Division of Batman

Batman Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Batman (green) in Melbourne, Victoria
Created	1906
MP	David Feeney
Party	Labor
Namesake	John Batman
Electors	108,942 (2016)
Area	66 km² (25.5 sq mi)
Demographic	Inner Metropolitan

The Division of Batman is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. The division was created in 1906, replacing the Division of Northern Melbourne. It takes its name from John Batman, one of the founders of the city of Melbourne.^[1]

The current Member for Batman, since the 2013 federal election, is David Feeney, a member of the Australian Labor Party.

Batman has historically been the safest Labor seat in the nation, but came narrowly within being lost to the Australian Greens at the 2016 federal election after having been overtaken by them on the primary vote.

The division is located in Melbourne's northern suburbs. It covers an area of approximately 66 square kilometres (25 sq mi) from Thomastown/Bundoora in the north to Clifton Hill in the south, with Merri Creek providing the vast majority of the western boundary and Darebin Creek, parts of Macleod and Plenty Road in Bundoora providing the eastern boundary. The suburbs of Alphington, Clifton Hill, Fairfield, Kingsbury, Northcote, Preston, Reservoir, and Thornbury; and parts of Bundoora, Coburg North, Macleod, and Thomastown are in this division.^[1]

History

When it was created it covered the inner suburbs of Carlton and Fitzroy, but successive boundary changes have moved it steadily northwards. Today it includes Northcote, Preston, Reservoir and Thornbury.

Located in Labor's traditional heartland of north Melbourne, Batman has been in Labor hands for all but two terms since 1910, and without interruption since 1969. It has been held by senior Labor figures since 1977. It was held by Brian Howe from 1977 to 1996, a senior minister in the Hawke and Keating governments, and also Deputy Prime Minister 1991–95. Howe was succeeded at the 1996 election by Martin Ferguson, moving to Parliament after six years as President of the ACTU. Ferguson served as a senior Labor frontbencher, and a minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments, before resigning from the ministry in March 2013 after the failed challenge to Gillard's leadership. He was succeeded at the 2013 election by former Senator David Feeney, who had been a parliamentary secretary in the Rudd and Gillard governments.^[2]

Batman is currently the safest two-party seat for Labor in the nation with a 21 percent two-party margin. However, with the Greens finishing second, their two-candidate margin is 10.6 percent.

The top 10 Greens lower house primary votes at the last election were: Melbourne (Vic) 42.6%, Batman (Vic) 26.4%, Grayndler (NSW) 23.0%, Wills (Vic) 22.2%, Melbourne Ports (Vic) 20.2%, Richmond (NSW) 17.7%, Sydney (NSW) 17.3%, Higgins (Vic) 16.8%, Gellibrand (Vic) 16.7% and Kooyong (Vic) 16.6%.

Members

	Party	Term
Jabez Coon	Protectionist	1906–1909
Jabez Coon	Commonwealth Liberal	1909–1910
Henry Beard	Labour	1910–1910
Frank Brennan	Labor	1911–1931
Samuel Dennis	United Australia	1931–1934
Frank Brennan	Labor	1934–1949
Alan Bird	Labor	1949–1962
Sam Benson	Labor	1962–1966
Sam Benson	Independent	1966–1969
Horrie Garrick	Labor	1969–1977
Brian Howe	Labor	1977–1996
Martin Ferguson	Labor	1996–2013
David Feeney	Labor	2013–present

Election results

Main article: Electoral results for the Division of Batman

Australian federal election, 2016: Batman^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Greens	Alex Bhathal	32,645	36.23	+9.83
	Labor	David Feeney	31,780	35.27	−6.02
	Liberal	George Souris	17,924	19.89	−2.57
	Sex Party	Joel Murray	2,317	2.57	−0.01
	Independent	Philip Sutton	1,509	1.67	+0.86
	Animal Justice	Caitlin Evans	1,503	1.67	+0.27
	Marriage Equality	Elizabeth Syber	682	0.76	+0.76
	Renewable Energy	Maurice Oldis	593	0.66	+0.66
	Independent	Franco Guardiani	480	0.53	+0.53
	Cyclists	Geoffrey Cicuto	386	0.43	+0.43
	Progressives	Russell Hayward	282	0.31	+0.31
Total formal votes			90,101	92.22	−2.02
Informal votes			7,601	7.78	+2.02
Turnout			97,702	89.68	−1.92
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	David Feeney	64,645	71.75	+0.77
	Liberal	George Souris	25,456	28.25	−0.77
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Labor	David Feeney	45,977	51.03	−9.58
	Greens	Alex Bhathal	44,124	48.97	+9.58
	Labor hold		Swing	−9.58

References

1 2 "Profile of the electoral division of Batman (Vic)". Current federal electoral divisions. Australian Electoral Commission. 2 October 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
↑ Green, Antony (11 October 2013). "Federal election 2013: Batman results". Australia Votes. Australia: ABC. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
↑ Batman, VIC, Virtual Tally Room 2016, Australian Electoral Commission.

External links

Division of Batman – Australian Electoral Commission

Electoral divisions of the Australian House of Representatives in Victoria

Aston Ballarat Batman Bendigo Bruce Calwell Casey Chisholm Corangamite Corio Deakin Dunkley Flinders Gellibrand Gippsland Goldstein Gorton Higgins Holt Hotham Indi Isaacs Jagajaga Kooyong Lalor La Trobe Mallee Maribyrnong McEwen McMillan Melbourne Melbourne Ports Menzies Murray Scullin Wannon Wills Abolished: Balaclava Bourke Burke (1949–55) Burke (1969–2004) Corinella (1901–06) Corinella (1990–96) Darebin Diamond Valley Echuca Fawkner Grampians Henty Higinbotham Hoddle Isaacs (1949–69) Laanecoorie Mernda Moira Northern Melbourne Scullin (1955–69) Southern Melbourne Streeton Wimmera Yarra

Divisions in: New South Wales Victoria Queensland Western Australia South Australia Tasmania Australian Capital and Northern Territories

Coordinates: 37°43′59″S 145°00′50″E / 37.733°S 145.014°E / -37.733; 145.014

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