State New South Wales Area 79.25 km² Namesake Wollongong | MP Paul Scully Member of parliament Paul Scully Party Australian Labor Party | |
Dates current 1904–1920
1927–1930
1968–present | ||
Wollongong is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Paul Scully of the Australian Labor Party. Since a redistribution in 2013, it has covered an area of 79.25 square kilometres and includes the localities of Berkeley, Coachwood Park, Coniston, Cordeaux Heights, Corrimal, Cringila, Fairy Meadow, Farmborough Chase, Farmborough Heights, Figtree, Gwynneville, Kembla Grange, Kembla Heights, Kemblawarra, Lake Heights, Lindsay Heights, Mangerton, Mount Kembla, Mount Saint Thomas, North Wollongong, Port Kembla, Primbee, Spring Hill, Towradgi, Unanderra, Warrawong, West Wollongong, Windang, Wollongong.
In August 2016, Noreen Hay resigned from the NSW Legislative Assembly triggering a third by-election for the Electoral district of Wollongong. The other two NSW Legislative Assembly seats being the Electoral district of Canterbury and the Electoral district of Orange.
History
Wollongong was created in 1904, replacing parts of Woronora and Kiama. In 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed into Wollondilly, along with Allowrie. In 1927, with the abolition of proportional representation, it was recreated, along with a new Illawarra electorate. In 1930, it was replaced by Bulli. In 1941, a new electorate of Wollongong-Kembla was created. This was split into Wollongong and Kembla in 1968.
Wollongong has rarely been won by the center-right wing Liberal party and in recent decades has become one of Labor's safest seats.