Division of Darwin

{{short description|Former Australian federal electoral division}}{{About|the historic Tasmanian electoral division|the electoral division that contains the city of Darwin|Division of Solomon}}

{{Infobox Australian Electorate | federal = yes

|name = Darwin

|image =

|caption =

|state = tas

|created = 1903

|abolished = 1955

|namesake = Charles Darwin

}}

The Division of Darwin was an Australian Electoral Division in Tasmania.{{cite web |url=http://www.electoral.tas.gov.au/pages/HouseMain.html |title=House of Assembly Main Page |access-date=2009-07-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090730180546/http://www.electoral.tas.gov.au/pages/HouseMain.html |archive-date=30 July 2009 |df=dmy }}

The division was created in 1903 and abolished in 1955,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27221508 |title=DIVISION OF DARWIN. |newspaper=The Mercury |location=Hobart, Tasmania |date=27 May 1954 |access-date=28 June 2015 |page=22 |via=National Library of Australia}} west coast Tasmania locations at the last election held when it was replaced by the Division of Braddon. It was named after Charles Darwin, who visited Australia in 1836. It is not related to the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory.

It was located in north-western and western Tasmania, including the towns of Burnie and Devonport.

After 1917, it was always in the hands of the non-Labor parties. Prominent members included King O'Malley, a colourful Labor member, Sir George Bell, Speaker of the House, and Dame Enid Lyons, the first woman elected to the House of Representatives.

Members

class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
! Image ! Member ! Party ! Term ! Notes
{{Australian party style\|Labor}}\| \| 100px \| King O'Malley {{small\|(1854–1953)}} \| Labor \| nowrap \| 16 December 1903 – 5 May 1917 \| Previously held the Division of Tasmania. Served as minister under Fisher and Hughes. Lost seat
{{Australian party style\|Nationalist}}\| \| 100px \| Charles Howroyd {{small\|(1867–1917)}} \| rowspan="3" \| Nationalist \| nowrap \| 5 May 1917 – 10 May 1917 \| Previously held the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Bass. Died in office
{{Australian party style\|Nationalist}}\| \| 100px \| William Spence {{small\|(1846–1926)}} \| nowrap \| 30 June 1917 – 13 December 1919 \| Previously held the Division of Darling. Did not contest in 1919. Failed to win the Division of Batman
{{Australian party style\|Nationalist}}\| \| 100px \| George Bell {{small\|(1872–1944)}} \| nowrap \| 13 December 1919 – 16 December 1922 \| Lost seat
{{Australian party style\|Country}}\| \| 100px \| Joshua Whitsitt {{small\|(1869–1943)}} \| Country \| nowrap \| 16 December 1922 – 3 October 1925 \| Previously held the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Darwin. Retired
{{Australian party style\|Nationalist}}\| \| rowspan=2 \| 100px \| rowspan=2 \| Sir George Bell {{small\|(1872–1944)}} \| Nationalist \| nowrap \| 14 November 1925 – 7 May 1931 \| rowspan=2 \| Served as Speaker during the Lyons, Page and Menzies Governments. Retired
{{Australian party style\|UAP}}\| \| rowspan="2" \| United Australia \| nowrap \| 7 May 1931 – 7 July 1943
{{Australian party style\|UAP}}\| \| rowspan=2 \| 100px \| rowspan=2 \| Dame Enid Lyons {{small\|(1897–1981)}} \| nowrap \| 21 August 1943 – 21 February 1945 \| rowspan=2 \| Served as minister under Menzies. Retired. First woman elected to the House of Representatives
{{Australian party style\|Liberal}}\| \| rowspan="2" \| Liberal \| nowrap \| 21 February 1945 – 19 March 1951
{{Australian party style\|Liberal}}\| \| 100px \| Aubrey Luck {{small\|(1900–1999)}} \| nowrap \| 28 April 1951 – 10 December 1955 \| Transferred to the Division of Braddon after Darwin was abolished in 1955

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

! Image

! Member

! Party

! Term

! Notes

{{Australian party style|Labor}}|

| 100px

| King O'Malley
{{small|(1854–1953)}}

| Labor

| nowrap | 16 December 1903 –
5 May 1917

| Previously held the Division of Tasmania. Served as minister under Fisher and Hughes. Lost seat