Division of Whitlam
Whitlam Australian House of Representatives Division | |
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![]() Division of Whitlam in New South Wales, as of the 2016 federal election | |
Created | 2016 |
MP | Stephen Jones |
Party | Labor |
Namesake | Gough Whitlam |
Electors | 125,535 (2022) |
Area | 1,331 km2 (513.9 sq mi) |
Demographic | Provincial |
The Division of Whitlam is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales.
Whitlam is a predominantly middle and working-class electorate that covers 1,331 square kilometres in the southern Illawarra and Southern Highlands.[1]
The current MP is Stephen Jones, a member of the Australian Labor Party. Jones was born in Wollongong and was a trade union official before first being elected to Parliament in 2010.[1]
Geography
Federal electoral division boundaries in Australia are 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]
History

The division, previously named Throsby, was renamed in honour of Gough Whitlam, the Prime Minister of Australia from 1972–75, in a February 2016 electoral distribution.[3] It came into effect from 2 July 2016, the date of the 2016 Australian federal election.
ABC election analyst Antony Green estimated that boundary changes to Throsby would reduce the Australian Labor Party's notional two-party-preferred margin from 7.8 to 6.9 percentage points.[4] Despite this, the last member for Throsby, Stephen Jones, easily retained the seat with a healthy swing of over six points.
Whitlam has a strong working-class character due to the presence of industries such as steelmaking, coal mining and stevedoring in the Illawarra.
Members
Image | Member | Party | Term | Notes | |
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![]() |
Stephen Jones (1965–) |
Labor | 2 July 2016 – present |
Previously held the Division of Throsby. Incumbent. Currently a minister in the Albanese Government |
Election results
- National
References
- ^ 1.0 1.1 "Whitlam - Federal Electorate, Candidates, Results". abc.net.au. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ^ Muller, Damon (14 November 2017). "The process of federal redistributions: a quick guide". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
- ^ "Federal seat of Throsby to become Whitlam". ABC News. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ Green, Antony. "2015–16 New South Wales Federal Redistribution". ABC News. Retrieved 15 March 2016.