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Australian Electoral Commission
Western Australia is undergoing a redistribution because the number of members of the House of Representatives it is entitled to has decreased from 16 to 15 as a result of a determination made by the Electoral Commissioner on Friday 3 July 2020.
Sub-section 59(2) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (the Electoral Act) specifies that a redistribution process should be undertaken when:
The redistribution formally commenced on Wednesday 15 July 2020.
Western Australia is now entitled to 15 federal electoral divisions, which is a decrease of one from 16.
Individuals and organisations are able to propose which electoral division should be abolished at two stages of the redistribution process:
The Redistribution Committee will consider any ideas it receives in suggestions and comments on suggestions advocating for the abolition of a federal electoral division and in their proposed redistribution will indicate which federal electoral division has been abolished, together with reasons for the proposal.
Individuals and organisations can object to the Redistribution Committee's proposed abolition. Objections may agree or disagree with the Redistribution Committee’s proposal. Any ideas received in objections and comments on objections advocating for a particular federal electoral division to be abolished will be considered by the augmented Electoral Commission for Western Australia, who is ultimately responsible for determining the federal electoral divisions in Western Australia.
The name of an abolished electoral division may be re-used.
Electoral divisions are required to fall within two numerical ranges:
Abolishing an electoral division will, of necessity, result in significant elector movement away from the abolished electoral division and will also require consequential boundary changes and elector movements across the state to ensure that all electoral divisions remain within the two numerical ranges.
No. On the boundaries in place on Wednesday 15 July 2020, 11 of WA’s 16 federal electoral divisions do not meet this requirement.
Electoral division |
Enrolment as at Wednesday 15 July 2020 |
Projected enrolment at Sunday 2 February 2025 |
Is the requirement met? |
Brand |
110,508 |
119,561 |
Yes |
Burt |
109,053 |
116,511 |
Yes |
Canning |
110,091 |
117,835 |
Yes |
Cowan |
100,543 |
104,250 |
No
|
Curtin |
101,848 |
105,373 |
No – Projected enrolment for the Division of Curtin is more than 3.5 per cent under the projected enrolment quota |
Durack |
98,382 |
95,524 |
No
|
Forrest |
107,326 |
113,971 |
Yes |
Fremantle |
109,269 |
115,628 |
Yes |
Hasluck |
100,732 |
103,715 |
No
|
Moore |
102,441 |
104,031 |
No – Projected enrolment for the Division of Moore is more than 3.5 per cent under the projected enrolment quota |
O'Connor |
101,985 |
101,703 |
No – Projected enrolment for the Division of O'Connor is more than 3.5 per cent under the projected enrolment quota |
Pearce |
125,488 |
142,491 |
No
|
Perth |
104,026 |
106,518 |
No – Projected enrolment for the Division of Perth is more than 3.5 per cent under the projected enrolment quota |
Stirling |
103,123 |
104,440 |
No – Projected enrolment for the Division of Stirling is more than 3.5 per cent under the projected enrolment quota |
Swan |
102,932 |
105,211 |
No – Projected enrolment for the Division of Swan is more than 3.5 per cent under the projected enrolment quota |
Tangney |
94,827 |
95,804 |
No
|
Abolishing an electoral division in WA will require some consequential changes to other electoral division boundaries as reducing the number of electoral divisions is not simply a case of combining two electoral divisions into one as doing so will result in electoral divisions which do not meet the numerical requirements.
Because the requirement to be within the specified range for both enrolment as at Wednesday 15 July 2020 and projected enrolment as at Sunday 2 February 2025 is not met by all 16 of WA's federal electoral divisions, the boundaries of these electoral divisions will need to change.
Changes will be made to some or all of the boundaries of WA's federal electoral divisions. Changes may be made to those federal electoral divisions which meet the requirement as a consequence of making changes to the boundaries of those federal electoral divisions which do not meet the requirement. This is to ensure that all of WA's federal electoral divisions meet the requirement.
The names of the current electoral divisions may or may not change.
Individuals and organisations are able to propose alternative names for electoral divisions at two stages of the redistribution process:
The Redistribution Committee will consider any ideas it receives in suggestions and comments on suggestions advocating a change of name for a federal electoral division and in their proposed redistribution will indicate whether it has or has not proposed changing the name of a federal electoral division, together with reasons for the proposal.
Individuals and organisations can object to the Redistribution Committee's proposed names of federal electoral divisions. Objections may agree or disagree with the Redistribution Committee’s proposal. Any ideas received in objections and comments on objections advocating a change of name for a federal electoral division will be considered by the augmented Electoral Commission for Western Australia, who is ultimately responsible for determining the names of the federal electoral divisions in Western Australia.
The Guidelines for naming federal electoral divisions were developed by the AEC from recommendations made by the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters in 1995 in its Report on the Effectiveness and Appropriateness of the Redistribution Provisions of Parts III and IV of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. These guidelines are non-binding but may be referred to by the Redistribution Committee for Western Australia or the augmented Electoral Commission for Western Australia to assist with their decision making process.
The extent to which the names of Western Australia 's current federal electoral divisions meet these guidelines is displayed below.
Electoral division |
Is the electoral division named for an Australian Prime Minister? |
Is the electoral division name that of an original Federation electoral division? |
Is the electoral division named for an aboriginal person or word? |
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Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
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Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
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Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
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Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
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Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
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Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
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Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
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No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
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Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
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Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
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Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
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Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
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No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
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Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
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No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
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Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Information about current electoral division names
The Division of Brand is named for Sir David Brand KCMG, 1912–79. Brand was Premier of Western Australia (1959–71).
The first electoral division of this name was created on 31 August 1984 and was first represented in 1984.
