Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive

Adam Carr's Election Archive

Australian federal election, 2025
Division of Fairfax, Queensland

Named for: Ruth Fairfax (1878-1948), founder of the Country Women's Association


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Sunshine Coast: Buderim, Coolum Beach, Maroochydore, Nambour, Pacific Paradise

Enrolment at 2019 election: 114,127
Enrolment at 2022 election: 123,296 (+08.1)
1999 republic referendum: No 62.3
2018 same-sex marriage survey: Yes 64.3
2023 Voice referendum: No 65.3

Sitting member: Ted O'Brien (Liberal): Elected 2016, 2019, 2022


2007 Liberal majority over Labor: 3.0%
2010 Liberal majority over Labor: 7.0%
2013 Palmer United majority over Liberal: 0.0%
2016 Liberal majority over Labor: 10.9%
2019 Liberal majority over Labor: 13.4%
2022 Liberal majority over Labor: 9.0%

Status: Fairly safe Liberal
Liberal two-party vote 1984-2022


  • 2022 results
  • Statistics and history

  • Announced candidates:

    Ted O'Brien
    Liberal Party

    Division of Fairfax

    Fairfax was created in 1984, in the northern part of the Sunshine Coast, the fast-growing tourism and retirement region north of Brisbane. Until 2006 it was centred on Noosa, but the 2006 redistibution moved the seat south and it is now based on Buderim, Maroochydore and Nambour. Tourism has replaced agriculture as the dominant industry. The electorate has the below-average median family income level typical of seats of this kind, particularly in Queensland, reflecting the large population of retired people. It also has a low proportions of people in professional and managerial occupations and of people in non English speaking households.

    Fairfax has always been considered fairly safe for the non-Labor parties, shifting from National to Liberal in 1990 when the Nationals made an ill-advised attempt to install John Stone, the former head of the Treasury but a candidate with no local standing. He was defeated by a Liberal, Alex Somlyay, who held the seat thereafter without difficulty until he retired in 2013. The seat was then very narrowly won by the millionaire right-wing crank Clive Palmer, who soon got bored with being an MP and retired in 2016.

    Ted O'Brien, Liberal MP for Fairfax since 2016, was a Buderim businessman before his election, most recently as managing director of a government relations firm, Barton Deakin. He was also chairman of the Australian Republican Movement. He is now Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy.

    Boundaries following most recent redistribution:



    See full-size map of this Division



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