Division of Holt

{{short description|Australian federal electoral division}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}

{{Use Australian English|date=September 2017}}

{{Infobox Australian Electorate

| federal = yes

| name = Holt

| image = {{switcher

|{{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|from=Australian Federal Electorates/Victoria (2022)/Holt.map|frame-longitude=145.3|frame-latitude=-38.15|frame-height=300|frame-width=400|overlay-horizontal-alignment=right|overlay-vertical-alignment=bottom|overlay=x100px

}}

|From the 2022 federal election to 2025

|{{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|from=Australian Federal Electorates/Victoria (2025)/Holt.map|frame-longitude=145.3|frame-latitude=-38.15|frame-height=300|frame-width=400|overlay-horizontal-alignment=right|overlay-vertical-alignment=bottom|overlay=x100px

}}

|From the 2025 federal election

|default=2

}}

| caption = Interactive map of electorate boundaries

| created = 1969

| mp = Cassandra Fernando

| mp-party = Labor

| namesake = Harold Holt

| electors = 107465

| electors_year = 2022

| area = 258

| class = Outer metropolitan and semi-rural

| near-n =Bruce

|near-nw=Isaacs|near-w=Dunkley|near-sw=Flinders|near-s=Western Port|near-se=Western Port|near-e=La Trobe|near-ne=La Trobe}}

The Division of Holt is an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. It is located in the outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, including Blind Bight, Botanic Ridge, Cannons Creek, Clyde, Cranbourne, Devon Meadows, Hampton Park, Junction Village, Lynbrook, and Warneet; and parts of Clyde North, Lyndhurst, Narre Warren South, Pearcedale and Tooradin. The division is represented by Cassandra Fernando of the Labor Party.

Geography

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.{{cite web |last1=Muller |first1=Damon |title=The process of federal redistributions: a quick guide |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1718/Quick_Guides/FederalRedistributions |website=Parliament of Australia |access-date=19 April 2022 |date=14 November 2017}}

History

File:Harold Holt 1964.jpg, the division's namesake]]

The division was created in the 1969 redistribution, and is named after Harold Holt. Holt was a long-serving minister under successive governments led by Robert Menzies. Holt became Prime Minister upon Menzies' retirement in January 1966, although Holt would only serve less than two years before disappearing off Cheviot Beach.

Historically a marginal seat, over time the seat became safer for the Australian Labor Party. However, after the 2004 election it was again highly marginal due to voter backlash over the announcement that the proposed Scoresby Freeway would be a tollway rather than a freeway. The seat returned to its safe status following the 2007 election.

Its most prominent members include Michael Duffy and Gareth Evans. Both served as ministers under Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, though Evans was a Senator during that period. Evans also served as deputy under Kim Beazley from 1996 to 1998.

{{clear left}}

Members

class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
colspan=2 | Image

! Member

! Party

! Term

! Notes

{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| 

| 100px

| Len Reid
{{small|(1916–2003)}}

| Liberal

| nowrap | 25 October 1969
2 December 1972

| Previously held the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Dandenong. Lost seat

{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

| 100px

| Max Oldmeadow
{{small|(1924–2013)}}

| Labor

| nowrap | 2 December 1972
13 December 1975

| Lost seat

{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| 

| 100px

| William Yates
{{small|(1921–2010)}}

| Liberal

| nowrap | 13 December 1975
18 October 1980

| Previously held the British House of Commons seat of The Wrekin. Lost seat

{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

| 100px

| Michael Duffy
{{small|(1938–)}}

| rowspan="4" | Labor

| nowrap | 18 October 1980
29 January 1996

| Served as minister under Hawke and Keating. Retired

{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

| 100px

| Gareth Evans
{{small|(1944–)}}

| nowrap | 2 March 1996
30 September 1999

| Previously a member of the Senate. Resigned to retire from politics

{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

| 100px

| Anthony Byrne
{{small|(1962–)}}

| nowrap | 6 November 1999
11 April 2022

| Retired

{{Australian party style|Labor}}| 

| 100px

| Cassandra Fernando
{{small|(1987–)}}

| nowrap | 21 May 2022
present

| Incumbent

Election results

{{main|Electoral results for the Division of Holt}}

{{Excerpt|Results of the 2025 Australian federal election in Victoria|section=Holt}}

{{Excerpt|Results of the 2022 Australian federal election in Victoria|section=Holt}}

References

{{Reflist}}