Names and boundaries of federal electoral divisions in Victoria decided

The augmented Electoral Commission for Victoria today announced the outcome of its deliberations on the names and boundaries of the 38 federal electoral divisions in Victoria. 

Mr Tom Rogers, the presiding member and Electoral Commissioner, thanked the individuals and organisations who contributed to the redistribution. 

“All written objections and comments as well as the information presented at the inquiries in Winchelsea and Melbourne have been carefully considered in deciding the final boundaries,” Mr Rogers said. 

“The augmented Electoral Commission has unanimously agreed to rename the Division of Batman to recognise William Cooper, and to modify the boundaries of 22 of the electoral divisions initially proposed.  The augmented Electoral Commission has also unanimously accepted the Redistribution Committee’s proposed boundary changes to the remaining electoral divisions, the creation of the new Division of Fraser, and the adoption of three of the Redistribution Committee’s proposed new names.“ 

Below is a brief outline of:

Editor’s notes:

Initial proposal for the redistribution of Victoria (6 April 2018)

Written objections and comments on those objections are all available via the AEC website as well as a full overview of the augmented Electoral Commission's conclusions on objections. 

Further information about the redistribution process

ACT redistribution: The augmented Electoral Commission for the Australian Capital Territory is still deliberating on the names and boundaries of the three federal electoral divisions in the Australian Capital Territory. 

The augmented Electoral Commission for the Australian Capital Territory is still deliberating on the names and boundaries of the three federal electoral divisions in the Australian Capital Territory.  SA redistribution: The augmented Electoral Commission for South Australia is still deliberating on the names and boundaries of the 10 federal electoral divisions in South Australia. 



Electoral division names

Mr Rogers said that the augmented Electoral Commission had adopted the majority of the names proposed by the Redistribution Committee for Victoria with the following alterations. 

retaining the name of the Division of Corangamite (previously proposed to be renamed the Division of Cox), and

renaming the Division of Batman to ‘Cooper’, to recognise the contributions of William Cooper. 

William Cooper

Mr Cooper was a spokesman for Aboriginal people who, as secretary of the Australian Aborigines League presented a petition and led deputations to authorities, calling for direct representation in parliament, enfranchisement, land rights and federal control of Aboriginal affairs. 

In 1938 Mr Cooper lodged a personal protest against the treatment of European Jews in Nazi Germany following Kristallnacht. 

Victorian division names

Once the redistribution is formally determined on 13 July 2018:

11 of Victoria’s 38 electoral divisions (28.95%) will be named for an Aboriginal person or word,

the number of Victoria’s electoral divisions named after women will have increased by one to five, as well as one electoral division being jointly named for a wife and husband, and

more than 25% of Victoria’s electoral divisions names will be that of an original federation electoral division

Boundaries

The augmented Electoral Commission has modified the Redistribution Committee’s initial redistribution proposal by placing: