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.[1]
Between then and 2018, the division continued to cover similar areas, with boundary changes in most redistributions. It also included Hurstbridge between 1989 and 1994. In 2018, the division area was almost shrunk by half and no longer covered any part of Shire of Nillumbik. It only covered the southern and metropolitan portion of the City of Whittlesea, and was centered roughly around Epping.[2] In the 2024 redistribution, it was slightly expanded westwards into City of Hume up to Sydney Road and Hume Freeway and northwards to include all of Wollert, while losing Mernda to the Division of McEwen and a small part of Bundoora to the Division of Jagajaga.[5]
The Division replaced the abolished Division of Darebin at the redistribution of 21 November 1968. It was named after Rt Hon James Scullin, Prime Minister of Australia from 1929 to 1932. The Division has been a safe seat for the Australian Labor Party since its inception. Labor has never won less than 57 percent of the two-party vote, and has generally garnered enough primary votes to win the seat outright, with the exception of the 1990 and 2022 elections.
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