Division of Corio

The Division of Corio (Template:IPAc-en) is an Australian electoral division in the state of Victoria. The division was proclaimed in 1900, and was one of the original 65 divisions to be contested at the first federal election. Named for Corio Bay, it has always been based on the city of Geelong, although in the past it stretched as far east as the outer western suburbs of Melbourne.

The current Member for Corio, since the 2007 federal election, is Richard Marles, the current Deputy Prime Minister of Australia.

History

File:Clifton Springs Pier.jpg

Corio Bay, the division's namesake

For most of the first seven decades after Federation, it was a marginal seat that frequently changed hands between the Australian Labor Party and the conservative parties. However, Labor has held it without interruption since a 1967 by-election, and since the 1980s it has been one of Labor's safest non-metropolitan seats. Presently, the Liberal Party need a near 13 percent swing to win it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Its most prominent members have been Richard Casey, a leading Cabinet member in the 1930s and later Governor-General; John Dedman, a Chifley government minister; Hubert Opperman, a former cycling champion and a minister in the Menzies government; and Gordon Scholes, who was Speaker during the Whitlam government and a minister in the Hawke government.

Boundaries

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>

When the division was proclaimed in 1900, it covered the Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast areas, and also covered areas west and north-west of Melbourne, such as Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity and Template:VICcity. The division also extended relatively close to the City of Melbourne, stopping short of Template:VICcity and Template:VICcity west of the Yarra River. In 1906, with the abolition of Division of Corinella, it also included Template:VICcity and Template:VICcity, but lost Gisborne and Macedon to the Division of Mernda.<ref name=boundaries>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1913, with the abolition of Division of Mernda, the division of Corio regained Gisborne and Macedon, and was also expanded to cover the north of Melbourne, including Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity and Template:VICcity. The division also began to neighbour the Division of Flinders at the Diamond Valley area (Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity and Template:VICcity). Together with Flinders, both divisions formed a ring that completely surrounded Melbourne, stretching from Surf Coast on one end to Bass Coast on the other.<ref name=boundaries/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Also in 1913, the division also gained areas north-west of Geelong, such as Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity and Template:VICcity. However, it also lost areas immediately west of the City of Melbourne, such as Template:VICcity and Template:VICcity. The loss of these areas were mostly reversed in 1922, and also gaining Template:VICcity. The division also expanded towards the City of Melbourne from the north as well, stopping short of Template:VICcity and Template:VICcity.<ref name=boundaries/>

In 1937, the areas around Whittlesea, Yan Yean and Plenty were lost to the new Division of Deakin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1949, the division was massively shrunk to a quarter of its area size, losing all areas outside of the Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast to the new Division of Lalor, effectively splitting the old division into Lalor and a much smaller Corio.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since then until present (Template:As of), the division of Corio would only be based around these areas, occasionally gaining and losing surrounding areas in redistributions.<ref name=boundaries/>

As of the 2024 redistribution, the division comprises an area of Template:Convert from the western shores of Port Phillip Bay, stretching to the north of Geelong and inland.<ref name=aecprofile>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:As of, besides Geelong, it included Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity and Template:VICcity; and parts of Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, Template:VICcity, and Template:VICcity.

Members

Image		Member	Party	Term	Notes
Template:Australian party style|	File:YoungCrouch.JPG	Richard Crouch Template:Small	Protectionist	29 March 1901 – 26 May 1909	Lost seat. Later elected to the Division of Corangamite in 1929
Template:Australian party style|			Liberal	26 May 1909 – 13 April 1910
Template:Australian party style|	File:Alfred Ozanne.jpg	Alfred Ozanne Template:Small	Labor	13 April 1910 – 31 May 1913	Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:William Kendell.jpg	William Kendell Template:Small	Liberal	31 May 1913 – 5 September 1914	Lost seat. Later elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in 1916
Template:Australian party style|	File:Alfred Ozanne.jpg	Alfred Ozanne Template:Small	Labor	5 September 1914 – 5 May 1917	Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:John Henry Lister.jpg	John Lister Template:Small	Nationalist	5 May 1917 – 12 October 1929	Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:Arthur Lewis.jpg	Arthur Lewis Template:Small	Labor	12 October 1929 – 19 December 1931	Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:Richard Casey 1940.jpg	Richard Casey Template:Small	United Australia	19 December 1931 – 30 January 1940	Served as minister under Lyons, Page and Menzies. Resigned to become the Australian Ambassador to the United States. Later elected to the Division of La Trobe in 1949
Template:Australian party style|	File:John Dedman.jpg	John Dedman Template:Small	Labor	2 March 1940 – 10 December 1949	Served as minister under Curtin, Forde and Chifley. Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:HubertOpperman1965.jpg	Hubert Opperman Template:Small	Liberal	10 December 1949 – 10 June 1967	Served as Chief Government Whip in the House under Menzies. Served as minister under Menzies and Holt. Resigned to become the High Commissioner to Malta
Template:Australian party style|	File:Gordon Scholes HD-SC-98-07512.jpg	Gordon Scholes Template:Small	Labor	22 July 1967 – 8 February 1993	Served as Speaker during the Whitlam and Fraser Governments. Served as minister under Hawke. Retired
Template:Australian party style|	File:Gavan O'Connor MP 2005.jpg	Gavan O'Connor Template:Small		13 March 1993 – 18 October 2007	Lost preselection and then lost seat
Template:Australian party style|			Independent	18 October 2007 – 24 November 2007
Template:Australian party style|	File:Richard Marles in Feb 2023.jpg	Richard Marles Template:Small	Labor	24 November 2007 – present	Served as minister under Rudd. Incumbent. Currently a minister and Deputy Prime Minister under Albanese

External links

• Division of Corio - Australian Electoral Commission