Division of Kingsford Smith

Kingsford Smith
Australian House of Representatives Division

Division of Kingsford Smith (green) in New South Wales
Created 1949
MP Matt Thistlethwaite
Party Labor
Namesake Sir Charles Kingsford Smith
Electors 102,418 (2013)[1]
Area 127 km2 (49.0 sq mi)
Demographic Inner Metropolitan

The Division of Kingsford Smith is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. The division is named after Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, a pioneer aviator, and the first pilot to fly across the Pacific Ocean. The Kingsford Smith International Airport (Sydney International), and the suburb of Kingsford, both of which are located within the division, are also named after him. The division was proclaimed at the redistribution of 11 May 1949, and was first contested at the 1949 federal election.

The division is located in the south-eastern suburbs of Sydney, on the north shore of Botany Bay, and the coast of the Tasman Sea. The division includes the suburbs of Coogee, Randwick, Maroubra, Mascot, Botany, Malabar and Kensington.

The current Member for Kingsford Smith, since the 2013 federal election, is Matt Thistlethwaite,[1] a member of the Australian Labor Party who resigned from the Senate prior to the election.[2]

History

Kingsford Smith has been in Labor hands for its entire existence, and was one of Labor's safest seats for the better part of 60 years. However, demographic changes have made the seat much less secure for Labor. It has previously been held by Lionel Bowen, a minister in the Whitlam government, Deputy Leader of the Labor Party from 1977 to 1990 and Deputy Prime Minister for most of the Hawke government, and by Laurie Brereton, a minister in the Keating government. It was then held by Peter Garrett, a former lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil, former President of the Australian Conservation Foundation, and a minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments. Garrett announced his retirement on 26 June 2013.[3]

The Division was originally known as the Division of Kingsford-Smith (with a hyphen), based upon a misspelling of Sir Charles's surname. However, this was corrected at the redistribution in 2001.[4]

Members

MemberPartyTerm
  Gordon Anderson Labor 1949–1955
  Dan Curtin Labor 1955–1969
  Lionel Bowen Labor 1969–1990
  Laurie Brereton Labor 1990–2004
  Peter Garrett Labor 2004–2013
  Matt Thistlethwaite Labor 2013–present

Election results

Australian federal election, 2013: Kingsford Smith[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Michael Feneley 37,455 43.50 +2.25
Labor Matt Thistlethwaite 36,177 42.02 −1.81
Greens James Macdonald 8,431 9.79 −2.26
Palmer United Diane Happ 1,611 1.87 +1.87
Christian Democrats Jacquie Shiha 1,379 1.60 +1.60
Future Geordie Lucas 693 0.80 +0.80
Rise Up Australia Danielle Somerfield 357 0.41 +0.41
Total formal votes 86,103 91.37 −0.48
Informal votes 8,130 8.63 +0.48
Turnout 94,233 92.01 +0.63
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Matt Thistlethwaite 45,411 52.74 −2.42
Liberal Michael Feneley 40,692 47.26 +2.42
Labor hold Swing −2.42

References

  1. 1 2 3 "NSW Division - Kingsford Smith, NSW". Virtual Tally Room, Election 2013. Australian Electoral Commission. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  2. ↑ Bashan, Yoni (20 July 2013). "NSW Labor senator Matt Thistlethwaite to replace Peter Garrett in NSW seat of Kingsford Smith". Daily Telegraph (Australia). Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "Garrett quits as Rudd returns". Nine News. AAP. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  4. ↑ Archived 9 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine

External links

Coordinates: 33°56′56″S 151°13′52″E / 33.949°S 151.231°E / -33.949; 151.231

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