Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive

Adam Carr's Election Archive

Australian federal election, 2019
Division of Calare, New South Wales

< Burt previous seat | next seat Calwell >
Return to alphabetical list of seats


Central West New South Wales: Bathurst, Lithgow, Mudgee, Oberon, Orange
State seats: All of Bathurst, parts of Dubbo and Orange
Local government areas: All of Bathurst Regional, Blayney, Cabonne, Lithgow, Mid-Western Regional, Oberon, Orange and Wellington
Enrolment at close of rolls: 118,229
1999 republic referendum: No 63.1
2018 same-sex marriage survey: Yes 60.2

Sitting member: Andrew Gee (Nationals): Elected 2016

2007 Nationals majority over Labor: 12.0%
2010 Nationals majority over Labor: 10.7%
2013 Nationals majority over Labor: 16.0%
2016 Nationals majority over Labor: 11.8%

Status: Fairly safe Nationals

  • 2016 results
  • Statistics and history

  • Candidates in ballot-paper order:

    1. Sam Romano
    Shooters, Fishers and Farmers
    2. Shuyi Chen
    Christian Democratic Party
    3. Dr Jess Jennings
    Australian Labor Party
    4. Beverley Cameron
    United Australia Party
    5. Andrew Gee
    The Nationals
    6. Stephen Bisgrove
    Liberal Democrats
    7. Stephanie Luke
    Australian Greens



    Candidate websites:

    Andrew Gee
    Dr Jess Jennings
    Stephanie Luke
    Sam Romano

    Division of Calare

    Calare has existed since 1906, when the old seat of Canobolas was renamed, and for most that time has been in the Central West of NSW, based on towns like Orange, Forbes, Parkes and Cowra. Like all rural seats, it has a low level of median family income and a very low level of non English speaking households. Although it was occasionally won by Labor, Calare on those boundaries was usually a conservative seat. At the 1977 redistribution it was dragged eastwards, losing its western rural areas and gaining the (then) Labor strongholds of Bathurst and Lithgow, which had previously been in Macquarie.

    David Simmons won Calare for Labor in 1983, and was a minister in the Hawke-Keating government. In 1996 he retired, and the seat went to an independent, local media identity Peter Andren. Andren held the seat without difficulty, aided by Labor preferences. He retired in 2007, and Calare was won by the then sitting National member for Parkes, John Cobb, who held it until his retirement in 2016.

    The 2016 redistribution removed the western part of the seat around Forbes and Parkes, and added territory to the north around Kandos, Mudgee and Wellington. Kandos is a strong Labor town and this slightly reduced the Nationals majority, but it is still a fairly safe seat.

    Andrew Gee, Nationals MP for Calare since 2016, was a barrister before entering politics. He was state member for Orange 2011-16. The Labor candidate will again be Dr Jess Jennings, a Bathurst City councillor. The Greens candidate is Stephanie Luke, whose occupation is not stated. A more serious threat to the Nationals is Sam Romano, the Mayor of Orange, who is running for the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers, who hold the state seat of Orange.

    Demographics:

    Median weekly household income: $1,207 (Australia $1,438)
    People over 65: 18.6% (Australia 15.8%)
    Indigenous: 6.3% (Australia 2.8%)
    Australian born: 82.7% (Australia 66.7%)
    Non-English-speaking households: 5.4% (Australia 22.2%)
    Catholics 28.2% (Australia 22.6%)
    No religion 21.4% (Australia 29.6%)
    University graduates: 13.7% (Australia 22.0%)
    Professional and managerial employment: 30.3% (Australia 35.2%)
    Employed in manufacturing and construction: 22.2% (Australia 22.9%)
    Employed in agriculture: 9.2% (Australia 3.3%)
    Paying a mortgage: 32.1% (Australia 34.5%)
    Renting: 28.2% (Australia 30.9%)
    Traditional families: 28.7% (Australia 32.8%)

    Members for Canobolas (1901-06) and Calare (from 1906):

    Hon Thomas Brown (Lab, ALP) 1901-13
    Henry Pigott (Lib, Nat) 1913-19
    Thomas Lavelle (ALP) 1919-22
    Hon Sir Neville Howse (Nat) 1922-29
    George Gibbons (ALP) 1929-31
    Hon Harold Thorby (CP) 1931-40
    John Breen (ALP) 1940-46
    John Howse (Lib) 1946-60
    John England (CP) 1960-75
    Sandy Mackenzie (NCP, NPA) 1975-83
    Hon David Simmons (ALP) 1983-96
    Peter Andren (Ind) 1996-2007
    Hon John Cobb (Nat) 2007-16
    Andrew Gee (Nat) 2016-

    Boundaries following 2016 redistribution:




  • Back to main page