Division of Eden-Monaro

The Division of Eden-Monaro is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales.

Eden-Monaro Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Eden-Monaro in New South Wales, as of the 2016 federal election.
Created	1901
MP	Kristy McBain
Party	Labor
Namesake	Eden and Monaro
Electors	114,244 (2020)
Area	41,617 km^2 (16,068.4 sq mi)
Demographic	Rural

The previous member, Mike Kelly resigned due to ill health on 30 April 2020. The seat was filled at a by-election on 4 July 2020.

History

The town of Eden and

the region of Monaro, the division's namesakes

The division was proclaimed in 1900, and was one of the original 65 divisions to be contested at the first federal election. It is named for the town of Eden and the Monaro district of southern New South Wales.

Its boundaries have changed very little throughout its history, and it includes the towns of Yass, Bega and Cooma and the city of Queanbeyan. It completely surrounds the Australian Capital Territory.

Until 1943 the seat was held by non-Labor parties for all but three years. Since then, it has been consistently marginal, though it was in Labor hands for all but one term from 1943 to 1975. This is mainly because of the seat's demographics. The Eden area tilts toward the Liberals; most of the area is part of the historically safe Liberal state seat of Bega. In contrast, the Monaro area has traditionally been more of a swing area.

Up to the 2016 election, Eden-Monaro was long regarded as Australia's most well-known "bellwether seat". From the 1972 election until the 2013 election, Eden-Monaro was won by the party that also won the election. During this time, all of its sitting members were defeated at the polls – none retired or resigned.

Liberal incumbent Peter Hendy was defeated by Labor's Mike Kelly at the 2016 election. Kelly had previously represented Eden-Monaro from 2007 to 2013. Kelly's 2016 victory made him the seat's first opposition MP since 1969. The nation's new bellwether became the seat of Robertson – continually won by the party that also won government since the 1983 election. "Best" bellwether aside, ABC psephologist Antony Green classed a total of eleven electorates as bellwethers in his 2016 election guide.[1]

Members

	Image	Member	Party	Term	Notes
		(Sir) Austin Chapman (1864–1926)	Protectionist	29 March 1901 – 26 May 1909	Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Braidwood. Served as Chief Government Whip in the House under Barton. Served as minister under Deakin and Bruce. Died in office
			Commonwealth Liberal	26 May 1909 – 17 February 1917
			Nationalist	17 February 1917 – 12 January 1926
		John Perkins (1878–1954)	Nationalist	6 March 1926 – 12 October 1929	Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Goulburn. Served as Chief Government Whip in the House under Bruce. Lost seat
		John Cusack (1868–1956)	Labor	12 October 1929 – 19 December 1931	Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Albury. Did not contest in 1931. Failed to win the Division of Cowper
		John Perkins (1878–1954)	United Australia	19 December 1931 – 21 August 1943	Served as minister under Lyons, Page and Menzies. Lost seat
		Allan Fraser (1902–1977)	Labor	21 August 1943 – 26 November 1966	Lost seat
		Dugald Munro (1930–1973)	Liberal	26 November 1966 – 25 October 1969	Lost seat
		Allan Fraser (1902–1977)	Labor	25 October 1969 – 2 November 1972	Retired. Later elected to the Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly seat of Fraser in 1975
		Bob Whan (1933–2015)	Labor	2 December 1972 – 13 December 1975	Lost seat
		Murray Sainsbury (1940–)	Liberal	13 December 1975 – 5 March 1983	Lost seat
		Jim Snow (1934–)	Labor	5 March 1983 – 2 March 1996	Lost seat
		Gary Nairn (1951–)	Liberal	2 March 1996 – 24 November 2007	Served as minister under Howard. Lost seat
		Mike Kelly (1960–)	Labor	24 November 2007 – 7 September 2013	Served as minister under Gillard and Rudd. Lost seat
		Peter Hendy (1962–)	Liberal	7 September 2013 – 2 July 2016	Served as minister under Abbott and Turnbull. Lost seat
		Mike Kelly (1960–)	Labor	2 July 2016 – 30 April 2020	Resigned due to ill health
		Kristy McBain	Labor	4 July 2020 – present	Incumbent

Election results

Main article: Electoral results for the Division of Eden-Monaro

This section is an excerpt from 2020 Eden-Monaro by-election § Results[edit]

Diagram of preference flows at the Eden-Monaro by-election

2020 Eden-Monaro by-election [2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Fiona Kotvojs	36,388	38.33	+1.33
	Labor	Kristy McBain	34,073	35.89	−3.28
	National	Trevor Hicks	6,052	6.38	−0.57
	Greens	Cathy Griff	5,385	5.67	−3.11
	Shooters, Fishers, Farmers	Matthew Stadtmiller	5,066	5.34	+5.34
	HEMP	Michael Balderstone	2,154	2.27	+2.27
	Independent	Karen Porter	1,218	1.28	+1.28
	Science	James Jansson	1,071	1.13	+1.13
	Sustainable Australia	Joy Angel	944	0.99	+0.99
	Liberal Democrats	Dean McCrae	651	0.69	+0.69
	Independent	James Holgate	636	0.67	−1.23
	Christian Democrats	Narelle Storey	614	0.65	−0.52
	Independent	Riccardo Bosi	513	0.54	+0.54
	Aus. Federation	Jason Potter	170	0.18	+0.18
Total formal votes			94,935	93.29	+0.09
Informal votes			6,832	6.71	−0.09
Turnout			101,767	89.08	−4.23
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Kristy McBain	47,835	50.39	−0.46
	Liberal	Fiona Kotvojs	47,100	49.61	+0.46
	Labor hold		Swing	−0.46

References

1. The Bellwether Contests: Antony Green ABC
2. "Eden-Monaro, NSW". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 August 2020.

External links

• Division of Eden-Monaro - Australian Electoral Commission