Electoral district of Murray-Wellington explained

Murray-Wellington
State:wa
Lifespan:1890–present1
Mp:Robyn Clarke
Mp-Party:Labor
Namesake:Murray River
Wellington Land District
Electors:30395
Electors Year:2021
Area:4352
Class:Rural
Footnotes:1 known as Murray 1890–1911, 1950–1983, 1989–1996, 2005–2008
Near-N:Darling Range
Near-Ne:Central Wheatbelt
Near-Nw:Indian Ocean
Dawesville
Near-E:Central Wheatbelt
Near-W:Indian Ocean
Near-S:Collie-Preston
Near-Se:Collie-Preston
Near-Sw:Indian Ocean

Murray-Wellington is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia. The seat's current member is Labor MLA Robyn Clarke.

Originally known as Murray, it was one of the original 30 seats contested at the 1890 election. The district is a regional electorate situated between Mandurah and Bunbury. The seat has alternated between the names Murray and Murray-Wellington to reflect its geography.

The seat has been a traditional stronghold for the Liberal Party, though the opposing Labor Party has won the seat three times in the last four decades.

Geography

In its present configuration, Murray-Wellington is a coastal electorate running from the eastern outskirts of Mandurah to the northern outskirts of Bunbury. It covers three local government areas – Shire of Murray, Shire of Waroona and the Shire of Harvey – including all of the latter two and the vast geographic majority of the former. Its major population centres include the towns of Dwellingup, Harvey, North Dandalup, North Yunderup, Pinjarra, South Yunderup and Waroona as well as the northern Bunbury suburbs of Australind and Leschenault.

History

The seat of Murray-Wellington (or Murray) has traditionally been a stronghold of the Liberal Party and its predecessor parties, but became a marginal seat held by Labor following the 2017 state election. The district's most famous member was Ross McLarty, Premier of Western Australia between 1947 and 1953, who held the seat from 1930 to 1962.

The seat's current Labor member, Robyn Clarke, arrived as a result of the 2017 state election. The seat's only other Labor member, Keith Read, won the vacant seat at the 1989 state election, even as his father and then Labor MP John Read was defeated in the neighbouring seat of Mandurah. Keith Read was defeated at the 1993 state election.

Members for Murray-Wellington

Murray (1890–1911)
MemberPartyTerm
 William PatersonNon-aligned1890–1895
 William GeorgeOpposition1895–1902
 William AtkinsIndependent1902–1904
 John McLartyMinisterial1904–1909
 William GeorgeMinisterial1909–1911
Murray-Wellington (1911–1950)
 William GeorgeLiberal1911–1917
 Nationalist1917–1930
 Ross McLartyNationalist1930–1945
 Liberal1945–1949
 Liberal Country League1949–1950
Murray (1950–1983)
 Ross McLartyLiberal Country League1950–1962
 Ewart RuncimanLiberal Country League1962–1968
 Liberal1968–1974
 Richard ShaldersLiberal1974–1983
Murray-Wellington (1983–1989)
 John BradshawLiberal1983–1989
Murray (1989–1996)
 Keith ReadLabor1989–1993
 Arthur MarshallLiberal1993–1996
Murray-Wellington (1996–2005)
 John BradshawLiberal1996–2005
Murray (2005–2008)
 Murray CowperLiberal2005–2008
Murray-Wellington (2008–present)
 Murray CowperLiberal2008–2017
 Robyn ClarkeLabor2017–present

Election results

See main article: Electoral results for the district of Murray-Wellington.

External links