The Murray (or just Murray) was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly[1] in the Australian colony of Victoria from 1856 to 1877.
| The Murray Victoria—Legislative Assembly | |
|---|---|
 Location in Victoria | |
| State | Victoria |
| Created | 1856 |
| Abolished | 1877 |
| Namesake | Murray |
| Demographic | Rural |
It was based in north-eastern Victoria, south of the Murray River.[2] Its area was defined in the Victorian Constitution Act of 1855 as: "Bounded on the South and West by the Counties of Evelyn and Anglesea and the River Goulburn to its Junction with the River Murray; on the North and North-east by the River Murray; and on the East by the great dividing Range, excepting the Country comprised in the Electoral Districts of the Murray Boroughs and of Beechworth" (Ovens).[3]
History edit
The Murray Boroughs was a separate electorate and consisted of the towns of Wodonga, Wangaratta, Benalla, Euroa, Avenal and Seymour.[3]
The district of The Murray was one of the initial districts of the first Victorian Legislative Assembly, 1856.[4] 36°30′S 146°30′E / 36.500°S 146.500°E
1861 election controversy edit
In August 1861 the electorate was declared for David Reid with 393 votes, a majority of ten, over John Orr.[5] Mr Curtis A. Reid, the returning electoral officer for The Murray and brother of David Reid disallowed the entirety of the Longwood votes as they were made in pencil[6] not pen and ink. John Orr brought a petition against the return of David Reid[7][8] and in May 1862 the Elections and Qualification Committee declared the votes legal and disqualified David Reid as member for The Murray.[9]
Members for The Murray edit
Initially, two members represented the electorate,[4][10] then only one following the redistribution of 1859.[11]
| Member 1 | Term | Notes | Member 2 | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travers Adamson | Nov. 1856 – Aug. 1859 | John Goodman | Nov. 1856 – Jan. 1858 | Resigned | |
| William Forlonge | Jan. 1858[b] Jan. 1859 | Resigned | |||
| William Nicholson | Jan. 1859[b] Aug. 1859 | ||||
| David Reid | Oct. 1859 – May 1862 | Disqualified | |||
| John Orr | May 1862 – Dec. 1867 | ||||
| William Witt | Mar. 1868 – July 1872 | Resigned | |||
| John Orr | July 1872[b] Mar. 1874 | ||||
| William Witt | May 1874 – Apr. 1877 |
b = by-election
Nicholson went on to represent the then newly created Electoral district of Sandridge from October 1859.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b "Re-Member (Former Members)". State Government of Victoria. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
- ^ "Electoral district of The Murray and The Ovens" (map). 1856. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- ^ a b "Victoria Constitution Act 1855" (PDF). Retrieved 6 June 2013.
- ^ a b Sweetman, Edward (1920). Constitutional Development of Victoria, 1851-6. Whitcombe & Tombs Limited. p. 183. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
- ^ "MURRAY ELECTION". Ovens and Murray Advertiser. Beechworth, Vic. 27 August 1861. p. 3. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "MURRAY ELECTION". Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. : 1855 - 1866; 1914 -1918). Beechworth, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 29 August 1861. p. 3. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "THE MURRAY ELECTION CASE". Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. : 1855 - 1866; 1914 -1918). Beechworth, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 29 March 1862. p. 3. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "THE MURRAY ELECTION CASE". Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. : 1855 - 1866; 1914 -1918). Beechworth, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 5 April 1862. p. 2. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "THE MURRAY ELECTION CASE". Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. : 1855 - 1866; 1914 -1918). Beechworth, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 3 May 1862. p. 3. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "The Election results". The Argus. 20 September 1856. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
- ^ "An Act to alter the Electoral Districts of Victoria and to increase the number of Members of the Legislative Assembly thereof" (PDF). 1858. Retrieved 29 May 2013.