Barwon
Margin: Nationals 25.8%
Region: Regional Western
Federal: Parkes (73%)/Farrer (27%)
Candidates in ballot paper order
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CAMERON JONES CRAIG ASHBY ROHAN BOEHM NELLA LOPREIATO KEVIN HUMPHRIES IAN HUTCHINSON |
2011 BOOTH RESULTS MAP |
PAST RESULTS |
DEMOGRAPHICS |
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Two-party preferred booth results from 2011 state election showing Nationals majority in green and Labor in red. New boundaries in thicker blue lines, old ones in thinner red lines. Boundary data courtesy of Ben Raue of The Tally Room.
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Barwon is far the largest seat in New South Wales in terms of geographic area, covering the entire north-west of the state and clocking in at three times the surface area of second-placed Northern Tablelands. The redistribution has increased its area approximately 60% by expanding it westwards to the South Australian border, an area encompassing Broken Hill and little else so far as population centres are concerned. This area was formerly covered by Murray-Darling, which has duly been renamed Murray. Also gained are around 3600 voters in an area around Condobolin from abolished Murrumbidgee. The gains are counterbalanced by the loss of over 8000 voters around Moree in the electorate’s north-eastern corner, which now constitutes the western part of Northern Tablelands. This marks the second successive redistribution in which the electorate has expanded into the state’s lightly populated west, the 2007 redistribution having nearly doubled its size. The gain of Broken Hill has taken a bite out of the 32.0% Nationals margin, while nonetheless remains at a healthy 25.8%.
The electorate has existed since 1927, and has only been held by Labor for a term after the 1930 election, and between 1940 to 1950. The National/Country Party has held the seat since 1950, Ian Slack-Smith assuming it when former leader Wal Murray retired in 1995. Slack-Smith was succeeded in 2007 by Kevin Humphries, a former high school principal and consultancy business operator who won preselection from a field of six candidates. Humphries was promoted to the shadow ministry in December 2008, and in government took on the role of Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Healthy Lifestyles, Minister for Western New South Wales. A further promotion came in the reshuffle that followed Barry O’Farrell’s resignation in April 2014, in which his existing portfolios were exchanged for natural resources and lands and water.
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