Created 1949 Electors 108,701 (2016) Area 91 km² Member of parliament Matt Thistlethwaite Namesake Charles Kingsford Smith | MP Matt Thistlethwaite Demographic Inner Metropolitan Founded 1949 Elector 108,701 Party Australian Labor Party | |
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The Division of Kingsford Smith is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. The division is named after Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, a pioneer aviator, and the first pilot to fly across the Pacific Ocean. The Kingsford Smith International Airport (Sydney International), and the suburb of Kingsford, both of which are located within the division, are also named after him. The division was proclaimed at the redistribution of 11 May 1949, and was first contested at the 1949 federal election.
The division is located in the south-eastern suburbs of Sydney, on the north shore of Botany Bay, and the coast of the Tasman Sea. The division includes the suburbs of Banksmeadow, Botany, Chifley, Coogee, Daceyville, East Botany, Eastgardens, Eastlakes, Hillsdale, Kensington, Kingsford, La Perouse, Little Bay, Malabar, Maroubra, Maroubra Junction, Mascot, Matraville, Pagewood, Phillip Bay, Port Botany, and South Coogee; as well as parts of Clovelly, Randwick, and Rosebery. Bare Island, Prince Henry Hospital, and the University of New South Wales are also located in the electorate.
The current Member for Kingsford Smith, since the 2013 federal election, is Matt Thistlethwaite, a member of the Australian Labor Party who resigned from the Senate prior to the election.
History
Kingsford Smith has been in Labor hands for its entire existence, and was one of Labor's safest seats for the better part of 60 years. However, demographic changes have made the seat much less secure for Labor. It has previously been held by Lionel Bowen, a minister in the Whitlam government, Deputy Leader of the Labor Party from 1977 to 1990 and Deputy Prime Minister for most of the Hawke government, and by Laurie Brereton, a minister in the Keating government. It was then held by Peter Garrett, a former lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil, former President of the Australian Conservation Foundation, and a minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments. Garrett announced his retirement on 26 June 2013.
The Division was originally known as the Division of Kingsford-Smith (with a hyphen), based upon a misspelling of Sir Charles's surname. However, this was corrected at the redistribution in 2001.