Division of Fremantle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids FremantleAustralian House of Representatives Division |
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Division of Fremantle (green) in Western Australia
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| Created | 1901 |
| MP | Melissa Parke |
| Party | Labor |
| Namesake | Fremantle |
| Electors | 93,378 (2010) |
| Area | 201 km2 (77.6 sq mi) |
| Demographic | Inner Metropolitan |
The Division of Fremantle is an area in Western Australia that votes for a member of the Australian Parliament. It was one of the first 75 voting areas created for Australia's very first federal election in 1901.
This area is named after the city of Fremantle. The city itself was named after Captain Charles Fremantle. He was the captain of HMS Challenger. This ship brought the first settlers to Western Australia.
The Division of Fremantle includes the southern parts of Perth. It also covers suburbs like Cockburn, Coolbellup, Palmyra, Fremantle, and Rottnest Island.
Originally, this division included Perth's southwestern suburbs. Since 1949, the boundaries have changed. This has made it a very safe seat for the Australian Labor Party. This means the Labor Party usually wins elections easily in this area.
Who Has Represented Fremantle?
| Member | Party | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elias Solomon | Free Trade | 1901–1903 | |
| William Carpenter | Labor | 1903–1906 | |
| William Hedges | Western Australian | 1906–1909 | |
| Commonwealth Liberal | 1909–1913 | ||
| Reginald Burchell | Labor | 1913–1916 | |
| National Labor | 1916–1917 | ||
| Nationalist | 1917–1922 | ||
| William Watson | Independent | 1922–1928 | |
| John Curtin | Labor | 1928–1931 | |
| William Watson | United Australia | 1931–1934 | |
| John Curtin | Labor | 1934–1945 | |
| Kim Beazley (senior) | Labor | 1945–1977 | |
| John Dawkins | Labor | 1977–1994 | |
| Carmen Lawrence | Labor | 1994–2007 | |
| Melissa Parke | Labor | 2007–present | |
Many important Labor Party members have represented Fremantle. The most famous was John Curtin. He was the Prime Minister of Australia from 1941 to 1945. The Prime Minister is the leader of the Australian government.
Other well-known members include Kim Beazley (senior). He was a minister in the government led by Gough Whitlam. A minister is a senior member of the government in charge of a specific department.
John Dawkins was also a minister. He served in the governments led by Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. Carmen Lawrence was another important member. She was the former Premier of Western Australia. A Premier is the leader of a state government in Australia. She also served as a minister in the Keating Government.
The current representative for Fremantle is Melissa Parke. Before becoming a politician, she worked as a lawyer for the United Nations.
Fremantle and the Prime Minister
| Preceded by Darling Downs |
Division represented by the Prime Minister 1941–1945 John Curtin |
Succeeded by Capricornia |
This section shows that the Division of Fremantle was represented by a Prime Minister. This happened when John Curtin was the Prime Minister of Australia from 1941 to 1945.
Images for kids
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The city of Fremantle, the division's namesake
