Division of Barton

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Barton
Australian House of Representatives Division

State or territory: New South Wales
Created: 1922
MP: Robert McClelland
Party: Labor
Namesake: Edmund Barton
Electors: 91,393
Area: 38 km² (14.7 sq mi)
Demographic: Inner Metropolitan

The Division of Barton is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1922 and is named for Sir Edmund Barton, the first Prime Minister of Australia. It has always been based in the inner southern suburbs of Sydney, including suburbs such as Hurstville, Kogarah and Rockdale. For most of its history Barton has been a marginal seat, changing hands regularly, but in recent years it has grown safer for the Australian Labor Party.

Barton's most prominent member has been Dr H.V. Evatt, who was Leader of the Labor Party 1951-60. Evatt nearly lost the seat in 1951 and 1955, and in 1958 he transferred to the safe seat of Hunter.

The Division of Barton is linked to one of the more unusual episodes in Australian politics. The first member for Barton, Labor's Frederick McDonald, disappeared after his 1925 defeat by Nationalist Thomas Ley, and it is now believed that Ley had him murdered. Ley was later found to be insane and died in Broadmoor Asylum in Britain.

Contents

[edit] Members

Member Party Term
  Frederick McDonald Labor 19221925
  Thomas Ley Nationalist 19251928
  James Tully Labor 19281931
  Albert Lane United Australia 19311940
  H.V. Evatt Labor 19401958
  Leonard Reynolds Labor 19581966
  William Arthur Liberal 19661969
  Leonard Reynolds Labor 19691975
  James Bradfield Liberal 19751983
  Gary Punch Labor 19831996
  Robert McClelland Labor 1996—present

[edit] Election results

Australian federal election, 2007: Barton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Robert McClelland 45,292 55.26 +5.61
Liberal John La Mela 27,425 33.46 -5.94
Greens Michele McKenzie 6,784 8.28 +1.34
Christian Democrats Chris Svolos 2,465 3.01 +3.01
Total formal votes 81,966 94.44 +1.43
Informal votes 4,829 5.56 -1.43
Turnout 86,795 94.97 +1.10
Two Candidate Preferred Result
Labor Robert McClelland 50,902 62.10 +4.53
Liberal John La Mela 31,064 37.90 -4.53
Labor hold Swing +4.53

[edit] References

[edit] External links