History
Balcatta has had several incarnations as an electoral district. It has been held by the Labor Party on every occasion, except for a single term from 1905 to 1908 and again from 2013 to 2017.
The first incarnation of the seat, established by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1904, was spelled "Balkatta" in some sources and "Balcatta" in others. It extended from modern-day Sorrento to Herdsman Lake, and was won by Labor's Frederick Gill at its first election in August 1904. However, the minority government of which he was a part—referred to in the press as a "Mark-Time Ministry"—collapsed a year later, and Gill, along with several other Labor members, lost their seats at the 1905 election to Ministerialist candidates. John Veryard held the seat for a single term, losing it to Gill in 1908. The seat was then abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1911, with most of its area incorporated into the new seat of Leederville, which Gill subsequently won.
A new district of Balcatta was created ahead of the 1962 state election and was won by Labor's Herb Graham, who had been the member for East Perth for the previous 19 years, prior to its abolition in the redistribution. Graham represented Balcatta for over a decade before retiring from politics on 30 May 1973 to accept a position on the Licensing Court. At the resulting by-election held on 28 July 1973—which was closely watched as an indication of Premier Tonkin's Labor government's standing and because it would determine whether Labor retained its one-seat majority in Parliament—former television news reporter and Labor candidate Brian Burke won by 30 votes on preferences, having trailed Liberal candidate Neil Beck on the primary vote. The seat was renamed Balga effective from the 1974 state election.
The name Balcatta was revived for the district one term later at the 1977 state election, following a redistribution in 1976. Burke once again won the seat, and subsequently became Labor Party leader and State Opposition Leader on 28 September 1981.
At the 1982 redistribution, which took effect at the 1983 state election, Balcatta was significantly altered. Previously including the suburbs of Balcatta, Balga, Girrawheen, Nollamara, Westminster and parts of Osborne Park, it was redrawn west of Wanneroo Road and southwards into Tuart Hill and Joondanna. A new district of Balga was created to cover the northern suburbs. Burke transferred to the new Balga seat, while Labor's Ron Bertram, the former member for the abolished seat of Mount Hawthorn, transferred into Balcatta.
The district was again abolished ahead of the 1996 state election. The sitting Labor MP, Nick Catania, unsuccessfully contested the new seat of Yokine.
Balcatta returned as an electorate name at the 2005 state election. The seat was won by Labor MP John Kobelke, who had previously been the member for Nollamara.
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