2001 Profile of the division of Wakefield

Updated: 9 February 2011

State:

South Australia

Name Derivation:

Named after Edward Gibbon Wakefield (1796–1862), whose plan for systematic colonisation formed the basis of settlement in South Australia and Western Australia.

Area and Location Description:

It covers an area of approximately 31 841 sq km from Stenhouse Bay on the Yorke Peninsula to Renmark in the east, near the New South Wales border.

The towns of Angaston, Balaklava, Barmera, Berri, Gawler, Gumeracha, Kadina, Kapunda, Loxton, Minlaton, Moonta, Morgan, Mount Pleasant, Nurioopta, Renmark, Tanunda, Waikerie, Wallaroo, and Yorketown are in this division.

Products/Industries of the area:

Wakefield has many diversified rural industries. The most important are mixed cereals and sheep farming, viticulture in the Barossa Valley and Riverland, and irrigated orcharding in the Riverland.

First Proclaimed

1903

Members

  • Neil Andrew (LP) 1983–
  • G Giles (LP) 1977–83
  • C R Kelly (LP) 1958–77
  • P A M McBride (LP) 1946–58
  • A E Smith (ALP) 1943–46
  • J G Duncan-Hughes (UAP) 1940–43
  • S McHugh (ALP) 1938–40
  • C A S Hawker (NAT/UAP) 1929–38
  • M Collins (CP) 1928–29
  • R W Foster (ANTI-SOC/LIB/NAT) 1909–28
  • (Sir) F W Holder (PROT/ANTI-SOC) 1903–09

For Current Members information, browse the Parliament of Australia Members page.

AEC – Divisional Office Contact Numbers and Addresses.

Demographic Rating

Rural

Statistical information
3 October 1998 Election 6 November 1999 Referendum 10 November 2001 Election

Enrolment: 88 650

Informal Vote: 4.92%

Turnout: 95.87%

Seat Status: Safe Liberal

Two Party Preferred:

  • ALP: 33.71%
  • LP: 66.29%

Enrolment: 85 232

Informal Vote:

  • Republic Question 0.89%
  • Preamble Question 1.09%

Turnout:

  • Republic Question 96.72%
  • Preamble Question 96.75%

Enrolment: 86 378

Informal Vote: 5.48%

Turnout: 96.3%

Seat Status: Safe Liberal

Two Party Preferred:

  • ALP: 35.44%
  • LP: 64.56%