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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.
The 2021 redistribution has removed the Bacchus Marsh and Ballan areas, which have gone into the new seat of Hawke, and
extended the seat to the south-west into rural areas previously in Corangamite and Wannon. This has reduced the Labor margin
from 11% to about 10%. But central Victoria has been steadily improving for Labor at both state and federal levels for the
past 20 years, and King seems fairly secure in this seat.
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 Infrastructure, Transport
and Regional Development. The Libreral candidate is Ben Green, a lawyer. The Greens candidate is John Barnes, a
former Mayor of Ballarat.
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%)
Gallery of Members for Ballarat
Boundaries following most recent redistribution:
See full-size map of this Division
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%)