Division of Bourke

{{short description|Former Australian federal electoral division}}

{{distinguish|Division of Burke (disambiguation){{!}}Division of Burke}}

{{Infobox Australian electorate

|federal = yes

|name = Bourke

|image =

|caption =

|state = vic

|created = 1901

|abolished = 1949

|namesake = Sir Richard Bourke

}}

The Division of Bourke was an Australian electoral division in Victoria. The division was proclaimed in 1900, and was one of the original 65 divisions to be contested at the first federal election. The division was named for Sir Richard Bourke, Governor of New South Wales at the time of the founding of Melbourne. After 1910, it was a safe seat for the Australian Labor Party, but was lost to an independent Labor member in 1946.

When the division was first proclaimed, it covered a large area of the northern suburbs of Melbourne, spanning from Essendon in the west, to what was later Watsonia North in the north-east, and to Ivanhoe East in the south-east.{{cite web|url=https://handbook.aph.gov.au/Electorate/Bourke/State/Victoria|title=Bourke|website=Parliamentary Handbook|access-date=30 May 2025}} The division underwent boundary changes throughout its existence and at one point, also covered Thomastown and Eltham. It underwent its largest boundary change in 1922, when it was significantly shrunk to cover mainly the suburbs of Brunswick and Coburg only, as well as parts of Pascoe Vale. The lost areas were replaced by the expanded Division of Batman and Division of Flinders.{{cite web|url=https://handbook.aph.gov.au/Electorate/Batman/State/Victoria|title=Batman|website=Parliamentary Handbook|access-date=8 June 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://handbook.aph.gov.au/Electorate/Flinders/State/Victoria|title=Flinders|website=Parliamentary Handbook|access-date=8 June 2025}}

The division was abolished in 1949. It was replaced by the similarly-named Division of Burke (named after a different person Robert O'Hara Burke), which also covered the Brunswick area, and the newly-created Division of Wills which covered the Coburg area.{{cite web|url=https://handbook.aph.gov.au/Electorate/Burke/State/Victoria|title=Burke|website=Parliamentary Handbook|access-date=26 May 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://handbook.aph.gov.au/Electorate/Wills/State/Victoria|title=Wills|website=Parliamentary Handbook|access-date=30 May 2025}}

Members

class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
colspan=2 \| Image ! Member ! Party ! Term ! Notes
{{Australian party style\|Protectionist}}\| \| rowspan=2 \| 100px \| rowspan=2 \| James Hume Cook {{small\|(1866–1942)}} \| Protectionist \| nowrap \| 29 March 1901 – 26 May 1909 \| rowspan=2 \| Previously held the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of East Bourke Boroughs. Served as Chief Government Whip in the House under Deakin. Served as minister under Deakin. Lost seat
{{Australian party style\|Commonwealth Liberal}}\| \| nowrap \| Liberal \| nowrap \| 26 May 1909 – 13 April 1910
{{Australian party style\|Labor}}\| \| 100px \| Frank Anstey {{small\|(1865–1940)}} \| Labor \| nowrap \| 13 April 1910 – 7 August 1934 \| Previously held the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Brunswick. Served as minister under Scullin. Retired
{{Australian party style\|Labor}}\| \| rowspan=4 \| 100px \| rowspan=4 \| Maurice Blackburn {{small\|(1880–1944)}} \| Labor \| nowrap \| 15 September 1934 – 15 November 1935{{cite web \|title=MR. BLACKBURN OUT \|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/192413466 \|publisher=Tweed Daily \|access-date=25 January 2025 \|page=4 \|date=16 November 1935}} \| rowspan=4 \| Previously held the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Clifton Hill. Lost seat. Wife was Doris Blackburn
{{Australian party style\|Independent Labor}}\| \| nowrap \| Independent Labor \| nowrap \| 15 November 1935 – 27 March 1937
{{Australian party style\|Labor}}\| \| nowrap \| Labor \| nowrap \| 27 March 1937 – 3 October 1941{{cite web \|title=MR. BLACKBURN EXPELLED FROM LABOR PARTY \|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/68355928 \|publisher=Advocate \|access-date=25 January 2025 \|page=7 \|date=4 October 1941}}
{{Australian party style\|Independent Labor}}\| \| nowrap \| Independent Labor \| nowrap \| 3 October 1941 – 21 August 1943
{{Australian party style\|Labor}}\| \| 100px \| Bill Bryson {{small\|(1898–1973)}} \| Labor \| nowrap \| 21 August 1943 – 28 September 1946 \| Lost seat. Later elected to the Division of Wills in 1949
{{Australian party style\|Independent Labor}}\| \| rowspan="2" \| 100px \| rowspan="2" \| Doris Blackburn {{small\|(1889–1970)}} \| nowrap \| Independent Labor \| nowrap \| 28 September 1946 – 26 June 1947 \| rowspan="2" \| Failed to win the Division of Wills after Bourke was abolished in 1949. Husband was Maurice Blackburn
{{Australian party style\|blackburn-mutton}}\| \| Blackburn-Mutton Labor \| nowrap \| 26 June 1947 – 10 December 1949

class=wikitable style="text-align:center"

colspan=2 | Image

! Member

! Party

! Term

! Notes

{{Australian party style|Protectionist}}|

| rowspan=2 | 100px

| rowspan=2 | James Hume Cook
{{small|(1866–1942)}}

| Protectionist

| nowrap | 29 March 1901 –
26 May 1909

| rowspan=2 | Previously held the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of East Bourke Boroughs. Served as Chief Government Whip in the House under Deakin. Served as minister under Deakin. Lost seat

{{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}|

| nowrap | Liberal

| nowrap | 26 May 1909 –
13 April 1910

{{Australian party style|Labor}}|

| 100px

| Frank Anstey
{{small|(1865–1940)}}

| Labor

| nowrap | 13 April 1910 –
7 August 1934

| Previously held the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Brunswick. Served as minister under Scullin. Retired

{{Australian party style|Labor}}|

| rowspan=4 | 100px

| rowspan=4 | Maurice Blackburn
{{small|(1880–1944)}}

| Labor

| nowrap | 15 September 1934 –
15 November 1935{{cite web |title=MR. BLACKBURN OUT |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/192413466 |publisher=Tweed Daily |access-date=25 January 2025 |page=4 |date=16 November 1935}}

| rowspan=4 | Previously held the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Clifton Hill. Lost seat. Wife was Doris Blackburn

{{Australian party style|Independent Labor}}|

| nowrap | Independent Labor

| nowrap | 15 November 1935 –
27 March 1937

{{Australian party style|Labor}}|

| nowrap | Labor

| nowrap | 27 March 1937 –
3 October 1941{{cite web |title=MR. BLACKBURN EXPELLED FROM LABOR PARTY |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/68355928 |publisher=Advocate |access-date=25 January 2025 |page=7 |date=4 October 1941}}

{{Australian party style|Independent Labor}}|

| nowrap | Independent Labor

| nowrap | 3 October 1941 –
21 August 1943

{{Australian party style|Labor}}|

| 100px

| Bill Bryson
{{small|(1898–1973)}}

| Labor

| nowrap | 21 August 1943 –
28 September 1946

| Lost seat. Later elected to the Division of Wills in 1949

{{Australian party style|Independent Labor}}|

| rowspan="2" | 100px

| rowspan="2" | Doris Blackburn
{{small|(1889–1970)}}