Adam Carr's Election Archive

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Australian federal election, 2019
Division of Ballarat, Victoria

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Central Victoria: Bacchus Marsh, Ballan, Ballarat, Creswick, Daylesford
State seats: All of Wendouree, parts of Buninyong, Macedon, Melton and Ripon
Local government areas: All of Ballarat, Hepburn and Moorabool

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Enrolment at close of rolls: 114,981

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1999 republic referendum: No 59.1
2018 same-sex marriage survey: Yes 70.5

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Sitting member: Hon Catherine King (Labor): Elected 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016

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2007 Labor majority over Liberal: 8.2%
2010 Labor majority over Liberal: 11.7%
2013 Labor majority over Liberal: 4.9%
2016 Labor majority over Liberal: 7.3%
2019 notional Labor majority over Liberal: 7.4%

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Status: Marginal Labor

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2016 results

Statistics and history

Candidates in ballot-paper order:

1. Bryn Hills Animal Justice Party	2. Peter Cozyn United Australia Party	3. Alex Graham Independent	4. Nick Shady Independent	5. Karen McAloon Australian Greens

6. Timothy Vo Liberal Party	7. Hon Catherine King Australian Labor Party

Candidate websites:

Peter Cozyn
Bryn Hills
Hon Catherine King
Karen McAloon
Nick Shady
Timothy Vo

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Division of Ballarat

Ballarat (which was spelled Ballaarat until 1977) has existed since Federation, and has always taken in a block of territory centering on the regional city of Ballarat. Like most regional seats, it has a fairly low relative income level, and a low proportion of people born in non English speaking countries. Being close to Melbourne and subject to suburbanisation, it also has a high proportion of families with dependent children and dwellings being purchased. Labor's strength lies the eastern and southern parts of the city of Ballarat, plus smaller centres such as Daylesford and Creswick which have been heavily colonised by exurbanites and pursuers of alternative lifetsyles.

Ballarat's most distinguished member has been Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, who held it from Federation until 1913. After being a marginal seat in the 1940s and early '50s, it became a stronghold of the DLP and was safe for the Liberals for 25 years after the 1955 Labor Split. Labor finally regained the seat in 1980. Since then it has grown steadily better for Labor, and has not elected a Liberal since 1998.

Catherine King, Labor MP for Ballarat since 2001, won the seat against the trend of the 2001 election: Ballarat was the only seat captured by Labor from the Howard Government at that election. She survived a sharp swing to the Liberals at the 2013 election and now seems secure in the seat. She was a social worker and public servant before entering politics. She was a shadow parliamentary secretary from 2004 and a minister through the Rudd-Gillard Government, ending as Regional Services, Local Communities and Territories. She is now Shadow Minister for Health.

The Liberal candidate is Timothy Vo, a 22-year-old student. The Greens candidate is Karen McAloon, a small business owner. The Animal Justice Party candidate, Bryn Hills, is a teacher.

Demographics:

Median weekly household income: $1,191 (Australia $1,438)
People over 65: 17.5% (Australia 15.8%)
Australian born: 82.3% (Australia 66.7%)
Non-English-speaking households: 7.0% (Australia 22.2%)
Catholics 24.6% (Australia 22.6%)
No religion 37.0% (Australia 29.6%)
University graduates: 17.9% (Australia 22.0%)
Professional and managerial employment: 31.8% (Australia 35.2%)
Employed in manufacturing and construction: 28.1% (Australia 22.9%)
Employed in agriculture: 3.9% (Australia 3.3%)
Paying a mortgage: 36.3% (Australia 34.5%)
Renting: 26.5% (Australia 30.9%)
Traditional families: 29.0% (Australia 32.8%)

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Members:

Hon Alfred Deakin (Prot, Lib) 1901-13
Charles McGrath (ALP) 1913-19
Edwin Kerby (Nat) 1919-20
Charles McGrath (ALP, UAP) 1920b-34
Archibald Fisken (UAP) 1934-37
Hon Reg Pollard (ALP) 1937-49
Alan Pittard (Lib) 1949-51
Robert Joshua (ALP, ALP-AC) 1951-55
Hon Dudley Erwin (Lib) 1955-75
Jim Short (Lib) 1975-80
John Mildren (ALP) 1980-90
Hon Michael Ronaldson (Lib) 1990-2001
Hon Catherine King (ALP) 2001-

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Boundaries following 2018 redistribution:

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