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Division of Casey

Casey Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Casey in Victoria, as of the 2022 federal election
Created	1969
MP	Aaron Violi
Party	Liberal
Namesake	Richard Casey
Electors	114,385 (2022)
Area	2,466 km2 (952.1 sq mi)
Demographic	Rural

The Division of Casey is an Australian electoral division in the stateofVictoria. The division was created in 1969 and is named for Richard Casey, who was Governor-General of Australia 1965–69.

The division is located in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne and extends into the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges. It covers an area of approximately 2,466 square kilometres (952 sq mi). Major suburbs and towns include Belgrave, Belgrave Heights, Belgrave South, Chirnside Park, Coldstream, Dixons Creek, Don Valley, Ferny Creek, Gladysdale, Gruyere, Healesville, Hoddles Creek, Kallista, Kalorama, Kilsyth, Kilsyth South, Launching Place, Lilydale, Lysterfield, Menzies Creek, Millgrove, Monbulk, Montrose, Mooroolbark, Mount Evelyn, Mount Dandenong, Olinda, Powelltown, Reefton, Sassafras, Selby, Seville, Seville East, Silvan, Tecoma, Upwey, Wandin, Wandin East, Warburton, Wesburn, Woori Yallock, Yarra Glen, and Yellingbo.^[1]

The current Member for Casey, since the 2022 federal election, is Aaron Violi, a member of the Liberal Party of Australia. His immediate predecessor is Tony Smith, who was Speaker of the House from 2015 through 2021, and was, after Bob Halverson, the second member for this electorate to occupy the chair.

Geography[edit]

Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australian Electoral Commission. Redistributions occur for the boundaries of divisions in a particular state, and they occur every seven years, or sooner if a state's representation entitlement changes or when divisions of a state are malapportioned.^[2]

History[edit]

When it was created it was a highly marginal seat, and at the 1972 federal election it was regarded as the "litmus seat", which the Australian Labor Party had to win to gain government. Lost when the Liberals won in 1975, Labor picked it up again when Labor regained government in 1983. However, a redistribution ahead of the following year's election made Casey marginally Liberal. The Liberals retook the seat in that election and have held it since then. Demographic changes have also contributed in making Casey a fairly safe seat for the Liberal Party, although a redistribution ahead of the 2013 federal election pushed the seat further north into the upper Yarra Valley, estimated to halve the Liberal two-party preferred majority of 4.2 per cent.^[3] Since the 2023 Aston by-election, it is the Liberal Party’s safest seat in metropolitan Melbourne.

Prominent members to have represented Casey include Peter Howson, who served as a minister in the McMahon government; Bob Halverson, who was Speaker of the House of Representatives 1996–98; Michael Wooldridge, who served as Minister for Health in the first five years of the Howard government (1996–2001); and Tony Smith, Speaker from 2015 until 2021.^[3]

Members[edit]

	Image	Member	Party	Term	Notes
		Peter Howson (1919–2009)	Liberal	25 October 1969 – 2 December 1972	Previously held the Division of Fawkner. Served as minister under McMahon. Lost seat
		Race Mathews (1935–)	Labor	2 December 1972 – 13 December 1975	Lost seat. Later elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Oakleighin1979
		Peter Falconer (1943–)	Liberal	13 December 1975 – 5 March 1983	Lost seat
		Peter Steedman (1941–)	Labor	5 March 1983 – 1 December 1984	Lost seat
		Bob Halverson (1937–2016)	Liberal	1 December 1984 – 31 August 1998	Served as Speaker during the Howard Government. Retired
		Michael Wooldridge (1956–)		3 October 1998 – 8 October 2001	Previously held the Division of Chisholm. Served as minister under Howard. Retired
		Tony Smith (1967–)		10 November 2001 – 11 April 2022	Served as Speaker during the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison Governments. Retired
		Aaron Violi (1984–)		21 May 2022 – present	Incumbent

Election results[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Division of Casey – Australian Electoral Commission

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