Division of Riverina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids RiverinaAustralian House of Representatives Division |
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Division of Riverina (green) within New South Wales
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| Dates current | 1901–1984, 1992–present |
| MP | Michael McCormack |
| Party | National |
| Namesake | Riverina |
| Electors | 100,116 (2013) |
| Area | 61,435 km2 (23,720.2 sq mi) |
| Demographic | Rural |
The Division of Riverina is an area in New South Wales, Australia, where people vote for a representative in the Australian Parliament. It is located in the south-west part of New South Wales, mostly following the Murrumbidgee River valley.
This voting area was one of the first 75 divisions created for the very first Australian federal election in 1901. It was named after the Riverina region, which is a large area of land known for farming.
The Riverina division includes the cities of Wagga Wagga and Griffith. It also has many towns like Coleambally, Coolamon, Gundagai, Hillston, Junee, Leeton, Narrandera, Temora, Tumut, Tumbarumba, and West Wyalong. The Sturt Highway, a major road, runs through this division.
History of the Riverina Voting Area
The Riverina division has a long history. Sometimes, special elections called by-elections have happened here. A by-election is held when a member of parliament leaves their job before their term is over. For example, in 1904, there was a by-election where the results were very close. The courts had to decide, and a new election was held. Another by-election took place in 1965.
In 1984, the Riverina division was removed and replaced by a new area called Riverina-Darling. However, in 1992, the Riverina division was brought back.
Originally, this voting area included mining towns like Broken Hill and Cobar. People in these towns often voted for the Labor Party. But these towns are now in different voting areas. Because of this change, Riverina has become a "safe seat" for the National Party. A "safe seat" means that one political party usually wins the election there by a large number of votes.
People Who Represented Riverina
Many different people have been elected to represent the Riverina division in the Australian Parliament. These people are called Members of Parliament (MPs). They speak for the people of Riverina in the government.
The current Member of Parliament for Riverina is Michael McCormack. He is from the National Party.
One notable former MP was Al Grassby. He was a Minister for Immigration in the government led by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.
Images for kids
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The region of Riverina, which the voting area is named after.
