Division of Macarthur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids MacarthurAustralian House of Representatives Division |
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![]() Division of Macarthur (green) in New South Wales
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Created | 1949 |
MP | Russell Matheson |
Party | Liberal |
Namesake | John Macarthur and Elizabeth Macarthur |
Electors | 97,962 (2013) |
Area | 798 km2 (308.1 sq mi) |
Demographic | Outer Metropolitan |
The Division of Macarthur is a special area in New South Wales, Australia. It's like a voting district. People who live here vote for someone to represent them in the Australian Parliament. This area is named after John Macarthur and his wife Elizabeth Macarthur. They were very important in starting Australia's wool industry a long time ago.
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Discovering the Macarthur Division
The Macarthur division is in the outer south-west part of Sydney. It includes many suburbs where people live and work. Some of these suburbs are Airds, Ambarvale, Camden, Campbelltown, Mount Annan, and Oran Park.
Why the Macarthur Area Changed
Over the years, the size of the Macarthur division has become much smaller. This happened because more and more people moved to the Campbelltown region. When an area gets more people, it sometimes needs to be split into smaller voting districts. This makes sure everyone has fair representation. Before the 2001 election, towns like Bowral and Moss Vale were moved out of the Macarthur division.
Who Represents Macarthur?
The people who live in the Macarthur division vote for a "Member" to represent them. This Member speaks for their community in the Australian Parliament. They help make decisions for the country. Below is a list of the people who have been the Member for Macarthur since it was created.
Member | Party | Term | |
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Jeff Bate | Liberal | 1949–1972 | |
Independent | 1972–1972 | ||
John Kerin | Labor | 1972–1975 | |
Michael Baume | Liberal | 1975–1983 | |
Colin Hollis | Labor | 1983–1984 | |
Stephen Martin | Labor | 1984–1993 | |
Chris Haviland | Labor | 1993–1996 | |
John Fahey | Liberal | 1996–2001 | |
Pat Farmer | Liberal | 2001–2010 | |
Russell Matheson | Liberal | 2010–present |