# Electoral district of Camden

Camden is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's south-west. It is currently represented by Sally Quinnell of the Labor party, who achieved a 13% swing in the 2023 election.

## Geography

On its current boundaries, Camden takes in the suburbs of Bickley Vale, Camden, Camden Park, Camden South, Catherine Field, Cawdor, Cobbitty, Currans Hill, Elderslie, Ellis Lane, Gledswood Hills, Grasmere, Gregory Hills, Harrington Park, Kirkham, Mount Annan, Narellan, Narellan Vale, Smeaton Grange, and Spring Farm.

## History

Camden was originally created in 1859, replacing part of West Camden and named after the town of Camden or Camden County, which includes Camden, the Southern Highlands and the Illawarra. It elected two members from 1859 to 1889 and three members from 1889 to 1894, when multi-member electorates were abolished. It was abolished in 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation and absorbed into Cumberland. It was recreated in 1981. In recent decades it has been a marginal seat, falling to both the Labor and Liberal parties on separate occasions. Except in 1984-91 and 1995-2003, Camden in its second incarnation, has been held by the government party.
Camden was evident as a bellwether seat at the 1991 election when the ALP lost the seat to the Liberal Party despite the former party making huge gains at that election which was close but not enough for them to win the election. If the ALP had retained Camden in 1991, the party would have been in a strong position to form a minority government when it then won The Entrance by-election in 1992.

## Members for Camden

First incarnation (1859–1889, 2 members) :
| Member | Member | Party | Term | Member | Member | Party | Term |
| | Henry Oxley | None | 1859–1860 | | William Wild | None | 1859–1860 |
| | John Morrice | None | 1860–1872 | | John Douglas | None | 1860–1861 |
| | John Morrice | None | 1860–1872 | | David Bell | None | 1861–1864 |
| | John Morrice | None | 1860–1872 | | Richard Roberts | None | 1864–1869 |
| | John Morrice | None | 1860–1872 | | Arthur Onslow | None | 1869–1880 |
| | Thomas Garrett | None | 1872–1887 | | Arthur Onslow | None | 1869–1880 |
| | Thomas Garrett | None | 1872–1887 | | John Kidd | None | 1880–1882 |
| | Thomas Garrett | None | 1872–1887 | | William McCourt | None | 1882–1885 |
| | Thomas Garrett | None | 1872–1887 | | John Kidd | None | 1885–1887 |
| | Thomas Garrett | Free Trade | 1887–1889 | | William McCourt | Free Trade | 1887–1889 |
| 1889–1894, 3 members ||||||||
| Member | Member | Party | Term | Member | Member | Party | Term | Member | Member | Party | Term |
| | Thomas Garrett | Free Trade | 1889–1891 | | William McCourt | Free Trade | 1889–1894 | | John Kidd | Protectionist | 1889–1894 |
| | William Cullen | Free Trade | 1891–1894 | | William McCourt | Free Trade | 1889–1894 | | John Kidd | Protectionist | 1889–1894 |
| 1894–1920, 1 member ||||
| Member | Member | Party | Term |
| | John Kidd | Protectionist | 1894–1895 |
| | Charles Bull | Free Trade | 1895–1898 |
| | John Kidd | Protectionist | 1898–1901 |
| | John Kidd | Progressive | 1901–1904 |
| | Fred Downes | Liberal Reform | 1904–1913 |
| | John Hunt | Liberal Reform | 1913–1917 |
| | John Hunt | Nationalist | 1917–1920 |
| Second incarnation (1981–present, 1 member) ||||
| Member | Member | Party | Term |
| | Ralph Brading | Labor | 1981–1984 |
| | John Fahey | Liberal | 1984–1988 |
| | Peter Primrose | Labor | 1988–1991 |
| | Liz Kernohan | Liberal | 1991–2003 |
| | Geoff Corrigan | Labor | 2003–2011 |
| | Chris Patterson | Liberal | 2011–2019 |
| | Peter Sidgreaves | Liberal | 2019–2023 |
| | Sally Quinnell | Labor | 2023–present |

## Election results

2023 New South Wales state election: Camden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Sally Quinnell | 21,945 | 40.6 | +11.2 |
| | Liberal | Peter Sidgreaves | 19,686 | 36.4 | −5.7 |
| | One Nation | Garry Dollin | 7,437 | 13.8 | +0.4 |
| | Greens | Emily Rivera | 3,136 | 5.8 | +1.7 |
| | Sustainable Australia | Jessie Bijok | 1,868 | 3.5 | +2.2 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 54,072 | 96.3 | 0.0 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 2,056 | 3.7 | +0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,128 | 90.7 | +3.8 |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Labor | Sally Quinnell | 25,060 | 53.0 | +10.3 |
| | Liberal | Peter Sidgreaves | 22,222 | 47.0 | −10.3 |
| | Labor gain from Liberal | Labor gain from Liberal | Swing | +10.3 | |