Division of Banks

The Division of Banks is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in the southwestern suburbs of Sydney.

Banks is represented by Zhi Soon for the Australian Labor Party.

History

Sir Joseph Banks, the division's namesake. A 1773 portrait by Joshua Reynolds.

The division was created in 1949 and is named for Sir Joseph Banks, the British naturalist and botanist who accompanied James Cook on his voyage to Australia in 1770. It has always been based in the south-western and southern suburbs of Sydney, including the suburbs of Padstow, Panania, Peakhurst and Revesby.

Up until 2013, it was held since its creation by the Australian Labor Party, but has grown increasingly marginal from the 1990s onward. It was almost lost in 2004, but the 2006 redistribution added areas to the west in Bankstown and Condell Park which strengthened the seat for Labor. Those areas were lost in the 2009 redistribution, which pushed Banks into new areas to the east, around Hurstville. Long-term Labor member, Daryl Melham, was defeated at the 2013 federal election by David Coleman. Coleman became the first non-Labor member for the seat, breaking a 64-year tradition. In 2025, Zhi Soon defeated Liberal incumbent, David Coleman to return the seat to Labor for the first time in 12 years.

Geography

Banks is located in parts of the local government areas of Canterbury Bankstown and Georges River in the southwestern suburbs of Sydney. It includes the suburbs of Carss Park, Connells Point, East Hills, Hurstville Grove, Kyle Bay, Lugarno, Milperra, Mortdale, Narwee, Oatley, Padstow, Padstow Heights, Panania, Peakhurst, Peakhurst Heights, Picnic Point and Revesby Heights; and parts of Bankstown, Beverly Hills, Blakehurst, Hurstville, Penshurst, Punchbowl, South Hurstville, Revesby, Roselands and Riverwood.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Clear

Demographics

2021 Australian census<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ancestry
Response	Banks	NSW	Australia
Chinese	20.0%	7.2%	5.5%
English	18.4%	29.8%	33.0%
Australian	18.4%	28.6%	29.9%
Irish	6.1%	9.1%	9.5%
Greek	6.0%	1.8%	1.7%
Country of birth
Response	Banks	NSW	Australia
Australia	55.9%	65.4%	66.9%
China	9.9%	3.1%	2.2%
Nepal	3.3%	0.8%	0.5%
Vietnam	1.9%	1.2%	1.0%
Hong Kong	1.8%	0.6%	0.4%
Lebanon	1.8%	0.8%	0.3%
Religious affiliation
Response	Banks	NSW	Australia
No religion	27.1%	32.8%	38.4%
Catholicism	22.7%	22.4%	20.0%
Anglicanism	8.5%	11.9%	9.8%
Eastern Orthodoxy	8.5%	2.5%	2.1%
Islam	6.3%	4.3%	3.2%
Language spoken at home
Response	Banks	NSW	Australia
English	49.1%	67.6%	72.0%
Mandarin	9.2%	3.4%	2.7%
Cantonese	7.3%	2.8%	1.2%
Arabic	5.4%	2.8%	1.4%
Greek	3.8%	1.0%	0.9%
Nepali	3.4%	0.8%	0.5%

Members

Image		Member	Party	Term	Notes
Template:Australian party style|	File:Dominic Costa.jpg	Eric Costa Template:Small	Labor	10 December 1949 – 29 September 1969	Retired
Template:Australian party style|	File:Vince Martin 1970.png	Vince Martin Template:Small		25 October 1969 – 19 September 1980	Lost preselection and retired
Template:Australian party style|	File:Labor Placeholder.png	John Mountford Template:Small		18 October 1980 – 19 February 1990	Retired
Template:Australian party style|	File:Labor Placeholder.png	Daryl Melham Template:Small		24 March 1990 – 7 September 2013	Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:David Coleman.jpg	David Coleman Template:Small	Liberal	7 September 2013 – 3 May 2025	Served as minister under Turnbull and Morrison. Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:Labor Placeholder.png	Zhi Soon Template:Small	Labor	3 May 2025 – present	Incumbent.

External links

• Division of Banks - Australian Electoral Commission