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Division of Gippsland facts for kids

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Gippsland
Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Gippsland 2010.png
Division of Gippsland (green) in Victoria
Created 1901
MP Darren Chester
Party National
Namesake Gippsland
Electors 97,521 (2010)
Area 33,054 km2 (12,762.2 sq mi)
Demographic Rural

The Division of Gippsland is a special area in Victoria, Australia. It helps people vote for who represents them in the Australian Parliament. This area was created in 1901, right when Australia became a country.

It is named after the Gippsland region in eastern Victoria. This region itself was named after Sir George Gipps. He was the Governor of New South Wales from 1838 to 1846. The Division of Gippsland covers a large area of about 35,054 square kilometres. It includes towns like Bairnsdale, Morwell, Sale, and Traralgon.

Who Represents Gippsland?

Members of Parliament

The people who represent the Division of Gippsland in the Australian Parliament are called Members of Parliament (MPs). They are chosen by the voters in the area. These MPs work to make sure the voices of the people in Gippsland are heard in the government.

Over the years, many different people have been the MP for Gippsland. They have belonged to various political parties.

  • Allan McLean was the very first MP for Gippsland. He was a member of the Protectionist Party.
  • George Wise represented Gippsland twice, first as a Protectionist and then as an Independent.
  • Thomas Paterson and George Bowden were long-serving MPs from the Country Party.
  • Peter Nixon represented Gippsland for many years, from 1961 to 1983. He was part of the Country Party, which later became the National Country Party and then the National Party.
  • Peter McGauran was the MP from 1983 to 2008. He was also a member of the National Party. He held several important jobs, called ministerial positions, in the government led by John Howard.
  • The current MP for Gippsland is Darren Chester. He has been the MP since 2008 and is also a member of the National Party.

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