# Division of Calare

The Division of Calare (/kəˈlɑːri/ or /kəˈlɛər/) is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales.

## Geography

Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australian Electoral Commission. Redistributions occur for the boundaries of divisions in a particular state, and they occur every seven years, or sooner if a state's representation entitlement changes or when divisions of a state are malapportioned.

## History

The division was first contested at the 1906 election; created to replace the abolished Division of Canobolas, and is named for the local Aboriginal name for the Lachlan River, which runs through the western part of the division. The Aboriginal name is pronounced Kal-ah-ree, but the pronunciation Kul-air is established for the division.
The division originally encompassed Forbes, Orange and Parkes. Subsequent boundary changes moved it eastwards to encompass Bathurst, Lithgow and Oberon. On these boundaries it was notionally a marginal seat between the Australian Labor Party (which held it 1983–96) and the National Party, but it was held comfortably by an independent, Peter Andren, from 1996 to 2007. Andren was not a candidate for the 2007 election: he intended to run for a Senate seat but was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 and died during the election campaign.
A redistribution in 2006 moved the boundaries west to take in Cowra, Grenfell and the vast north-west of New South Wales from Brewarrina to Menindee, making Calare New South Wales's largest electorate. Lithgow, Bathurst and Oberon, which tend to favour Labor, were transferred to the neighbouring seat of Macquarie. At the 2007 federal election, Calare was won by the Nationals' representative John Cobb on a margin of 12.1 percent. Cobb had previously represented the Division of Parkes, parts of which were redistributed into Calare in 2006.
The 2009 redistribution of NSW moved the boundaries back east, to again include Lithgow, Bathurst and Oberon. Most of the northwestern area of the division was transferred to the neighbouring Division of Parkes. The changes took effect at the 2010 election.
The division currently stretches from Mudgee, Gulgong, Dubbo, Wellington in the north-west, to Orange, Bathurst, Lithgow and Oberon in the south-east and Canowindra in the south-west.
The current Member for Calare, since the 2016 federal election, is Andrew Gee, an Independent member who was originally elected as a member of the National Party.

## Members

| Member | Party | Term | Notes |
| Thomas Brown (1861–1934) | Labor | 12 December 1906 – 31 May 1913 | Previously held the Division of Canobolas. Lost seat. Later elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Lachlan in 1913 |
| Henry Pigott (1866–1949) | Liberal | 31 May 1913 – 17 February 1917 | Lost seat |
| Henry Pigott (1866–1949) | Nationalist | 17 February 1917 – 13 December 1919 | Lost seat |
| Thomas Lavelle (1887–1944) | Labor | 13 December 1919 – 16 December 1922 | Lost seat |
| Sir Neville Howse (1863–1930) | Nationalist | 16 December 1922 – 12 October 1929 | Served as minister under Bruce. Lost seat. Son was John Howse |
| George Gibbons (1887–1954) | Labor | 12 October 1929 – 19 December 1931 | Lost seat |
| Harold Thorby (1888–1973) | Country | 19 December 1931 – 21 September 1940 | Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Castlereagh. Served as minister under Lyons, Page and Menzies. Lost seat |
| John Breen (1898–1966) | Labor | 21 September 1940 – 28 September 1946 | Lost seat |
| John Howse (1913–2002) | Liberal | 28 September 1946 – 28 September 1960 | Resigned to retire from politics. Father was Sir Neville Howse |
| John England (1911–1985) | Country | 5 November 1960 – 2 May 1975 | Retired |
| John England (1911–1985) | National Country | 2 May 1975 – 11 November 1975 | Retired |
| Sandy Mackenzie (1941–) | National Country | 13 December 1975 – 16 October 1982 | Lost seat |
| Sandy Mackenzie (1941–) | Nationals | 16 October 1982 – 5 March 1983 | Lost seat |
| David Simmons (1947–) | Labor | 5 March 1983 – 29 January 1996 | Served as minister under Hawke and Keating. Retired |
| Peter Andren (1946–2007) | Independent | 2 March 1996 – 17 October 2007 | Retired |
| John Cobb (1950–) | Nationals | 24 November 2007 – 9 May 2016 | Previously held the Division of Parkes. Retired |
| Andrew Gee (1968–) | Nationals | 2 July 2016 – 23 December 2022 | Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Orange. Served as minister under Morrison. Incumbent |
| Andrew Gee (1968–) | Independent | 23 December 2022 – present | Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Orange. Served as minister under Morrison. Incumbent |

## Election results

2022 Australian federal election: Calare :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Andrew Gee | 51,161 | 47.67 | +2.96 |
| | Independent | Kate Hook | 21,891 | 20.40 | +20.40 |
| | Labor | Sarah Elliott | 16,252 | 15.14 | −6.99 |
| | One Nation | Stacey Whittaker | 9,057 | 8.44 | +8.44 |
| | Greens | Kay Nankervis | 4,891 | 4.56 | −1.50 |
| | United Australia | Adam Jannis | 4,067 | 3.79 | +0.56 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 107,319 | 96.01 | +1.67 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 4,455 | 3.99 | −1.67 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 111,774 | 92.06 | −1.54 |
| Notional two-party-preferred count ||||||
| | National | Andrew Gee | 70,245 | 65.45 | +2.16 |
| | Labor | Sarah Elliott | 37,074 | 34.55 | −2.16 |
| Two-candidate-preferred result ||||||
| | National | Andrew Gee | 64,047 | 59.68 | −3.61 |
| | Independent | Kate Hook | 43,272 | 40.32 | +40.32 |
| | National hold | National hold | | | |