Division of Gwydir
Gwydir Division | |
---|---|
Created | 1901 |
Abolished | 2007 |
Namesake | Gwydir River |
The Division of Gwydir was an
Gwydir was named for the
The seat was a stronghold of the Australian Workers' Union, and until the 1940s was one of the few country seats where the Australian Labor Party usually did well. It was in Labor hands for all but six terms from 1903 to 1949. However, it was held by the National Party from 1949 onward, and from the mid-1970s onward it was usually fairly safe for that party.
Its last Labor member, William Scully, was a Cabinet minister in the Ben Chifley government. The final member, John Anderson, was Leader of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister in the Howard Government until he resigned the position.
Gwydir was held by two deputy leaders of the National Party, Anderson and his predecessor in Gwydir, Ralph Hunt.
In September 2006 the New South Wales redistribution commissioners decided to abolish Gwydir. The abolition took effect at the 2007 federal election. Most of the division became part of the Division of Parkes, while some towns in the Upper Hunter Shire (mainly Scone, Aberdeen, Merriwa and Murrurundi) were absorbed into the Division of Hunter.
Members
Image | Member | Party | Term | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
George Cruickshank (1853–1904) |
Protectionist | 29 March 1901 – 23 November 1903 |
Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Inverell. Retired | ||
William Webster (1860–1936) |
Labor | 16 December 1903 – 14 November 1916 |
Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Moree. Served as minister under Hughes. Lost seat | ||
National Labor | 14 November 1916 – 17 February 1917 | ||||
Nationalist
|
17 February 1917 – 13 December 1919 | ||||
Lou Cunningham (1889–1948) |
Labor | 13 December 1919 – 14 November 1925 |
Lost seat | ||
Aubrey Abbott (1886–1975) |
Country | 14 November 1925 – 12 October 1929 |
Served as minister under Bruce. Lost seat | ||
Lou Cunningham (1889–1948) |
Labor | 12 October 1929 – 19 December 1931 |
Lost seat. Later elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Coogee in 1941 | ||
Aubrey Abbott (1886–1975) |
Country | 19 December 1931 – 28 March 1937 |
Resigned to become Administrator of the Northern Territory | ||
William Scully (1883–1966) |
Labor | 8 May 1937 – 10 December 1949 |
Previously held the Chifley . Lost seat
| ||
Thomas Treloar (1892–1953) |
Country | 10 December 1949 – 15 November 1953 |
Died in office | ||
Ian Allan (1916–2000) |
Country | 19 December 1953 – 30 April 1969 |
Resigned to retire from politics | ||
Ralph Hunt (1928–2011) |
Country | 7 June 1969 – 2 May 1975 |
Served as minister under Fraser . Resigned to retire from politics
| ||
National Country | 2 May 1975 – 16 October 1982 | ||||
Nationals | 16 October 1982 – 24 February 1989 | ||||
John Anderson (1956–) |
Nationals | 15 April 1989 – 17 October 2007 |
Served as minister and Howard . Retired after Gwydir was abolished in 2007
|
Election results
References
- Psephos: Adam Carr's Election Archive
- The Poll Bludger
- ABC Elections
- Australian Electoral Commission