kids encyclopedia robot

Division of Macarthur facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Macarthur
Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Macarthur 2010.png
Division of Macarthur (green) in New South Wales
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.

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
  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

Images for kids

kids search engine
Division of Macarthur Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.