Division of Ballarat

Australian federal electoral division

Australian electorate

Ballarat
Australian House of Representatives Division

Interactive map of electorate boundaries from the 2025 federal election

Created| 1901
MP| Catherine King
Party| Labor
Namesake| Ballarat (historically spelled "Ballaarat", from a Wathaurong Aboriginal word: balla arat, thought to mean "resting place".)[1]
Electors| 116,296 (2025)
Area| 5,323 km2 (2,055.2 sq mi)
Demographic| Provincial

The Division of Ballarat (spelt Ballaarat from 1901 until the 1977 election[1]) is an Australian electoral division in the state of Victoria. The division was proclaimed in 1900, and was one of the original 65 divisions to be contested at the first federal election.[1] It was named for the provincial city of the same name by Scottish squatter Archibald Yuille, who established the first settlement − his sheep run called Ballaarat − in 1837,[2] with the name derived from a local Wathawurrung word for the area, balla arat, thought to mean "resting place".

The division currently takes in the regional City of Ballarat and the smaller towns of Gordon, Meredith, Buninyong, Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford, and Trentham and part of Burrumbeet.[3]

The current Member for Ballarat, since the 2001 federal election, is Catherine King, a member of the Australian Labor Party.

## Geography

[edit]

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.[4]

Ballarat consists of the City of Ballarat and Shire of Hepburn, as well as portions of the shires of Golden Plains and Moorabool.[5]

## History

[edit]

The city of Ballarat, the division's namesake

At various times in its existence the division has included other towns such as Ararat, Maryborough, and Stawell. The towns of Ballan, Bacchus Marsh, Blackwood and Myrniong were previously in the division before the division of Hawke was formed for the 2022 Federal Election.[3]

Ballarat used to be a marginal seat, changing hands at intervals between the Labor Party and the non-Labor parties. Unlike most marginal seats, it was not a barometer for winning government; since 1955, all but one of its members has spent at least one term in opposition.

Its most prominent member has been Alfred Deakin, who was Prime Minister of Australia three times. Liberal senator Michael Ronaldson was the grandson of Archibald Fisken, a former Member for Ballarat.[6]

Ballarat also holds the distinction of seeing the closest seat result in Australian history. Nationalist Edwin Kerby unseated Labor incumbent Charles McGrath by a single vote in 1919. However, McGrath alleged irregularities, and the result was thrown out in 1920, forcing a by-election that was won by McGrath.[7]

Since 2001, the seat has been held by Catherine King, a member of the Australian Labor Party. It has been a safe Labor seat since 2007 except for a 6.8 percent swing towards the Liberal Party at the 2013 election turning it marginal for one term.

## Members

[edit]

Image  | Member  | Party  | Term  | Notes

|
|
|
|

|  | Alfred Deakin
(1856–1919) | Protectionist | 30 March 1901 –
26 May 1909  | Previously held the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Essendon and Flemington. Served as minister under Barton. Served as Prime Minister from 1903 to 1904, 1905 to 1908 and 1909 to 1910. Served as Opposition Leader in 1909, and from 1910 to 1913. Retired
| Liberal | 26 May 1909 –
23 April 1913
|  | Charles McGrath
(1872–1934) | Labor | 31 May 1913 –
13 December 1919 | Lost seat by one vote
|  | Edwin Kerby
(1885–1971) | Nationalist | 13 December 1919 –
2 June 1920 | 1919 election results declared void. Lost seat in subsequent by-election
|  | Charles McGrath
(1872–1934) | Labor | 2 June 1920 –
March 1931 | Died in office
| Independent | March 1931 –
7 May 1931
| United Australia | 7 May 1931 –
31 July 1934
|  | Archibald Fisken
(1897–1970) | 15 September 1934 –
23 October 1937 | Retired. Grandson is Michael Ronaldson
|  | Reg Pollard
(1894–1981) | Labor | 23 October 1937 –
10 December 1949 | Previously held the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Bulla and Dalhousie. Served as minister under Chifley. Transferred to the Division of Lalor
|  | Alan Pittard
(1902–1992) | Liberal | 10 December 1949 –
28 April 1951 | Lost seat
|  | Bob Joshua
(1906–1970) | Labor | 28 April 1951 –
April 1955 | Lost seat
| Labor (Anti-Communist) | April 1955 –
10 December 1955
|  | Dudley Erwin
(1917–1984) | Liberal | 10 December 1955 –
11 November 1975 | Served as Chief Government Whip in the House under Holt, McEwen and Gorton. Served as minister under Gorton. Retired
|  | Jim Short
(1936–) | 13 December 1975 –
18 October 1980 | Lost seat. Later elected to the Senate in 1984
|  | John Mildren
(1932–2024) | Labor | 18 October 1980 –
24 March 1990 | Lost seat
|  | Michael Ronaldson
(1954–) | Liberal | 24 March 1990 –
8 October 2001 | Served as Chief Government Whip in the House under Howard. Retired. Later elected to the Senate in 2004. Grandfather was Archibald Fisken
|  | Catherine King
(1966–) | Labor | 10 November 2001 –
present  | Served as minister under Gillard and Rudd. Incumbent. Currently a minister under Albanese

## Election results

[edit]

Main article: Electoral results for the Division of Ballarat

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2025 Australian federal election in Victoria § Ballarat.[edit]

2025 Australian federal election: Ballarat[8] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labor | Catherine King | 44,273  | 42.35  | −2.40
| Liberal | Paula Doran  | 29,883  | 28.59  | +1.50
| Greens | John Barnes  | 14,984  | 14.33  | −0.26
| One Nation | Terri Pryse-Smith  | 8,029  | 7.68  | +4.08
| Family First | Ian Harkness  | 3,057  | 2.92  | +2.92
| Independent | Luke Parker  | 2,934  | 2.81  | +2.81
| Libertarian | Ryan Redfern  | 1,380  | 1.32  | −2.01
Total formal votes  | 104,540  | 96.35  | +1.38
Informal votes  | 3,955  | 3.65  | −1.38
Turnout | 108,495  | 93.34  | +3.61
Two-party-preferred result
| Labor | Catherine King | 63,419  | 60.66  | −2.32
| Liberal | Paula Doran  | 41,121  | 39.34  | +2.32
| Labor hold | Swing | −2.32 |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Profile of the electoral division of Ballarat (Vic)". Current federal electoral divisions. Australian Electoral Commission. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
2. ^ Buninyong monument. Ballarat Reform League. Retrieved on 18 August 2011.
3. ^ a b "Map of the Commonwealth Electoral Division of Ballarat" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. October 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
4. ^ Muller, Damon (14 November 2017). "The process of federal redistributions: a quick guide". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
5. ^ "Profile of the electoral division of Ballarat (Vic)". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
6. ^ "House of Representatives: Voting by constituency, Victoria". Legislative election of 24 March 1990. Adam Carr. 1990. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
7. ^ "BALLARAT ELECTION VOID". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 3 June 1920. p. 8. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
8. ^ Ballarat, Vic, 2025 Tally Room, Australian Electoral Commission.

## External links

[edit]

* Division of Ballarat – Australian Electoral Commission

* v
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Electoral divisions of the Australian House of Representatives in Victoria

Labor (27)|

* Aston
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Liberal (6)|

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National (3)|

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Independent (2)|

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Abolished|

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