McEwen Australian House of Representatives Division |
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Division of McEwen in Victoria, as of the 2016 federal election.
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Created | 1984 |
MP | Rob Mitchell |
Party | Labor |
Namesake | John McEwen |
Electors | 130,591 (2016) |
Area | 10,675 km2 (4,121.6 sq mi) |
Demographic | Rural |
The Division of McEwen is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. Classed as a rural seat, the electorate is located in the centre of the state, north of the capital city of Melbourne. It includes the outer northern suburbs of Craigieburn, Doreen, Mernda, Sunbury and Wollert, and extends along the Hume Highway north of the metropolitan area to include the towns of Broadford, Gisborne, Kilmore, Seymour, Wallan and Woodend as well as many other small towns.
The Division was proclaimed at the redistribution of 14 September 1984, and was first contested at the 1984 federal election. It was named after Rt Hon Sir John McEwen, leader of the Country Party of Australia, who was appointed caretaker Prime Minister of Australia after the disappearance of Harold Holt in 1967.
For most of its history, the seat has been very marginal. While classed as rural, it is actually a hybrid urban-rural seat. It is split between portions of Labor's traditional heartland of north Melbourne and rural areas that tilt more toward the Liberals and Nationals.