Division of Cowper

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Distinguish Template:Infobox Australian Electorate

The Division of Cowper is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. It stretches along the coast comprising the cities of Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour.

Since 2019, its MP has been Pat Conaghan of the National Party.

GeographyEdit

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>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

HistoryEdit

The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 65 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named after Sir Charles Cowper, an early Premier of New South Wales.<ref name="cowper">Template:Citation</ref>

Except for one brief break, the seat has been held by the National Party (previously known as the Country Party) and its predecessors since 1919.<ref name = "cowper"/> Its most prominent member has been Sir Earle Page, former leader of the Country Party and interim Prime Minister of Australia in 1939. He represented Cowper from 1919 to 1961, longer than any other MP who represented one seat for his entire career. It has usually been a fairly safe National Party seat, and became more so when its more urbanised area (including Page's hometown of Grafton) was shifted to the newly created Division of Page in 1984.

The division is located on the north coast of New South Wales, and on its current boundaries takes in the towns of Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Kempsey, Macksville and Nambucca Heads.

In February 2016, New South Wales federal electoral districts were redistributed. The northern parts of Cowper, from Sapphire Beach to Red Rock were shifted to the division of Page. Since the 2019 election, the member for Cowper has been Pat Conaghan, representing the National Party of Australia. Template:Clear left

MembersEdit

Image Member Party Term Notes
Template:Australian party style File:Francis Clarke.jpg Francis Clarke
Template:Small
Protectionist 30 March 1901
16 December 1903
Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Hastings and Macleay. Served as Chief Government Whip in the House under Deakin. Lost seat
Template:Australian party style File:Henry William Lee.jpg Henry Lee
Template:Small
Free Trade 16 December 1903
1906
Lost seat
Template:Australian party style Anti-Socialist 1906 –
12 December 1906
Template:Australian party style File:John Thomson (Australian politician).jpg John Thomson
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Protectionist 12 December 1906
26 May 1909
Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Manning. Served as Chief Government Whip in the House under Hughes. Lost seat
Template:Australian party style Liberal 26 May 1909 –
17 February 1917
Template:Australian party style Nationalist 17 February 1917 –
13 December 1919
Template:Australian party style File:Earle Page.jpg (Sir) Earle Page
Template:Small
Farmers and Settlers' Association 13 December 1919
22 January 1920
Served as minister under Bruce, Lyons, Menzies and Fadden. Served as Prime Minister in 1939. Lost seat
Template:Australian party style Country 22 January 1920 –
9 December 1961
Template:Australian party style File:FrankMcGuren1962.jpg Frank McGuren
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Labor 9 December 1961
30 November 1963
Lost seat
Template:Australian party style File:Ian Robinson 1974 (cropped).jpg Ian Robinson
Template:Small
Country 30 November 1963
2 May 1975
Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Casino. Transferred to the Division of Page
Template:Australian party style National Country 2 May 1975 –
16 October 1982
Template:Australian party style Nationals 16 October 1982 –
1 December 1984
Template:Australian party style File:Nationals Placeholder.png Garry Nehl
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1 December 1984
8 October 2001
Retired
Template:Australian party style File:Luke Hartsuyker 2017 (cropped).png Luke Hartsuyker
Template:Small
10 November 2001
11 April 2019
Served as minister under Turnbull. Retired
Template:Australian party style File:North Coast Regional Gardens Glasshouse Opening 2022 (cropped).jpg Pat Conaghan
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18 May 2019
present
Incumbent

Election resultsEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:Excerpt

ReferencesEdit

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NotesEdit

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External linksEdit

Template:Australian federal divisions of New South Wales Template:Mid North Coast NSW Template:Coord