Silvan Province was an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Council

Victorian Legislative Council

The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...

. It existed as a two-member electorate from 1992 to 2006, with members holding alternating eight-year terms. It was considered a safe seat for the 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...

 for much of its history, but was a surprise gain for the Australian Labor Party

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...

 in the party's landslide victory at the 2002 state election. The electorate saw some controversy in its final term when both its members, Labor MLC Carolyn Hirsh

Carolyn Hirsh

Carolyn Dorothy Hirsh is a former Australian politician representing Silvan Province in the Victorian Legislative Council. Elected as a member of the Australian Labor Party, she was forced to resign from the party in September 2004 after being booked for driving a car without a licence...

 and Liberal MLC Andrew Olexander

Andrew Olexander

Andrew Phillip Olexander is an Australian politician. He was an independent member of the Victorian Legislative Council representing Silvan Province from November 2005 to November 2006, after being expelled from the parliamentary Liberal Party, which he had represented since 1999.His career has...

 were expelled from their respective parties for drink-driving offences. The electorate was abolished from the 2006 state election in the wake of the Bracks Labor government's reform of the Legislative Council.

It was located in the outer east of Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

. In 2002, when it was last contested, it covered an area of 355km² and included the suburbs of Bayswater

Bayswater, Victoria

Bayswater is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 28 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Knox. At the 2006 Census, Bayswater had a population of 10,738.-History:...

, Belgrave

Belgrave, Victoria

Belgrave is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2006 Census, Belgrave had a population of 4094...

, Boronia

Boronia, Victoria

Boronia is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 29 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Knox...

, Croydon

Croydon, Victoria

Croydon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 27 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maroondah. At the 2006 Census, Croydon had a population of 22,029.-Public transport:...

, Monbulk

Monbulk, Victoria

Monbulk is a satellite town & suburb of Melbourne located 42 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2006 Census, Monbulk had a population of 2715.-History:...

, Ringwood

Ringwood, Victoria

Ringwood is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maroondah. At the 2006 Census, Ringwood had a population of 15,185....

, Upwey

Upwey, Victoria

Upwey is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges and City of Knox. At the 2006 Census, Upwey had a population of 6,760.-History:...

, Wantirna

Wantirna, Victoria

Wantirna is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 23 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Knox. At the 2006 Census, Wantirna had a population of 13,978....

 and Warrandyte

Warrandyte, Victoria

Warrandyte is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 24 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham...

.

Members for Silvan Province

Member	Party affiliation	Term began	Term ended
Rosemary Varty	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...	1992	1999
Wendy Smith	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...	1996	2002
Andrew Olexander Andrew Olexander Andrew Phillip Olexander is an Australian politician. He was an independent member of the Victorian Legislative Council representing Silvan Province from November 2005 to November 2006, after being expelled from the parliamentary Liberal Party, which he had represented since 1999.His career has...	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... /Independent	1999	2006
Carolyn Hirsh Carolyn Hirsh Carolyn Dorothy Hirsh is a former Australian politician representing Silvan Province in the Victorian Legislative Council. Elected as a member of the Australian Labor Party, she was forced to resign from the party in September 2004 after being booked for driving a car without a licence...	Australian Labor Party 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... /Independent	2002	2006