Electoral district of Kalgoorlie
Encyclopedia
Kalgoorlie is an electoral district
of the Legislative Assembly
in the Australia
n state of Western Australia
.
The district includes not only the town of Kalgoorlie
, but significant parts of the outback
in central and eastern Western Australia.
Long a Labor stronghold, the district has more recently become a very competitive seat.
and has continued to exist as an electorate ever since. Over its first 100 years it was always represented by the Labor Party
with the exception of two interruptions between 1905 and 1911 and 1921 and 1923.
Labor has not held the seat since 2001 when Liberal Party
candidate defeated incumbent MP Megan Anwyl
at the 2001 state election
. Oddly, this was also an election that brought Labor into government. Indeed, Anwyl was the only Labor MP to lose her seat at that election.
, the redistribution ahead of the 2008 state election
saw a significant expansion of the seat to include remote areas to the north and north-east of the town. This was made necessary by electoral reform which meant that, where previously all non-metropolitan districts could have significantly lower enrolment than their metropolitan (i.e. Perth
) counterparts, now the only districts permitted to contain low enrolment are those that cover vast geographical areas. So whilst most of its population is based in the town of Kalgoorlie, the district also includes remote communities such as Laverton, Leinster
, Leonora
, Menzies
, Sandstone
, Warburton
and Wiluna
.
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...
.
The district includes not only the town of Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
, but significant parts of the outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
in central and eastern Western Australia.
Long a Labor stronghold, the district has more recently become a very competitive seat.
History
The district of Kalgoorlie was first created for the 1901 state electionWestern Australian state election, 1901
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 24 April 1901 to elect 50 members to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly...
and has continued to exist as an electorate ever since. Over its first 100 years it was always represented by the 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...
with the exception of two interruptions between 1905 and 1911 and 1921 and 1923.
Labor has not held the seat since 2001 when 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...
candidate defeated incumbent MP Megan Anwyl
Megan Anwyl
Megan Irene Anwyl is a former Australian politician. She was a Labor member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, representing Kalgoorlie from 1996 to 2001....
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...
. Oddly, this was also an election that brought Labor into government. Indeed, Anwyl was the only Labor MP to lose her seat at that election.
Geography
Always based on the town of KalgoorlieKalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
, the redistribution ahead of 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...
saw a significant expansion of the seat to include remote areas to the north and north-east of the town. This was made necessary by electoral reform which meant that, where previously all non-metropolitan districts could have significantly lower enrolment than their metropolitan (i.e. Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
) counterparts, now the only districts permitted to contain low enrolment are those that cover vast geographical areas. So whilst most of its population is based in the town of Kalgoorlie, the district also includes remote communities such as Laverton, Leinster
Leinster, Western Australia
Leinster is a town in the northern goldfields area of Western Australia. The town is located 4 km east of the Goldfields Highway, in the Shire of Leonora Local Government Area, northeast of the state capital, Perth...
, Leonora
Leonora, Western Australia
Leonora is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located northeast of the state capital, Perth, and north of the city of Kalgoorlie. At the 2006 census, Leonora had a population of 401, about a third of whom are of Aboriginal descent. The area is extremely arid, with a...
, Menzies
Menzies, Western Australia
Menzies is a town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, east-northeast of the state capital, Perth, and north-northwest of the city of Kalgoorlie...
, Sandstone
Sandstone, Western Australia
Sandstone is a small town located in the Mid West region of Western Australia. The town is located 157 kilometres east of Mount Magnet and 661 kilometres north of the state capital, Perth...
, Warburton
Warburton, Western Australia
Warburton or Warburton Ranges is an Indigenous Australian community in Western Australia, just to the south of the Gibson Desert and located on the Great Central Road and Gunbarrel Highway...
and Wiluna
Wiluna, Western Australia
Wiluna is a complex town in the Mid West region of Western Australia. It is situated on the edge of the Western Desert at the gateway to the Canning Stock Route and Gunbarrel Highway. It is the service centre of the local area for the local Aboriginal people, the pastoral industry, mining, and...
.
Members
| Member | Party | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Johnson | 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... |
1901–1905 | |
| Norbert Keenan | Ministerial | 1905–1911 | |
| Albert Green | Labor | 1911–1913 | |
| George McLeod | Labor | 1914 | |
| Albert Green | Labor | 1914–1921 | |
| John Boyland | Independent Nationalist Nationalist Party of Australia The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime... |
1921–1922 | |
| James Cunningham James Cunningham (Australian politician) James Cunningham was an Australian politician. Born in Western Australia, he received a primary education before becoming a goldminer at Norseman and then Boulder. He was secretary of the Federated Miners' Union before his election to the Western Australian Legislative Council in 1916 as a Labor... |
Labor | 1923–1936 | |
| Herbert Styants | Labor | 1936–1956 | |
| Tom Evans | Labor | 1956–1980 | |
| Edward Evans | Labor | 1980–1981 | |
| Ian Taylor Ian Taylor (Australian politician) Ian Taylor is a former Australian politician and Western Australian Deputy Premier and Opposition Leader.Taylor was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly in 1981 as the Labor member for Kalgoorlie. In 1986 he was appointed Minister for Health and also held the Aged Care, Lands and... |
Labor | 1981–1996 | |
| Megan Anwyl Megan Anwyl Megan Irene Anwyl is a former Australian politician. She was a Labor member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, representing Kalgoorlie from 1996 to 2001.... |
Labor | 1996–2001 | |
| Matt Birney Matt Birney Matthew John Birney is an Australian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2008, serving as Leader of the Opposition from 2005 to 2006.... |
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... |
2001–2008 | |
| John Bowler John Bowler (politician) John James Mansell Bowler is a Western Australian politician who has represented the electoral district of Murchison-Eyre since 2001.... |
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... |
2008–present | |