Division of Parkes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ParkesAustralian House of Representatives Division |
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Division of Parkes (green) within New South Wales
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| Created | 1984 |
| MP | Mark Coulton |
| Party | National |
| Namesake | Sir Henry Parkes |
| Electors | 101,903 (2013) |
| Area | 256,643 km2 (99,090.4 sq mi) |
| Demographic | Rural |
The Division of Parkes is a special area in New South Wales, Australia. People living here get to choose a person to represent them in the Australian Parliament. It's the biggest area like this in New South Wales! It's located in the far north of the state, right next to the border with Queensland.
This area is named after Sir Henry Parkes. He was a very important leader in New South Wales, serving as its Premier seven times. He is also known as the 'Father of Federation' because he helped create the country of Australia as we know it today. The Division of Parkes was first set up in 1984.
The Division of Parkes includes many towns. Some of these are Dubbo, Mudgee, Dunedoo, Gunnedah, Coonabarabran, Coonamble, Walgett, Narrabri, Moree, Warren, Nyngan, Cobar, and Bourke. It's interesting to note that the town of Parkes is not actually inside this division.
This is the second time an area has been called the Division of Parkes. The first one, called the Division of Parkes (1901-69), was in a different part of New South Wales, closer to the city of Sydney.
Who Represents Parkes?
The people who represent the Division of Parkes in the Australian Parliament are called Members. They work to make sure the voices of the people in Parkes are heard in the government.
| Member | Party | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Cobb | National | 1984–1998 | |
| Tony Lawler | National | 1998–2001 | |
| John Cobb | National | 2001–2007 | |
| Mark Coulton | National | 2007–present | |
John Cobb served as a Minister in the government led by John Howard. He was in charge of areas like Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, and later Community Services. In 2007, John Cobb decided to run for a different area called the Division of Calare.
Since the election in 2013, the Division of Parkes is considered the "safest seat" in Australia. This means it would need a lot more votes than any other area for its political party to change.
More About Elections
You can find out more about how elections work in New South Wales by looking at the information below.
