Division of Gorton

Last updated

Gorton
Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Gorton 2025.svg
Division of Gorton
Interactive map of electorate boundaries from the 2025 federal election
Created2004
MP Alice Jordan-Baird
Party Labor
Namesake Sir John Gorton
Electors 129,256 (2025)
Area207 km2 (79.9 sq mi)
DemographicOuter metropolitan

The Division of Gorton is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria.

Contents

History

Sir John Gorton, the division's namesake JohnGorton1968.jpg
Sir John Gorton, the division's namesake

The division was created in 2004 to replace the abolished Division of Burke, and is named in honour Sir John Gorton, who served as the 19th prime Minister of Australia from 1968 to 1971. Gorton had served in the Senate from 1949 to 1968, before switching houses to represent the Victorian federal seat of Higgins until 1975.

The constituency of Gorton features a high proportion of young families and new suburban developments in the working-class outer western suburbs of the Melbourne metropolitan area.

Burke had been held by the Australian Labor Party for its entire existence, though it had become increasingly marginal since the 1980s. On its creation, it was a comfortably safe Labor seat with a majority of almost 20 percent. The last member for Burke, Brendan O'Connor, successfully transferred to Gorton in the 2004 federal election with only a small swing against him. He held it afterwards on fairly safe to safe margins until his retirement in 2025, when he was replaced by Alice Jordan-Baird, also representing Labor.

Boundaries

Federal electoral division boundaries in Australia are determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australian Electoral Commission. Redistributions occur for the boundaries of divisions in a particular state, and they occur every seven years, or sooner if a state's representation entitlement changes or when divisions of a state are malapportioned. [1]

Gorton is located in the outer western suburbs of Melbourne. As of 2021, it includes the suburbs of Aintree, Bonnie Brook, Burnside, Burnside Heights, Caroline Springs, Deanside, Deer Park, Delahey, Grangefields, Fieldstone, Fraser Rise, Keilor, Keilor Downs, Kings Park, Ravenhall, Rockbank, Sydenham, Taylors Hill, Taylors Lakes, Thornhill Park, Truganina and parts of Deer Park, Derrimut, Hillside and Mount Cottrell. [2] [3]

It previously included the suburbs of Albanvale, Brookfield, Cairnlea, Cobblebank, Harkness, Kurunjang, Melton, Melton South, Plumpton and Strathtulloh; parts of Diggers Rest, Parwan, and Toolern Vale; as well as the townships of Exford and Eynesbury prior to past redistributions.

Members

ImageMemberPartyTermNotes
  Brendan O'Connor Anti-Human Trafficking 2011.jpg Brendan O'Connor
(1962–)
Labor 9 October 2004
28 March 2025
Previously held the Division of Burke. Served as minister under Rudd and Gillard. Served as minister under Albanese. Retired.
  Labor Placeholder.png Alice Jordan-Baird
(1993–)
Labor 3 May 2025
present
Incumbent

Election results

2025 Australian federal election: Gorton [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labor Alice Jordan-Baird 48,83443.05+1.74
Liberal John Fletcher33,08729.17+1.75
Greens Thuc Bao Huynh12,24410.79+1.78
One Nation Alan Reid7,1376.29−0.98
Legalise Cannabis Xavier Menta6,5355.76+5.76
Family First Kathrine Ashton4,2163.72+3.72
Libertarian Rob McCathie1,3771.21+1.21
Total formal votes113,43095.61+2.73
Informal votes5,2104.39−2.73
Turnout 118,64091.81+11.46
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Alice Jordan-Baird 68,38060.28+0.30
Liberal John Fletcher45,05039.72−0.30
Labor hold Swing +0.30

References

  1. Muller, Damon (14 November 2017). "The process of federal redistributions: a quick guide". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  2. "July 2021 MAP OF COMMONWEALTH ELECTORAL DIVISION OF GORTON" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  3. "augmented Electoral Commission for Victoria, Redistribution of Victoria into electoral divisions" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. augmented Electoral Commission for Victoria. p. 101. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  4. Gorton, Vic, 2025 Tally Room, Australian Electoral Commission.

37°44′20″S144°45′32″E / 37.739°S 144.759°E / -37.739; 144.759