Division of Curtin

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Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Curtin 2010.png
Division of Curtin (green) in Western Australia
Created 1949
MP Julie Bishop
Party Liberal
Namesake John Curtin
Electors 94,323 (2013)
Area 104 km2 (40.2 sq mi)
Demographic Inner Metropolitan

The Division of Curtin is an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia. The division was created in 1949 and is named for John Curtin, who was Prime Minister of Australia 1941-45. Before 1949, much of this area was part of the Division of Fremantle, which Curtin represented for most of the time from 1928 to 1945. It is located in the wealthy beachside suburbs of Perth, including Claremont, Cottesloe, Mosman Park, Nedlands, Subiaco and Swanbourne.

It was created as a notional Labor seat. However, this area is naturally Liberal territory, and the Liberals won it resoundingly as part of their massive victory in the 1949 election, turning it into a safe Liberal seat in one stroke. It has been held comfortably by the Liberals ever since, although Allan Rocher won it in 1996 after losing his Liberal endorsement and held until the 1998 election, when current member Julie Bishop reclaimed it for the Liberals. It currently is the fourth-safest Coalition-held seat in metropolitan Australia and the safest metropolitan seat in Western Australia for any party, with a 16-point swing required for Labor to win it.

Its most prominent member has been Paul Hasluck, who was a senior Cabinet minister in the Menzies and Holt governments and then Governor-General of Australia after leaving politics. Other prominent members include Victor Garland, a minister in the McMahon and Fraser governments, and Bishop, the current Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party (the first woman to hold this role) and a minister in the Howard and Abbott governments. The seat was contested by Labor candidate Sophie van der Merwe in the 2010 election, but Bishop retained it comfortably with an increased margin.


Member Party Term
  Paul Hasluck Liberal 1949–1969
  Victor Garland Liberal 1969–1981
  Allan Rocher Liberal 1981–1995
  Independent 1995–1998
  Julie Bishop Liberal 1998–present

Election results[edit]

Australian federal election, 2013: Curtin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Julie Bishop 52,623 62.06 +0.93
Labor Daryl Tan 15,189 17.91 -1.36
Greens Judith Cullity 12,985 15.31 -2.41
Palmer United Glenn Baker 2,237 2.64 +2.64
Christians Gail Forder 1,058 1.25 +1.25
Rise Up Australia Jennifer Whately 708 0.83 +0.83
Total formal votes 84,800 96.75 -0.32
Informal votes 2,850 3.25 +0.32
Turnout 87,650 92.86 -0.36
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Julie Bishop 57,171 67.42 +1.23
Labor Daryl Tan 27,629 32.58 -1.23
Liberal hold Swing +1.23


External links[edit]

Coordinates: 31°57′25″S 115°47′46″E﻿ / ﻿31.957°S 115.796°E﻿ / -31.957; 115.796