Division of Newcastle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids NewcastleAustralian House of Representatives Division |
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Division of Newcastle (green) in New South Wales
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| Created | 1901 |
| MP | Sharon Claydon |
| Party | Labor |
| Namesake | Newcastle, New South Wales |
| Area | 354 km2 (136.7 sq mi) |
| Demographic | Provincial |
The Division of Newcastle is a special area in New South Wales that votes for one person to represent them in the Australian House of Representatives. This is one of the two main groups of people who make laws for Australia. The Division is named after the city of Newcastle, which is its main centre.
This voting area was one of the first 75 divisions created for Australia's very first national election in 1901. What's really interesting is that the Australian Labor Party has won every election in Newcastle since it was created! This means people in Newcastle have always chosen a Labor Party member to represent them. In fact, it's the only original voting area in Australia that has always been represented by the same political party.
Who Represents Newcastle?
The Division of Newcastle has had only six representatives since 1901. This is the fewest number of representatives compared to any of the other original voting areas. For a long time, from 1901 to 1958, the same family held the seat! David Oliver Watkins took over from his father David in 1935.
| Member | Party | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Watkins | Labor | 1901–1935 | |
| David Oliver Watkins | Labor | 1935–1958 | |
| Charles Jones | Labor | 1958–1983 | |
| Allan Morris | Labor | 1983–2001 | |
| Sharon Grierson | Labor | 2001–2013 (retired) | |
| Sharon Clayson | Labor | 2013–present | |
Election Results
To see how people in Newcastle have voted in past elections, you can look at the results here:
Images for kids
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The city of Newcastle, the division's namesake
