Perth, located mostly within the City of Canning. The area is considered to be one of the main industrial areas of Perth, along with Kewdale, Kwinana, Henderson, Malaga, O'Connor, Canning Vale and Osborne Park....
, while gaining parts of Kensington
Kensington, Western Australia
Kensington is an inner southern suburb of Perth. While mostly within the City of South Perth local government area, a small section is within the Town of Victoria Park....
and all sections of East Victoria Park
East Victoria Park, Western Australia
East Victoria Park is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Town of Victoria Park....
west of Berwick Street and Hill View Terrace.
Members for Victoria Park
| Member | Party | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard Raphael | 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... |
1930–1944 | |
| William Read | Independent | 1945–1953 | |
| Hugh Andrew | Labor | 1953–1961 | |
| Ron Davies Ron Davies (Western Australian politician) Ronald "Ron" Davies was an Australian politician, who was an Australian Labor Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the electoral district of Victoria Park from 1961 to 1986.... |
Labor | 1961–1986 | |
| Dr Geoff Gallop Geoff Gallop Geoffrey Ian Gallop, AC is an Australian academic and former politician. He was the Premier of Western Australia from 2001 to 2006. He currently resides in Sydney.-Early life and education:... |
Labor | 1986–2006 | |
| Ben Wyatt Ben Wyatt Benjamin Sana Wyatt is an Indigenous Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since March 2006, representing the electorate of Victoria Park.-Early life and education:... |
Labor | 2006–present | |
Election results
External links
- Electorate Profile (Antony Green, ABC)