Electoral district of Murdoch

Infobox Australian Electorate
name = Murdoch
state = wa


caption =
lifespan = 1977–1989; 1996–2008
mp = Christian Porter
mp-party = Liberal
namesake = Walter Murdoch
area = 27.0
class = South Metropolitan

Murdoch was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia. It existed from 1977 to 1989 and again from 1996 to 2008.

Murdoch was named for Sir Walter Murdoch, a prominent academic for whom Murdoch University, which was located in the electorate, was also named. The district was regarded as a safe seat for the Liberal Party, which held the seat for its entirety of two existences.

Geography

At the time it was abolished, Murdoch was bounded by the Canning River to the northeast, Fifth and Karel Avenues to the east, Hope Road to the south, North Lake Road to the west, and Leach Highway to the northwest, and including an additional section between Riseley Street, Blue Gum Reserve and Bull Creek. Its boundaries included Murdoch University, St John of God Hospital in Murdoch and the suburbs of Bateman, Brentwood, Bull Creek, Murdoch, North Lake, Rossmoyne and Winthrop, along with Kardinya east of North Lake Road, Leeming west of Karel Avenue and small portions of Booragoon and Mount Pleasant. [cite web|url=http://www.boundarieswa.com/2003/Boundaries/South-Metropolitan/Murdoch/|title=2003 Electoral Distribution - Final Boundaries - - South Metropolitan - Murdoch|author=Western Australian Electoral Commission|date=4 August 2003|accessdate=2008-02-23]

The 2007 redistribution, which came into effect at the 2008 election, saw the electorate replaced by the Bateman electorate, which excluded sections of Murdoch south of South Street (including Murdoch University) but added a small section at its northwest (Booragoon south of Marmion Street and Myaree east of North Lake Road). [cite web|url=http://www.boundarieswa.com/2007/Final-Boundaries/Metropolitan-Area/--South-Metropolitan-/|title=2007 Electoral Distribution - Final Boundaries - Metropolitan Area - South Metropolitan Region|author=Western Australian Electoral Commission|date=29 October 2007|accessdate=2008-02-23]

History

The seat of Murdoch was established on 9 June 1976 in a redistribution under the Electoral Districts Act 1947, [Gazette WA
title = Electoral Districts Act 1947-1975 - Order in Council
page = 1976:1781-1847
date = 9 June 1976] and was first contested at the 1977 state election. While initially thought to be reasonably safe for the Labor party, major demographic change in the mid-1970s resulting from the creation of suburbs such as Bull Creek and Leeming on what had previously been swampy agricultural land, resulted in a relatively safe Liberal seat by the time of the election, [cite book|title=In Firm Hands: the Western Australian State Election 1977|last=Black|first=David|editor=Hamilton, Barbara|pages=195-199|year=1979|publisher=UWA Press|isbn=0-090751-37-4] and Barry MacKinnon easily won the seat. MacKinnon went on to become Leader of the Opposition from 1986 until 1992, when he lost the leadership to Richard Court and subsequently retired from politics.

The Murdoch electorate was largely replaced by the electorate of Jandakot in the redistribution prior to the 1989 election, but the change was reversed in the following redistribution which took effect at the 1996 election. By this time, Mike Board had replaced MacKinnon as the member for the electorate. Board retired in 2005, and Trevor Sprigg won the seat at the following election. However, following his death on 17 January 2008, a by-election was held on 23 February 2008 at which University of Western Australia law lecturer Christian Porter was elected.

Murdoch was abolished at the 2007 distribution, taking effect at the 2008 election, largely replaced by the new seat of Bateman.

Members for Murdoch

Results

Election box begin
title=Murdoch state by-election, 2008 [ [http://www.electionswa.com/content/23%20Feb%202008%20State%20By-Election/District_Murdoch.htm Murdoch Election results] ] Election box candidate AU party
party = Liberal
candidate = Christian Porter
votes = 13,121
percentage = 62.82
change = +14.43Election box candidate AU party
party = Greens
candidate = Hsien Harper
votes = 5,502
percentage = 26.34
change = +19.01Election box candidate AU party
party = Christian Democrats
candidate = Ka-ren Chew
votes = 1,604
percentage = 7.68
change = +4.33Election box candidate AU party
party = One Nation
candidate = Neil Gilmour
votes = 659
percentage = 3.16
change = +2.19Election box formal
votes = 20,886
percentage = 96.78
change = +1.42Election box informal
votes = 696
percentage = 3.22
change = -1.42Election box turnout
votes = 21,582
percentage = 74.72
change = -17.12Election box candidate AU party
party = Liberal
candidate = Christian Porter
votes = 14,488
percentage = 69.39
change = +13.48Election box candidate AU party
party = Greens
candidate = Hsien Harper
votes = 6,392
percentage = 30.61
change = +30.61Election box hold AU party
winner = Liberal
swing = N/A

Election box begin
title=Western Australian state election, 2005 Election box candidate AU party
party = Liberal
candidate = Trevor Sprigg
votes = 12024
percentage = 48.39
change = -0.99Election box candidate AU party
party = Labor
candidate = Jackie Ormsby
votes = 8823
percentage = 35.51
change = +2.64Election box candidate AU party
party = Greens
candidate = Jan Currie
votes = 1821
percentage = 7.33
change = -3.60Election box candidate AU party
party = Christian Democrats
candidate = Michael Dunjey
votes = 833
percentage = 3.35
change = +3.35Election box candidate AU party
party = Family First
candidate = Shayne Weller
votes = 655
percentage = 2.54
change = +2.54Election box candidate AU party
party = Independent
candidate = Damian Bramanis
votes = 452
percentage = 1.82
change = +1.82Election box candidate AU party
party = One Nation
candidate = Ursula Stone
votes = 240
percentage = 0.87
change = +0.87Election box formal
votes = 24,848
percentage = 95.36
change = -1.03Election box informal
votes = 1209
percentage = 4.64
change = +1.03Election box turnout
votes = 26057
percentage = 91.84
change = +0.42Election box candidate AU party
party = Liberal
candidate = Trevor Sprigg
votes = 13892
percentage = 55.93
change = -0.59Election box candidate AU party
party = Labor
candidate = Jackie Ormsby
votes = 10945
percentage = 44.07
change = +0.59Election box hold AU party
winner = Liberal
swing = -0.59

References

External links

* [http://www.abc.net.au/elections/wa/2005/guide/murd.htm Electorate Profile] (Antony Green, ABC)