Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive

Adam Carr's Election Archive

Australian federal election, 2022
Division of Nicholls, Victoria

Named for: Sir Douglas Nicholls (1906-88) and Lady (Gladys) Nicholls (1906-81), Indigenous rights activists


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Northern Victoria: Echuca, Nagambie, Seymour, Shepparton, Yarrawonga
State seats: All of Shepparton, parts of Euroa, Murray Plains and Ovens Valley
Local government areas: All of Campaspe, Greater Shepparton and Moira, parts of Mitchell and Strathbogie
Borders with: Bendigo, Farrer, Indi and Mallee
Enrolment at 2019 election: 111,170
Enrolment at 2022 election: 114,542 (+03.0)

1999 republic referendum: No 69.5
2018 same-sex marriage survey: Yes 57.6


Sitting member: Hon Damian Drum (Nationals): Elected (for Murray) 2016, (for Nicholls) 2019. Retiring 2022

2007 Nationals majority over Labor: 18.3% *
2010 Nationals majority over Labor: 20.4% *
2013 Nationals majority over Labor: 20.9% *
2016 Nationals majority over Liberal: 5.1% *
2019 Nationals majority over Labor 20.0%
2019 notional Nationals majority over Labor 20.0%

* as Murray

Liberal-Nationals two-party vote 1983-2019

Status: Very safe Nationals

Best Nationals booths, two-party vote: Ky Valley (88.2), Undera (88.2), Wyuna (86.6), Katamatite (85.6), Stanhope (85.5)
Best Labor booths, two-party vote: Broadford (54.3), Seymour (45.3), Wilmot Road (43.6), Tallarook (42.4), Shepparton South (40.4)


  • 2019 results
  • Statistics and history

  • Candidates in ballot-paper order:

    1. Tim Laird
    Liberal Democrats
    2. Sam Birrell
    The Nationals
    3. Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell
    Pauline Hanson's One Nation
    4. Bill Lodwick
    Australian Labor Party
    5. Jeff Davy
    Citizens Party
    6. Dr Robert Peterson
    United Australia Party
    7. Ian Christoe
    Australian Greens
    8. Andrea Otto
    Fusion Party
    9. Steve Brooks
    Liberal Party
    10. Eleonor Tabone
    Australian Federation Party
    11. Rob Priestly
    Independent

    Candidate websites:

    Sam Birrell
    Steve Brooks
    Ian Christoe
    Jeff Davy
    Tim Laird
    Andrea Otto
    Dr Robert Peterson
    Rob Priestly
    Eleonor Tabone Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell

    Division of Nicholls

    Nicholls was created by the 2018 redistribution, when the former seat of Murray, which was created in 1949, was renamed. The seat has always occupied the central part of the Murray Valley, based on Shepparton. This is one of the most heavily agricultural parts of Australia, and also one of the most politically conservative. Murray has always been an ulra-safe seat for the non-Labor parties. Like most rural seats, it has a low level of median family income, and a low proportion of people born in non English speaking countries. The 2018 redistribution expanded the seat southwards to take in Seymour and Broadford, without changing its political character. It remains unchanged by the 2021 redistribution.

    The Murray Valley was one of the birthplaces of the Country Party, and the old seat of Echuca, which covered much the same territory, first elected a Country Party member in 1919. The loss of Murray to the Liberals in 1996 was thus a shock, and a symbol of the decline of the Nationals in Victoria. The Nationals' recovery of Murray in 2016 may be seen as a sign of a revival of the party's fortunes in regional Victoria.

    The first member for Murray was Sir John McEwen, who was briefly Prime Minister in 1967-68 (McEwen had previously been member for Echuca and Indi since 1934). His successor, Bruce Lloyd, was deputy leader of the Nationals from 1987 to 1993 but never held office. The last time the seat was vacant, in 1996, Dr Sharman Stone won it for the Liberals. Stone was a minister in the Howard Government, but was not included in the Abbott ministry. She retired in 2016, creating a three-cornered contest. Labor came third and directed its preferences to the Nationals candidate, Damian Drum.

    Damian Drum, Nationals MP for Murray since 2016, was a Shepparton businessman, Geelong footballer and Fremantle coach before entering politics. In 2002 he was elected a Nationals member of the Victorian Legislative Council, and was a minister in the Baillieu-Napthine government. He was Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister (Barnaby Joyce) from December 2017 to March 2018, when he was dropped after Joyce's demise. In December 2021 he announced his retirement. The new Nationals candidate is Sam Birrell, an agronomist and until recently CEO of Committee for Greater Shepparton. The Liberal candidate is Steve Brooks, a teacher and farmer.

    Demographics:

    Median weekly household income: $1,080 (Australia $1,438)
    People over 65: 21.6% (Australia 15.8%)
    Indigenous: 2.6% (Australia 2.8%)
    Australian born: 79.7% (Australia 66.7%)
    Non-English-speaking households: 9.1% (Australia 22.2%)
    Catholics 24.8% (Australia 22.6%)
    No religion 27.7% (Australia 29.6%)
    University graduates: 10.7% (Australia 22.0%)
    Professional and managerial employment: 28.8% (Australia 35.2%)
    Employed in manufacturing and construction: 32.1% (Australia 22.9%)
    Employed in agriculture: 17.0% (Australia 3.3%)
    Paying a mortgage: 31.9% (Australia 34.5%)
    Renting: 25.2% (Australia 30.9%)
    Traditional families: 27.3% (Australia 32.8%)



    Gallery of Members for Nicholls



    Boundaries following most recent redistribution:



    See full-size map of this Division



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