Party Australian Labor Party Demographic Inner Metropolitan Elector 51,550 | Electors 51,550 (2011) Area 18 km² | |
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Dates current 1859–1920, 1927–present | ||
Canterbury is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is currently vacant, and was last represented by Linda Burney of the Australian Labor Party, who has resigned to contest the federal seat of Barton. The vacancy will be filled in an upcoming by-election. Linda Burney won the seat of Barton at the Australian federal election, 2016.
Canterbury includes the suburbs of Belmore, Campsie, Canterbury, Clemton Park, Earlwood, Hurlstone Park, Undercliffe and parts of Ashbury, Belfield, Beverly Hills, Kingsgrove and Roselands.
History
Canterbury was created in 1859, replacing part of Cumberland (South Riding), named after and including the then town, now Sydney suburb, of Canterbury. It was bordered on the east by Glebe and Newtown, and from 1880, Balmain and Redfern and stretched in the north to Drummoyne and Rhodes, south to Georges River and west to a line between Salt Pan Creek and Homebush Bay. It was a multi-member electorate, electing two members until 1882 and then four members until the abolition of multi-member electorates in 1894, when it was split into Canterbury, Ashfield, Burwood, Petersham and St George. It was abolished in 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation and absorbed into St George. It was recreated in 1927, and has been held by Labor for all but one term since. In recent decades it has become one of Labor's safest seats.