Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive

Adam Carr's Election Archive

Australian federal election, 2025
Division of Bowman, Queensland

Named for: Hon David Bowman (1860-1916), Qld MP 1889-1902, 1904-16. Leader of the Queensland ALP 1907-12.


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Southside Brisbane: Birkdale, Capalaba, Cleveland, Victoria Point, Wellington Point

Enrolment at 2019 election: 109,454
Enrolment at 2022 election: 115,715 (+05.8%)
1999 republic referendum: No 61.0
2018 same-sex marriage survey: Yes 62.1
2023 Voice referendum: No 71.9


Sitting member: Henry Pike (Liberal): Elected 2022


2007 Liberal majority over Labor: 0.0%
2010 Liberal majority over Labor: 10.4%
2013 Liberal majority over Labor: 8.9%
2016 Liberal majority over Labor: 7.1%
2019 Liberal majority over Labor: 10.2%
2019 Liberal majority over Labor: 05.5%

Status: Marginal Liberal
Liberal two-party vote 1983-2022


  • 2022 results
  • Statistics and history

  • Announced candidates:

    Henry Pike
    Liberal Party

    Division of Bowman

    Bowman was created in 1949 and has always occupied territory in Brisbane's south-eastern beachside suburbs. It has always been a marginal seat (until 2022 every member who had held the seat had been defeated), but recent redistributions have pushed it further to the south-east, making it a better seat for the Liberals. It has a high level of families with dependent children and of dwellings being purchased, the indicators of a mortgage- belt seat. Strikingly, it has the second-lowest proportion (after Kingston) of non English speaking households of any urban seat in Australia.

    Labor's strength is in Capalaba and Alexandra Hills, and also in the Indigenous communities on North Stradbroke Island, particularly Dunwich. But these are now outvoted by strong Liberal areas such as Cleveland, Redland Bay and Victoria Point.

    Con Sciacca served two stints as Labor member for Bowman and was a minister in the Keating Government. The 2004 redistribution created a new seat of Bonner, including most of Bowman's better Labor areas, and Sciacca (unsuccessfully) contested Bonner in 2004. Bowman passed to the Liberals.

    Dr Andrew Laming, Liberal MP for Bowman 2004-22, was an ophthalmologist and World Bank health consultant with an impressive CV before his election. He did not live up to his early promise and remained on the backbench. In early 2021, Laming announced that he would not recontest the seat, thus become the first member for Bowman not to be defeated.

    Henry Pike, Liberal MP for Bowman since 2022, was a policy adviser for the Queensland Farmers' Federation and media and communications director for the Queensland Property Council (typical occupations for a Liberal MP) before his election.

    Boundaries following most recent redistribution:



    See full-size map of this Division



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