Division of Kingsford Smith

{{Infobox Australian Electorate

| federal = yes

| name = Kingsford Smith

| image = {{switcher

|{{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|from=Australian Federal Electorates/New South Wales (2016)/Kingsford Smith.map|frame-height=300|frame-width=400|overlay-horizontal-alignment=right|overlay-vertical-alignment=bottom|overlay=x100px

}}

|From the 2016 federal election to 2025

|{{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|from=Australian Federal Electorates/New South Wales (2025)/Kingsford Smith.map|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 = 1949

| mp = Matt Thistlethwaite

| mp-party = Labor

| namesake = Sir Charles Kingsford Smith

| electors = 117455

| electors_year = 2025

| electors_footnotes =

| area = 61

| class = Inner metropolitan

| near-nw = Grayndler

| near-n = Sydney

| near-ne = Wentworth

| near-e = Tasman Sea

| near-se = Tasman Sea

| near-s = Cook

| near-sw = Cook

| near-w = Barton

}}

The Division of Kingsford Smith is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. It is located south and south-east of Sydney CBD, comprising most of the City of Randwick and Bayside Council. It is currently represented by Labor MP Matt Thistlethwaite.

History

File:CEKSmith.jpg, the division's namesake]]

The division is named after Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, a pioneer aviator, who was the first pilot to fly across the Pacific Ocean. The Kingsford Smith International Airport (Sydney International), and the suburb of Kingsford, both of which are located within the division, are also named after him. The division was proclaimed at the redistribution of 11 May 1949{{cn|date=August 2023}}, and was first contested at the 1949 federal election.

Kingsford Smith has been in Labor hands for its entire existence. However, demographic changes since 2010 have made the seat much less secure for Labor. It has previously been held by Lionel Bowen, a minister in the Whitlam government, Deputy Leader of the Labor Party from 1977 to 1990, and Deputy Prime Minister for most of the Hawke government, and by Laurie Brereton, a minister in the Keating government. It was then held by Peter Garrett, a former lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil, former President of the Australian Conservation Foundation, and a minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments. Garrett announced his retirement on 26 June 2013.{{Cite news |url=http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/06/26/21/36/garrett-quits-as-rudd-returns |work=Nine News |title=Garrett quits as Rudd returns |date=26 June 2013 |access-date=26 June 2013 |agency=Australian Associated Press}}

The Division was originally known as the Division of Kingsford-Smith (with a hyphen), based upon a misspelling of Sir Charles's surname. However, this was corrected at the redistribution in 2001.[http://www.aph.gov.au/library/handbook/elections/electoral_divisions/historical/griffith_mackellar.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070909171302/http://www.aph.gov.au/library/handbook/elections/electoral_divisions/historical/griffith_mackellar.htm|date=9 September 2007}}

The current Member for Kingsford Smith, since the 2013 federal election, is Matt Thistlethwaite, a member of the Australian Labor Party who resigned from the Senate prior to the election.{{cite news |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/pre-selection-voting-underway-to-replace-peter-garrett-in-nsw-seat-of-kingsford-smith/story-fni0cx12-1226682380520 |title=NSW Labor senator Matt Thistlethwaite to replace Peter Garrett in NSW seat of Kingsford Smith |author=Bashan, Yoni |date=20 July 2013 |access-date=20 July 2013 |work=Daily Telegraph |location=Australia }}

Geography

The division is located to the south and south-east of Sydney CBD, on the north shore of Botany Bay, and the coast of the Tasman Sea. The division includes the suburbs of Banksmeadow, Botany, Brighton-Le-Sands, Chifley, Daceyville, East Botany, Eastgardens, Eastlakes, Hillsdale, Kensington, Kingsford, Kyeemagh, La Perouse, Little Bay, Malabar, Maroubra, Maroubra Junction, Mascot, Matraville, Monterey, Pagewood, Phillip Bay, Port Botany, Ramsgate Beach and South Coogee; along with parts of Coogee, Randwick and Rosebery. Bare Island, Prince Henry Hospital, Sydney Airport and the University of New South Wales are also located in the electorate.

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}}

Members

class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
colspan=2 \| Image ! Member ! Party ! Term ! Notes
{{Australian party style\|Labor}}\| \| 100px \| Gordon Anderson {{small\|(1897–1958)}} \| rowspan="6" \| Labor \| nowrap \| 10 December 1949 – 4 November 1955 \| Retired
{{Australian party style\|Labor}}\| \| 100px \| Dan Curtin {{small\|(1898–1980)}} \| nowrap \| 10 December 1955 – 29 September 1969 \| Previously held the Division of Watson. Retired
{{Australian party style\|Labor}}\| \| 100px \| Lionel Bowen {{small\|(1922–2012)}} \| nowrap \| 25 October 1969 – 19 February 1990 \| Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Randwick. Served as minister under Whitlam and Hawke. Served as Deputy Prime Minister under Hawke. Retired
{{Australian party style\|Labor}}\| \| 100px \| Laurie Brereton {{small\|(1946–)}} \| nowrap \| 24 March 1990 – 31 August 2004 \| Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Heffron. Served as minister under Keating. Retired
{{Australian party style\|Labor}}\| \| 100px \| Peter Garrett {{small\|(1953–)}} \| nowrap \| 9 October 2004 – 5 August 2013 \| Served as minister under Rudd and Gillard. Retired
{{Australian party style\|Labor}}\| \| 100px \| Matt Thistlethwaite {{small\|(1972–)}} \| nowrap \| 7 September 2013 – present \| Previously a member of the Senate. Incumbent

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

colspan=2 | Image

! Member

! Party

! Term

! Notes

{{Australian party style|Labor}}|

| 100px

| Gordon Anderson
{{small|(1897–1958)}}

| rowspan="6" | Labor

| nowrap | 10 December 1949 –
4 November 1955

| Retired