Division of Wakefield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids WakefieldAustralian House of Representatives Division |
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Wakefield (dark green) in the state of South Australia
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| Created | 1903 |
| Abolished | 2019 |
| Namesake | Edward Gibbon Wakefield |
| Electors | 103,458 (2013) |
| Area | 6,407 km2 (2,473.8 sq mi) |
| Demographic | Rural |
The Division of Wakefield was a special area in South Australia. People living in this area voted for someone to represent them in the Australian House of Representatives. This is like a voting district for the Australian Parliament.
The division was named after Edward Gibbon Wakefield. He was important because he helped plan how new towns and settlements would be built in places like South Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The Division of Wakefield was created in 1903. It stopped being an electoral division in 2019. This happened because the number of divisions in South Australia was reduced to ten.
The Wakefield area covered a large part of South Australia. It stretched from the northern suburbs of Adelaide all the way up to the Clare Valley. This is about 135 kilometres north of Adelaide. It included suburbs like Elizabeth, Craigmore, and Virginia. It also included towns such as Gawler, Clare, Kapunda, and parts of Port Wakefield.
People Who Represented Wakefield
Many different people were elected to represent the Division of Wakefield in the Australian Parliament. These people are called Members of Parliament (MPs).
- Sir Frederick Holder (1903–1909): He was the first person to represent Wakefield. He was also the Speaker for many years. The Speaker is like the referee of the Parliament, making sure debates follow the rules. Sir Frederick died while he was still in office.
- Richard Foster (1909–1928): He was a minister in the government. This means he was in charge of a specific area, like education or health.
- Charles Hawker (1929–1938): He also served as a minister. Sadly, he died in a plane crash while in office.
- (Sir) Philip McBride (1946–1958): He was a minister under Prime Minister Robert Menzies.
- Bert Kelly (1958–1977): He was also a minister in different governments.
- Neil Andrew (1983–2004): He was another Speaker of the House of Representatives, just like Sir Frederick Holder. He was the Speaker during the time John Howard was Prime Minister.
- David Fawcett (2004–2007): After representing Wakefield, he later became a member of the Australian Senate. The Senate is the other part of the Australian Parliament.
- Nick Champion (2007–2019): He was the last person to represent the Division of Wakefield before it was abolished.
When a Member of Parliament died while in office, like Sir Frederick Holder and Charles Hawker, a special election called a by-election was held. This was to choose a new representative for the area.
More Information
Images for kids
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Edward Gibbon Wakefield, the person the division was named after
