Division of Northern Territory facts for kids

The Division of Northern Territory was a special area in Australia that elected one person to represent it in the Australian House of Representatives. This division covered the entire Northern Territory from 1922 until 2001. It was the only area in the Northern Territory that sent a representative to the Australian Parliament during this time.

What Was the Northern Territory Division?

The Division of Northern Territory was created in 1922. This happened because of a law called the Northern Territory Representation Act 1922. This law made sure the people of the Northern Territory had a voice in the Australian Parliament.

A Look at Voting Rights

For many years, the person elected from the Northern Territory did not have full voting rights in Parliament. This meant they couldn't always vote on every law. Also, their vote didn't count when deciding which political party would form the government.

• Before 1936: The elected Member could speak in Parliament and help with committee work. But they could not vote on any laws.
• 1936 to 1959: The Member gained some voting rights. They could vote on laws that were specifically about the Northern Territory.
• 1959 to 1968: The Member could only vote on laws that directly affected the Northern Territory.
• After 1968: Finally, in 1968, the Member for Northern Territory received full voting rights. Their vote then counted just like any other Member of Parliament.

How the Division Changed Over Time

In December 2000, the Division of Northern Territory was split into two new divisions. These were the Division of Solomon and the Division of Lingiari.

• The Division of Solomon covered the area around Darwin.
• The Division of Lingiari covered the rest of the Northern Territory.

However, these new divisions didn't last long. In February 2003, the two new divisions were removed. The Northern Territory went back to being a single division again. But this change was also temporary. In April 2004, a new law was passed. This law made sure the Northern Territory stayed divided into two separate electoral divisions.

Who Represented the Northern Territory?

Many different people represented the Northern Territory in the Australian Parliament. They came from various political parties. Here is a list of the Members who served this division: