Aria Bolkus | |
|---|---|
| Member of the South Australian House of Assembly for Colton | |
| Assumed office 21 March 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Matt Cowdrey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1996 or 1997 (age 29–30) |
| Party | Labor |
| Parent | Nick Bolkus (father) |
Aria Bolkus (born 1996 or 1997) is an Australian politician,and has represented the district of Colton in the South Australian House of Assembly since the 2026 state election. Bolkus is a member of the Australian Labor Party,and has previously served as an advisor to federal MP Mark Butler and worked as a lawyer.
Aria Bolkus was born in 1996 or 1997 to Nick Bolkus,a former senator and cabinet minister in the Hawke and Keating governments. [1] Nick died on 25 December 2025,less than three months before his daughter's election. Nick's parents (Aria's paternal grandparents) migrated to Adelaide from the Greek island of Kastellorizo. [2] [3]
Bolkus attended Henley Beach Primary School as a child,and worked at Joe's Kiosk on Henley Beach as a teenager. [1] [3]
Bolkus was the co-chair of the Hellenic Australian Lawyers Association as of 2024. [4]
Bolkus was announced as a candidate in the 2026 state election for Labor in the district of Colton in June 2025. [3] [5] At the time,she was an advisor to federal MP Mark Butler,and had previously worked as a lawyer. [5] Bolkus was initially challenging incumbent Liberal MP Matt Cowdrey,a former Paralympian,but he announced his retirement later in June,with Bec Sutton becoming the Liberal candidate in Colton. [1] [5] [6] In the lead-up to the election,Bolkus campaigned with senior Labor members,such as Attorney-General Kyam Maher and Premier Peter Malinauskas,and advocated for a sand replenishment program at West Beach. [1] [7]
Bolkus won the seat of Colton at the 2026 election,defeating Sutton and becoming a member of the House of Assembly. [8]