Division of Paterson

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The Division of Paterson is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located just north of Newcastle, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It extends to the Hunter Valley in the south, the Manning River in the north, and the Great Dividing Range in the west. It includes the towns of Gloucester, Forster, Nelson Bay, Raymond Terrace and Paterson.

The Division is named after federation-era poet and author Banjo Paterson and was proclaimed at the redistribution of January 31, 1992. This recreated the former Division of Paterson (1949-84), which was abolished at the redistribution of October 11, 1984 and had similar boundaries.

Paterson was first contested at the 1993 Federal election and was narrowly won by Bob Horne (Labor). After 1993 the seat was continuously exchanged between Bob Horne and Bob Baldwin (Liberal); the seat changed hands in 1996, in 1998 and again in 2001. During this period both Bobs became so well known that name recognition in the Division was often in excess of 90% in private party polling.

This unusual pattern was broken at the 2004 election when Bob Horne retired and Bob Baldwin comfortably defeated a new unknown Labor candidate to retain the seat for the first time. Paterson is currently regarded as a fairly safe Liberal seat.