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| Adam Carr's Election Archive
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Australian federal election, 2019
Division of Lyons, Tasmania
Central Tasmania: Brighton, Longford, New Norfolk, Sorrell, St Helens
State seats: All of
Lyons
Local government areas: All of Break O'Day, Brighton, Derwent Valley, Glamorgan-Spring Bay, Kentish, Meander Valley, Northern Midlands,
Sorrell, Southern Midlands and Tasman, parts of Clarence
Enrolment at close of rolls: 79,657
1999 republic referendum: No 66.5
2018 same-sex marriage survey: Yes 58.7
Sitting member: Brian Mitchell (Labor):
Elected 2016
2007 Labor majority over Liberal: 8.8%
2010 Labor majority over Liberal: 12.3%
2013 Liberal majority over Labor: 1.2%
2016 Labor majority over Liberal: 2.3%
2019 notional Labor majority over Liberal: 4.0%
Status: Marginal Labor
2016 results
Statistics and history
Candidates in ballot-paper order:
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1. Deanna Hutchinson
The Nationals |
2. Brian Mitchell
Australian Labor Party |
3. Gary Whisson
Australian Greens |
4. Tennile Murtagh
Pauline Hanson's One Nation |
5. Jessica Whelan
Liberal Party (disendorsed) |
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6. Mick Warne
United Australia Party |
Candidate websites:
Deanna Hutchinson
Brian Mitchell
Mick Warne
Jessica Whelan
Gary Whisson
Division of Lyons
Lyons was created in 1984, when the old electorate of Wilmot, which had existed since 1903, was renamed. At various
times this electorate has occupied most parts of Tasmania: since 1984 it has extended from the northern suburbs of
Hobart north to Port Sorrell and east to the coastal towns of St Helens and St Marys. It has among Australia's
lowest levels of median income, and lowest proportions of graduates and people in professional and managerial positions.
It also has the lowest level of non English speaking households of any seat: it is probably
the most monocultural electorate in Australia.
Lyons is thus largely working-class but also parochial and conservative. The future of the timber industry has been
an important issue in this seat. Labor's strength lies in the semi-suburban areas north and west of Hobart, such as
Bridgewater and New Norfolk, as well as in the timber and mining towns. The Liberals dominate the farming areas of
the north. The 2018 redistribution has removed the Liberal-inclined Tamar Valley, improving Labor's position.
The old seat of Wilmot was held by Prime Minister Joe Lyons from 1928 to 1939: it was renamed after him and his
wife, Dame Enid, in 1984. Dick Adams, a former state minister, won Lyons for Labor in 1993. Adams had a large personal vote,
which is why Labor retained this seat in the face of the adverse swing in 2004 caused by Mark Latham's anti-logging
forestry policy.
The defeat of Adams in 2013 after 20 years - largely due to the unpopularity of the Labor-Greens coalition state
government - was the biggest upset of the 2013 election. But Eric Hutchinson, the Liberal who defeated Adams, was
unable to entrench himself, and in 2016 he was defeated by Brian Mitchell.
Brian Mitchell, Labor MP for Lyons since 2016, was born in the UK and educated in WA. He worked as a journalist and
editor, and as a staffer to long-serving Labor MP Duncan Kerr. More recently he has run a media consultancy company.
The Liberal candidate was Jessica Whelan, a restaurateur and Brighton City councillor. Two weeks before the
election she was disendorsed following offensive comments she made. The Nationals candidate is
Deanna Hutchinson, whose occupation is not stated. The Greens candidate is
Gary Whisson, an environmental consultant.
Demographics:
Median weekly household income: $981 (Australia $1,438)
People over 65: 20.8% (Australia 15.8%)
Indigenous: 4.8% (Australia 2.8%)
Australian born: 82.2% (Australia 66.7%)
Non-English-speaking households: 3.1% (Australia 22.2%)
Catholics 14.7% (Australia 22.6%)
No religion 35.5% (Australia 29.6%)
University graduates: 9.5% (Australia 22.0%)
Professional and managerial employment: 25.9% (Australia 35.2%)
Employed in manufacturing and construction: 27.2% (Australia 22.9%)
Employed in agriculture: 14.5% (Australia 3.3%)
Paying a mortgage: 34.5% (Australia 34.5%)
Renting: 22.7% (Australia 30.9%)
Traditional families: 25.7% (Australia 32.8%)
Members:
Rt Hon Sir Edward Braddon (FT) 1903-04
Hon Donald Cameron (FT, AS) 1904-06
Hon Llewellyn Atkinson (AS, Lib, Nat, CP, Nat) 1906-29
Rt Hon Joseph Lyons (ALP, UAP) 1929-39
Lancelot Spurr (ALP) 1939-40
Hon Allan Guy (UAP, Lib) 1940-46
Gil Duthie (ALP) 1946-75
Max Burr (Lib) 1975-93
Hon Dick Adams (ALP) 1993-2013
Eric Hutchinson (Lib) 2013-16
Brian Mitchell (ALP) 2016-
Boundaries following 2018 redistribution:
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