Electoral district of Geraldton
Encyclopedia
Geraldton is an electoral district
of the Legislative Assembly
in the Australia
n state of Western Australia
.
Geraldton was one of the original 30 seats contested at the 1890 state election. The district is based on the eponymous regional city.
Labor held throughout most of the twentieth century, Geraldton has since become a seat that has changed hands regularly in the last two decades.
necessitated an increase in the district's enrolment and thus an expansion of its boundaries, as it did for all non-metropolitan districts. This means the district now includes all outlying suburbs of the city, as well as adjacent rural areas. The district's current boundaries are identical with the former City of Geraldton-Greenough
, itself a newly formed local government area.
. The seat's longest serving and most famous member was John Willcock
, member from 1917 to 1947 and Premier of Western Australia
from 1936 to 1945.
The resignation of Labor member Jeff Carr following his sacking as minister in 1991 triggered a by-election that was won by the Liberal Party
. Bob Bloffwitch became the seat's first non-Labor member in more than four decades. Bloffwitch held the seat at the subsequent 1993 state election
, when the Liberal Party won government. The seat changed hands with the next change of government at the 2001 state election
when Labor candidate Shane Hill
was elected. Hill held the seat for two terms before the seat once again changed hands with a change of government at the 2008 state election
. In fact the redistribution prior to that election had already overturned the Labor Party's majority in the seat.
The seat's current member is Ian Blayney
of the Liberal Party.
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....
of the Legislative Assembly
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....
in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state 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...
.
Geraldton was one of the original 30 seats contested at the 1890 state election. The district is based on the eponymous regional city.
Labor held throughout most of the twentieth century, Geraldton has since become a seat that has changed hands regularly in the last two decades.
Geography
The district has always been based on the regional coastal city of Geraldton. Electoral reform ahead of the 2008 state electionWestern Australian state election, 2008
A general election was held in the state of Western Australia on Saturday 6 September 2008 to elect 59 members to the Legislative Assembly and 36 members to the Legislative Council...
necessitated an increase in the district's enrolment and thus an expansion of its boundaries, as it did for all non-metropolitan districts. This means the district now includes all outlying suburbs of the city, as well as adjacent rural areas. The district's current boundaries are identical with the former City of Geraldton-Greenough
City of Geraldton-Greenough
The City of Geraldton-Greenough was a Local Government Area in the Mid West region of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth on the Indian Ocean...
, itself a newly formed local government area.
History
Geraldton changed hands frequently between different members and parties during the early history of the seat in the late 19th and early 20th century. After 1917 however, the seat was typically held by the 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...
. The seat's longest serving and most famous member was John Willcock
John Willcock
John Collings Willcock was the 15th Premier of Western Australia.-Early life:John Willcock was born at Frogmoor , New South Wales on 9 August 1879. The son of miner Joseph Willcock, he was educated at Sydney High School before emigrating to Western Australia in 1897...
, member from 1917 to 1947 and Premier of Western Australia
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...
from 1936 to 1945.
The resignation of Labor member Jeff Carr following his sacking as minister in 1991 triggered a by-election that was won by the Liberal Party
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...
. Bob Bloffwitch became the seat's first non-Labor member in more than four decades. Bloffwitch held the seat at the subsequent 1993 state election
Western Australian state election, 1993
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 6 February 1993 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly and all 34 members to the Legislative Council...
, when the Liberal Party won government. The seat changed hands with the next change of government at the 2001 state 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...
when Labor candidate Shane Hill
Shane Hill
Shane Robin Hill is an Australian politician. He has represented the electorate of Geraldton in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from the 2001 election for the Australian Labor Party until losing the seat in the 2008 election.Hill defeated the sitting Liberal member, Bob Bloffwitch, in...
was elected. Hill held the seat for two terms before the seat once again changed hands with a change of government at the 2008 state election
Western Australian state election, 2008
A general election was held in the state of Western Australia on Saturday 6 September 2008 to elect 59 members to the Legislative Assembly and 36 members to the Legislative Council...
. In fact the redistribution prior to that election had already overturned the Labor Party's majority in the seat.
The seat's current member is Ian Blayney
Ian Blayney
Ian Charles Blayney is an Australian politician. He was born in Geraldton, Western Australia. He has been a Liberal Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since the 2008 state election, representing Geraldton. He defeated sitting Labor member Shane Hill after a redistribution...
of the Liberal Party.
Members for Geraldton
| Member | Party | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Keane | 1890–1891 | ||
| George Simpson | Opposition | 1891–1899 | |
| Richard Robson Richard Robson Richard Robson , sometimes referred to as Dick Robson, was a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly who resigned in 1900 after making unsubstantiated allegations of corruption against the government of the day.-Early life:Richard Robson was born at Tynemouth, Northumberland, England... |
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
1899–1900 | |
| Robert Hutchinson Robert Hutchinson (Australian politician) Robert David Hutchinson was an Australian politician, and a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1900 until 1904 representing the seat of Geraldton.-Biography:... |
Opposition | 1900–1904 | |
| Henry Carson | Ministerial | 1904–1906 | |
| Thomas Brown | 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... |
1906–1908 | |
| Henry Carson | Ministerial | 1908–1911 | |
| Bronte Dooley Bronte Dooley Bronterre Washington Dooley , known as Bronte Dooley, was an Australian politician, and a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1911 until 1913 representing the seat of Geraldton for the Australian Labor Party... |
Labor | 1911–1913 | |
| Samuel Elliott | Liberal (WA) | 1913–1914 | |
| Edward Heitmann Edward Heitmann Edward Ernest Heitmann , Australian politician, was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1904 to 1917, then a member of the Australian House of Representatives until 1919.... |
Labor | 1914–1917 | |
| National Labor National Labor Party The National Labor Party was the name used by the Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes for himself and his followers after he was expelled from the Australian Labor Party in November 1916 over his pro-conscription stance in relation to World War I... |
1917 | ||
| Samuel Elliott | Liberal (WA) | 1917 | |
| John Willcock John Willcock John Collings Willcock was the 15th Premier of Western Australia.-Early life:John Willcock was born at Frogmoor , New South Wales on 9 August 1879. The son of miner Joseph Willcock, he was educated at Sydney High School before emigrating to Western Australia in 1897... |
Labor | 1917–1947 | |
| Edmund Hall Edmund Hall Edmund Henry Hartley Hall was an Australian politician who represented the Western Australian Legislative Council district of Central Province from 1928 until 1947, and the Legislative Assembly seat of Geraldton from 1947 until 1950... |
Country National Party of Western Australia The National Party of Western Australia is a political party in Western Australia. It is affiliated with the National Party of Australia but maintains a separate structure and identity.... |
1947–1950 | |
| Bill Sewell | Labor | 1950–1974 | |
| Jeff Carr | Labor | 1974–1991 | |
| Bob Bloffwitch | 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... |
1991–2001 | |
| Shane Hill Shane Hill Shane Robin Hill is an Australian politician. He has represented the electorate of Geraldton in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from the 2001 election for the Australian Labor Party until losing the seat in the 2008 election.Hill defeated the sitting Liberal member, Bob Bloffwitch, in... |
Labor | 2001–2008 | |
| Ian Blayney Ian Blayney Ian Charles Blayney is an Australian politician. He was born in Geraldton, Western Australia. He has been a Liberal Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since the 2008 state election, representing Geraldton. He defeated sitting Labor member Shane Hill after a redistribution... |
Liberal | 2008–present | |