The division is situated on the northern foothills of the Great Dividing Range in North Central Victoria. It covers an area of approximately 5,496 square kilometres (2,122sqmi) and provides the southern gateway to the Murray–Darling basin. In addition to the city of Bendigo, other large population centres in the division include Castlemaine, Heathcote and Kyneton.[1]
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.[2]
In 1955, the division expanded east to include Seymour. In 1968, it expanded towards the south-east into other towns along the Calder Highway, such as Gisborne and Lancefield, and other towns along the Hume Highway, such as Kilmore and Wandong. The expansion replaced the northern part of Division of Lalor.[5][7] Kilmore and Lancefield were lost to Division of Burke in 1977.[8] In 1984, the division was significantly shifted west, losing all areas along the Hume Highway (Seymour, Kilmore and Wandong) to the new Division of McEwen.[5][9]
In the 2024 redistribution, it was proposed in May 2024 that the division be expanded southwards towards the Shire of Hepburn and replacing parts of Division of Ballarat.[10] However, in the final redistribution in October 2024, the division was instead expanded northwards into Shire of Campaspe and included the town of Rochester, which was previously in Division of Nicholls. A proposed expansion to the east into the towns of Toolborac and Pyalong also went ahead.[11][12]
In the early years of federation the seat consisted of little more than Bendigo itself, but on later boundaries the seat has included towns such as Echuca, Castlemaine, Maryborough and Seymour.
Bendigo has been a marginal seat, changing hands regularly between the Labor Party and the conservative parties; typically mirroring voting patterns in state elections.[13] However, it has remained a Labor seat since the 1998 federal election.
Unlike most marginal seats, Bendigo is not a barometer for winning government. Since 1949, all but one of its members has spent at least one term in opposition. Indeed, during two elections that saw a change of government, it elected an opposition MP.
Its most notable members include its first representative, Sir John Quick, who was a leading federalist, and Prime MinisterBilly Hughes who, although from Sydney, represented Bendigo for two terms at a time when the federal Parliament met in Melbourne, and who moved to the seat after leaving the Labor Party over conscription, holding the seat as the leader of the Nationalist Party.
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