Division of Bennelong

The Division of Bennelong is an Australian electorate in New South Wales. The division was set up in 1949. It is named for Bennelong, an Indigenous Australian man who became a friend of the first Governor of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip. Bennelong includes the suburbs of Eastwood, Carlingford, Epping and Ryde.

Electoral history
When the Division of Bennelong was created in 1949, it covered mainly the suburbs of Ryde, Hunters Hill and Lane Cove. These were (and still are) richer areas, and Bennelong was a "safe" Liberal seat.

Over the years Bennelong has changed into a marginal seat for two reasons. Firstly, the electoral boundary of Bennelong has been changed many times, where it has moved west into Labor voting areas.  Rich suburbs like Lane Cove and Hunters Hill in the east are no longer included. The division now includes Eastwood, Epping, Carlingford and working class Ermington in the north and west. Secondly, the type of people living in the division has changed. Since the early 1990s, there has been an increase in migrants from China, Hong Kong, South Korea and India. These are wealthy and conservative people who would support the Liberal Party, but they have not like the Liberal policies on immigration and multiculturalism.The Battle for Bennelong: The adventures of Maxine McKew, aged 50something by Margot Saville, Melbourne University Press, 2007


Members
MemberPartyTerm  (Sir) John Cramer Liberal 1949–1974  John Howard Liberal 1974–2007  Maxine McKew Labor 2007–2010  John Alexander Liberal 2010–2022  Jerome Laxale Labor 2022–present

Bennelong was held by the John Howard, the second longest serving Prime Minister of Australia. In 2010 the seat was won by former tennis star, John Alexander.

Election results

References

Other websites
 Division of Bennelong – Australian Electoral Commission
 John Alexander's website 

Category:Electoral divisions of New South Wales
Category:1949 establishments in Australia