Your Barker
Area and Location Description:
The Barker Electorate is named after Captain Collet Barker (1784-1831), an explorer who was sent to solve the ‘mystery’ of the mouth of the River Murray.
Barker covers an area of approximately 64 015 sq km from Morgan in the North to Port MacDonnell in the south.
The eastern boundary is the South Australian border. It includes the Upper and Lower South East, the Mallee, the Riverland, the Murrayland and most of the Barossa Valley. The towns of Barmera, Berri, Bordertown, Keith, Kingston SE, Loxton, Mannum, Millicent, Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge, Naracoorte, Nuriootpa, Penola, Renmark, Tanunda, Tailem Bend, and Waikerie are in this division.
Redistribution
At the last Federal Election in October 2004 Barker underwent an electoral redistribution. The electorate is now about 20% larger gaining the Riverland district and parts of the Barossa Valley and losing Kangaroo Island and the Fleurieu Peninsula.
History/Trivia
Existing since Federation, Barker has always been conservative held. It is named after Captain Collett Barker, the first European to discover the mouth of the Murray River. The electorate includes Penola, the long-time residence of prospective saint Mary Mackillop, and Bordertown, the birthplace of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke. Barker was held for the Liberal Party by former state cricketer and NFF President Ian McLachlan from 1990 until 1998 when he retired. He served as Defence Minister in the first term of the Howard government.
Products/Industries of the Area:
Beef and dairy cattle, sheep, fishing, cropping, forestry, timber, paper products, wine, fresh and dried fruit, vegetables, transport and tourism.
First Proclaimed/Election:
Demographic Rating:
Members:
- SECKER, P (LP) 1998-
- MCLACHLAN, I (LP) 1990-1998
- PORTER, J R (LP) 1975-1990
- FORBES, A J (LP) 1956-1975
- CAMERON, A G (CP/LP/LCL/LP) 1934-1956
- CAMERON, M D (NAT/UAP/LP) 1922-1934
- LIVINGSTON, J (ANTI-SOC/LIB/NAT) 1906-1922
- BONYTHON, J L (PROT) 1903-1906
3-Oct-98 |
10-Nov-01 |
9-Oct-04 |
6-Nov-99 |
Election |
Election |
Election |
Referendum |
Enrolment: 84 771 |
Enrolment: 87 836 |
Enrolment: 100,934 |
Enrolment: 86 046 |
Informal Vote: 5.08% |
Informal Vote: 5.5% |
Informal Vote: 5.87% |
|
Republic Question 0.87% |
Preamble Question 1.01% |
|
Turnout: 96.27% |
Turnout: 95.48% |
|
|
Republic Question 96.57% |
Turnout: 96.52% |
Preamble Question 96.63% |
Seat Status: Safe Liberal |
Seat Status: Safe Liberal |
Seat Status: Safe Liberal |
|
Two Party Preferred: |
Two Party Preferred: |
Two Party Preferred: |
|
ALP: 36.26% |
ALP: 34.31% |
ALP: 30.12% |
LP: 63.74% |
LP: 65.69% |
LP: 69.88% |
|
