Division of Mayo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayo Australian House of Representatives Division
Mayo (dark green) in the state of South Australia
Created	1984
MP	Rebekha Sharkie
Party	Centre Alliance
Namesake	Helen Mayo
Electors	107,672 (2018)
Area	9,315 km2 (3,596.5 sq mi)
Demographic	Rural

The Division of Mayo is an area in South Australia where people vote for a representative in the Australian Parliament. It is located east and south of Adelaide. This voting area was created on 3 September 1984. It is named after Helen Mayo, a social activist who was the first woman elected to an Australian University Council.

This large area, about 9,315 square kilometers, stretches from the Barossa Valley in the north down to Cape Jervis in the south. It includes beautiful places like the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula, and Kangaroo Island. The biggest town in Mayo is Mount Barker. Other important towns include Aldgate, McLaren Vale, Stirling, Strathalbyn, and Victor Harbor.

Understanding the Mayo Electorate

The Division of Mayo is a special area for voting in Australia. When it was first created in 1984, it was mostly a rural area. It covered places from the seaside town of Victor Harbor to the Adelaide Hills. Before Mayo was formed, these areas were part of other voting divisions.

Early History and Key Members

When Mayo was created, it was considered a very safe seat for the Liberal Party. This meant that the Liberal Party was very likely to win elections there. Alexander Downer, a well-known politician from a family of politicians, became the first representative for Mayo. He held the seat for a long time, 24 years!

In the 1990s, another political party, the Australian Democrats, started to become popular in Mayo. They often got a lot of votes, showing that people in the area were interested in different political ideas. For example, in the 1998 election, a famous candidate named John Schumann from the Democrats almost won the seat. This made Mayo a "marginal seat" for the first time, meaning the election results were very close.

Changes Over Time

After the 1998 election, the boundaries of Mayo changed a bit. This made it a safer seat for the Liberal Party again. Alexander Downer continued to win comfortably until he decided to retire from politics in 2008.

When Alexander Downer retired, a special election called a "by-election" was held in Mayo in 2008. Jamie Briggs from the Liberal Party won this election. However, the results were very close, making Mayo a marginal seat once more. This meant that the Liberal Party's lead was not as strong as it used to be.

The 2016 Election and Rebekha Sharkie

A big change happened in the 2016 federal election. Senator Nick Xenophon announced that his new political group, the Nick Xenophon Team (NXT), would put forward candidates in several areas, including Mayo. Their candidate for Mayo was Rebekha Sharkie. She had worked for Jamie Briggs before and was well-known in the Adelaide Hills.

Many polls before the election showed that Rebekha Sharkie and the NXT were doing very well in Mayo. People were surprised because Mayo had always been a Liberal Party stronghold.

In the end, Rebekha Sharkie won the election in 2016! She defeated the sitting Liberal member, Jamie Briggs. This was a huge moment because it was the first time since Mayo was created that the seat was not held by the Liberal Party. Her win showed a big shift in how people were voting in the area.

Rebekha Sharkie's Resignation and Re-election

In 2018, Rebekha Sharkie had to resign from Parliament. This was due to a rule about politicians needing to be only Australian citizens. She had to make sure her British citizenship was fully given up before she ran for Parliament.

Because of her resignation, another by-election was held in Mayo on 28 July 2018. Rebekha Sharkie decided to run again for the seat. She was successful and won back her seat with even more votes than before.

Members of Parliament for Mayo

Here are the people who have represented the Division of Mayo in the Australian Parliament:

Images for kids

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  Helen Mayo, the person Mayo is named after.