Electoral district of Ripon

Ripon is a single member electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It is a rural electorate based in western Victoria. In 1946 the electoral district of Ripon was first contested but then abolished in the 1955 election after being held by Labor for seven of these years.[1] Ripon was re-created in 1976,[1] essentially as a replacement for Hampden and Kara Kara.

Ripon
VictoriaLegislative Assembly
Location of Ripon (dark green) in Victoria
StateVictoria
Dates current1945–1955
1976–present
MPMartha Haylett
PartyLabor
NamesakeShire of Ripon
Electors47,774 (2018)
Area14,444 km2 (5,576.9 sq mi)
DemographicRural
Coordinates36°57′0″S 143°15′36″E / 36.95000°S 143.26000°E / -36.95000; 143.26000
Electorates around Ripon:
Lowan Mildura Murray Plains
Bendigo East
Lowan Ripon Bendigo West
Macedon
Lowan Eureka
Polwarth
Wendouree
Eureka

Ripon has an area of 16,761 square kilometres.[2] It includes the towns of Amphitheatre, Ararat, Avoca, Bealiba, Beaufort, Borung, Bridgewater on Loddon, Buangor, Cardigan, Carisbrook, Charlton, Clunes, Creswick, Dunolly, Eddington, Elmhurst, Glenorchy, Great Western, Inglewood, Landsborough, Lexton, Lucas, Marnoo, Maryborough, Miners Rest, Moonambel, Newbridge, Snake Valley, St Arnaud, Stawell, Stuart Mill, Talbot, Tarnagulla and Wedderburn.[2] The main population centres are Creswick, Ararat, Maryborough, Avoca, Bridgewater on Loddon, St Arnaud and Stawell.[1] This district is known for agriculture, wine making, timber industries, manufacturing, wool production, paper milling, knitting mills and tourism.[2]

It has been held by the Liberal Party for most of its history. However, it was one of several country seats that unexpectedly fell to Labor Party in 1999 as part of Labor's shock victory that year. Labor would hold the seat until 2014, and reclaimed it in 2022. The 2018 result was the subject of a legal challenge by the second placed Labor candidate.[3]

In the 2021 redistribution, the boundaries of Ripon moved southeast, losing Donald and Charlton to Mildura, and Stawell to Lowan, and also gaining rural towns to the north, west and southwest of Ballarat from the abolished district of Buninyong. As a result, it is estimated that Ripon would be a Labor marginal seat from results of the 2018 election with a margin of 2.8%.[4]

Members

edit
First incarnation (1945–1955)
Member Party Term
  Ernie Morton Labor 1945–1947
  Rutherford Guthrie Liberal 1947–1950
  Ernie Morton Labor 1950–1955
Second incarnation (1976–present)
Member Party Term
  Tom Austin Liberal 1976–1992
  Steve Elder               Liberal 1992–1999
  Joe Helper Labor 1999–2014
  Louise Staley Liberal 2014–2022
  Martha Haylett Labor 2022–present

Election results

edit
2022 Victorian state election: Ripon[5][6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Martha Haylett 16,321 38.5 −2.5
Liberal Louise Staley 15,305 36.2 –0.6
Shooters, Fishers, Farmers Luke Smith 3,606 8.5 +3.1
Greens Earl James 2,524 6.0 +1.3
Family First Craig George 1,316 3.1 +3.1
Animal Justice Holly Sitters 1,145 2.7 +0.3
Justice Wren Louise Wilson 940 2.2 −1.8
Independent Wayne Rigg 872 2.1 +2.1
Independent Bernard Quince 312 0.7 +0.7
Total formal votes 42,341 93.2 +1.4
Informal votes 3,111 6.8 −1.4
Turnout 45,452 89.5 −3.7
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Martha Haylett 22,438 53.0 +0.2
Liberal Louise Staley 19,903 47.0 –0.2
Labor notional hold Swing +0.2


References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "Victorian Election 2014". ABC. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Ripon District profile". Victorian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 12 February 2015.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Wilson, Amber (7 February 2019). "De Santis' lawyer says she should've won Ripon: court". Collie Mail.
  4. ^ "Map of Ripon District" (PDF). Victorian Electoral Boundaries Commission.
  5. ^ Green, Antony (11 January 2023). "VIC22 – 2-Party Preferred Results and Swings by District". Antony Green's Election Blog. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  6. ^ VIC 2021 Final Redistribution, ABC News. [Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  7. ^ Ripon District results, Victorian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
edit