Biographical information about Sir David Brand from the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
The Division of Burt is named for succeeding generations of the Burt family for their signifcant contributions to the justice system and for their wider contributions to public service, specifically:
The first electoral division of this name was created on 19 January 2016 and was first represented in 2016.
Biographical information about Sir Archibald Paull Burt and Septimus Burt from the Australian Dictionary of Biography and about the Honourable Sir Francis Theodore Page Burt from Government House Western Australia.
The Division of Canning is named for Alfred Wernam Canning, 1860–1936. Canning was a surveyor who surveyed routes for a rabbit-proof fence from Starvation Harbour to Cape Keraudren and stockroutes to bring cattle from the Kimberley district to feed those working the Western Australian goldfields.
The first electoral division of this name was created on 11 May 1949 and was first represented in 1949.
Biographical information about Alfred Wernam Canning from the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
The Division of Cowan is named for Edith Dircksey Cowan OBE, 1861–1932. Cowan was the first woman elected to any Parliament in Australia, state or Commonwealth, when she was elected in 1921 as the Member for West Perth in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly.
The first electoral division of this name was created on 31 August 1984 and was first represented in 1984.
Biographical information about Edith Dircksey Cowan from the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
The Division of Curtin is named for John Joseph Ambrose Curtin, 1885–1945. Curtin was Prime Minister of Australia (1941–45) and a Member of the House of Representatives (1928–31 and 1934–45).
The first electoral division of this name was created on 11 May 1949 and was first represented in 1949.
Biographical information about John Joseph Ambrose Curtin from the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
The Division of Durack is named for succeeding generations of the Durack family who were pioneers and developers of the Kimberley region, including:
The first electoral division of this name was created on 18 December 2008 and was first represented in 2010.
Biographical information about members of the Durack family is available from the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
The Division of Forrest is named for Sir John Forrest, 1847–1918. Forrest was an active member of the Constitutional Conventions that led to the Commonwealth of Australia and a member of the House of Representatives (1901–18).
The first electoral division of this name was created on 13 September 1922 and was first represented in 1922.
Biographical information about Sir John Forrest from the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
The Division of Fremantle is named after the City of Fremantle. The city was named after Captain Charles Howe Fremantle who arrived at the Swan River Colony on 2 May 1829, hoisted the British flag on the South Head, and took formal possession in the name of His Majesty King George IV, of 'all that part of New Holland which is not included within the territory of New South Wales'.
The first electoral division of this name was created on 5 December 1900 and was first represented in 1901.
Information about the City of Fremantle can be found on the Landgate website.
In recognition of their service to Australia, the electoral division is jointly named in honour of:
The first electoral division of this name was created on 20 November 2000 and was first represented in 2001.
Biographical information about the Rt Hon Sir Paul Meernaa Caedwalla Hasluck and Dame Alexandra Margaret Martin Hasluck from the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
The Division of Moore is named for George Fletcher Moore, 1798–1886. Throughout the 1830s Moore explored a number of areas in Western Australia and was appointed Advocate-General of the Colony of Western Australia in 1834.
The first electoral division of this name was created on 11 May 1949 and was first represented in 1949.
Biographical information about George Fletcher Moore from the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
The Division of O'Connor is named for Charles Yelverton O'Connor, 1843–1902. In 1891, O'Connor became Western Australia's engineer-in-chief and was responsible for designing Fremantle Harbour and the pipeline which supplies Kalgoorlie and other goldfields with water.
The first electoral division of this name was created on 28 February 1980 and was first represented in 1980.
Biographical information about Charles Yelverton O'Connor from the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
The Division of Pearce is named for Sir George Foster Pearce, 1870–1952. Pearce was a Senator for Western Australia (1901–38) and served as Acting Prime Minister for seven months in 1916.
The first electoral division of this name was created on 31 March 1989 and was first represented in 1990.
Biographical information about Sir George Foster Pearce from the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
The Division of Perth is named after the City of Perth. Under instructions from the Secretary for the Colonies, Sir George Murray, the new town and future seat of government in the Colony of Western Australia was called Perth. Murray was a Perthsire man and represented his birthpace in the House of Commons.
The first electoral division of this name was created on 5 December 1900 and was first represented in 1901.
Information about the City of Perth can be found on the Landgate website.
The Division of Stirling is named for Sir James Stirling RN, 1791–1865. Stirling was the first Governor of the Colony of Western Australia (1828–39) and took a leading role in exploring the coastal districts near the Swan, Murray, Collie, Preston, Blackwood and Vasse Rivers.
The first electoral division of this name was created on 10 August 1955 and was first represented in 1955.
Biographical information about Sir James Stirling from the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
The Division of Swan is named after the Swan River. The river was named in 1697 by the Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh after the famous black swans of the area.
The first electoral division of this name was created on 5 December 1900 and was first represented in 1901.
The Division of Tangney is named in honour of Dame Dorothy Margaret Tangney DBE, 1907–85. As a Senator for Western Australia (1943–68), Tangney was the first woman member of the Senate.
The first electoral division of this name was created on 19 April 1974 and was first represented in 1974.
Biographical information about Dame Dorothy Margaret Tangney from the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
Changes to federal electoral divisions as a result of this redistribution will apply from the day on which a notice of determination is published in the Commonwealth Notices Government Gazette. This notice will be published on 2 August 2021.
Electoral events will not be contested on these new federal electoral divisions until a writ is issued for a general election following the expiry or dissolution of the House of Representatives.
Should a writ for a general election be issued before the notice of determination is published, a mini-redistribution will be conducted. For further information, see:
The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture and community. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.