Division of Gwydir

Gwydir Australian House of Representatives Division
Created	1901
Abolished	2007
Namesake	Gwydir River

The Division of Gwydir was an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. As a result of the electoral redistribution of 13 September 2006, Gwydir was abolished and ceased to exist at the 2007 federal election.

Gwydir was named for the Gwydir River (which in turn was named by the explorer Allan Cunningham after his patron Peter Burrell, Baron Gwydyr, who took his title from Gwydir Castle in Wales). The division was located in western New South Wales, and at the time of its abolition included the towns of Bourke, Moree, Mudgee and Brewarrina.

The seat was a stronghold of the Australian Workers' Union, and until the 1940s was one of the few country seats where the Australian Labor Party usually did well. It was in Labor hands for all but six terms from 1903 to 1949. However, it was held by the National Party from 1949 onward, and from the mid-1970s onward it was usually fairly safe for that party.

Its last Labor member, William Scully, was a Cabinet minister in the Ben Chifley government. The final member, John Anderson, was Leader of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister in the Howard Government until he resigned the position.

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