Created 1949 Electors 95,008 (2016) Founded 1949 Member of parliament Milton Dick Namesake John Oxley | MP Milton Dick Demographic Outer Metropolitan Area 155 km² Elector 95,008 Party Australian Labor Party | |
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The Division of Oxley is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The current division is the second to bear the name, and was created in 1949. The division is named after the Australian explorer, John Oxley. Oxley is located in south east Queensland, and covers the south western suburbs of Brisbane.
The original Division of Oxley was established in 1901, and was abolished and replaced by the Division of Griffith in 1934. Its best-known member was Bill Hayden, the Labor Opposition Leader between 1977 and 1983, when he resigned under pressure the same day that the 1983 election which swept Bob Hawke to power was called. Hayden later served as a minister in the Hawke Government before becoming Governor-General in 1988.
In 1996, the seat became most well known for controversial social conservative MP Pauline Hanson who was elected as a Liberal-turned-independent, but the seat was heavily redistributed in 1997, splitting her main support base of Ipswich between Oxley and Blair. Hanson contested the seat of Blair, winning 36% of the primary vote but losing to the Liberals (who got 21%) under Australia's system of preferential voting. Hanson's brief tenure is the only time in the last half century that the seat has been out of Labor hands.