Ballarat Australian House of Representatives Division | |
---|---|
![]() Division of Ballarat in Victoria, as of 2016 federal election. | |
Created | 1901 |
MP | Catherine King |
Party | Labor |
Namesake | Ballaarat (from a Wathaurong Aboriginal word: balla arat, thought to mean "resting place".)[1] |
Electors | 110,793 (2016) |
Area | 4,652 km2 (1,796.1 sq mi) |
Demographic | Provincial |
The Division of Ballarat (Ballaarat until 1977) is an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was one of the original 75 divisions created in 1900. It was set up for the first federal election in 1901. It is named for the city of Ballarat.
The division includes Ballarat, Bacchus Marsh, Ballan, Daylesford, Creswick, Trentham and Clunes. In the past it has included Ararat, Maryborough, and Stawell.
Ballarat had the closest election result in Australian history. Nationalist Edwin Kerby unseated Labor member Charles McGrath by a single vote in 1919. However, McGrath said that the election had not been fair. It was challenged in court which resulted in a by-election in 1920 that was won by McGrath.