Electoral district of Bourke

Bourke was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1880 to 1904, including the towns of Bourke and Cobar. It elected two members simultaneously between 1882 and 1889 increasing to three members until 1894, with each elector being able to vote for as many candidates as there were vacancies.[1][2][3]

1892 map of Bourke electoral district

History

Bourke was created in 1880, one of 23 new districts,[lower-alpha 1] established under the Electoral Act 1880 (NSW)[4] which was the first major redistribution since 1858.[5] The district was formed from parts of The Bogan, Balranald and included the major towns of Bourke and Cobar. It included the pastoral district of Warrego as well as parts of the pastoral districts of Bligh, Wellington and Albert.[4] It did not include any part of the Bourke County which was in The Murrumbidgee. Bourke was a key agricultural trading hub, owing to its position as a port on the Darling River,[6] while Cobar's economy was centered around copper mining.[7]

At its establishment in 1880 Bourke had the largest number of enrolled voters per seat with 3,478 voters returning a single member,[8] compared with the state average of 1,549 for a country seat and 2,361 for an urban one,[5] The Electoral Act 1880[4] provided that a district would return a second member if the electoral roll reached 3,000, a third member upon reaching 5,000 and a fourth member on reaching 8,000.[5] Bourke returned a second member from the 1882 election,[9] and a third member from the 1889 election.[10]

When multi-member constituencies were abolished in 1894,[11] Bourke was reduced in size and parts were given to the new districts of Cobar and The Barwon.[12]

The district was abolished in 1904 as a result of the 1903 New South Wales referendum, which reduced the number of members of the Legislative Assembly from 125 to 90.[13] Bourke was absorbed by the new district of The Darling, along with parts of The Barwon and Wilcannia.[14]

Members for Bourke

(1880–1882, 1 member)
MemberPartyTerm
  Russell Barton None 1880–1882
(1882–1889, 2 members)
MemberPartyTermMemberPartyTerm
  Russell Barton None 1882–1886   Richard Machattie None 1882–1885
  William Sawers None 1885–1886
  Thomas Waddell Free Trade 1887–1889   Alexander Wilson Free Trade 1887–1889
(1889–1894, 3 members)
MemberPartyTermMemberPartyTermMemberPartyTerm
  Thomas Waddell Protectionist 1889–1891   William Willis Protectionist 1889–1894   William Davis Protectionist 1889–1891
  James Howe Protectionist 1891–1891   Hugh Langwell Independent Labor 1891–1894
  Thomas Waddell Protectionist 1891–1894
(1894–1904, 1 member)
MemberPartyTerm
  Edward Millen Free Trade 1894–1898
  William Davis Protectionist 1898–1901
  Progressive 1901–1904

Election results

1901 New South Wales state election: Bourke[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive William Davis unopposed
Progressive hold  

Notes

References

  1. "Part 5B alphabetical list of all electorates and Members since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  2. "Former Members". Members of Parliament. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  3. Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Bourke". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  4. Electoral Act 1880 (NSW).
  5. "1880 Redistribution". Atlas of New South Wales. NSW Land & Property Information. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015.
  6. "Bourke". About NSW. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013.
  7. "The Great Cobar Copper Mines". Australian Town and Country Journal. 3 August 1878. p. 23. Retrieved 17 August 2020 via Trove.
  8. Green, Antony. "1880 Turnout". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  9. "The Electoral District of Bourke". New South Wales Government Gazette (428). 25 October 1882. p. 5679. Retrieved 17 August 2020 via Trove.
  10. "The Electoral District of Bourke". New South Wales Government Gazette (38). 18 January 1889. p. 521. Retrieved 17 August 2020 via Trove.
  11. "1893 Redistribution". Atlas of New South Wales. NSW Land & Property Information. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015.
  12. "Maps and sketches of proposed Electoral Districts". New South Wales Government Gazette. 23 August 1893. p. 6583. Retrieved 12 April 2020 via Trove.
  13. "1904 Redistribution". Atlas of New South Wales. NSW Land & Property Information. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015.
  14. "The new electorates: where and what they are". Evening News. 26 March 1904. p. 3. Retrieved 7 December 2019 via Trove.
  15. Green, Antony. "1901 Bourke". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
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