Bowen was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

from 1873 to 1950 and at various times until 1992.

History

The electoral district of Bowen was established by the

1872 Electoral Districts Act This is a list of current and former electoral divisions for the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, the state legislature for Queensland, Australia. Current Districts by region Districts in Far North Queensland * Barron River *Cairns *Cook * ...

. During the First McIlwraith Ministry, the seat of Bowen was occupied by three Attorneys-General: Henry Beor, Pope Alexander Cooper and Charles E. Chubb. Upon Beor's death, Cooper, who was not at that time in Parliament, was appointed Attorney-General and contested and won the resulting by-election. When he resigned, Chubb entered parliament in the same manner. Bowen is the only state or federal electorate in Australia to elect a Communist member,

Fred Paterson Frederick Woolnough Paterson (13 June 1897 – 7 October 1977) was an Australian politician, activist, unionist and lawyer. He is the only representative of the Communist Party of Australia to be elected to an Australian parliament. Early his ...

, who served as member for Bowen from the 1944 election until the 1950 election. In a 1949 redistribution, Bowen was abolished, being split between the new electoral districts of

Burdekin The Shire of Burdekin is a local government area located in North Queensland, Australia in the Dry Tropics region. The district is located between Townsville and Bowen in the delta of the Burdekin River. It covers an area of , and has existe ...

and

Whitsunday Whitsun (also Whitsunday or Whit Sunday) is the name used in Britain, and other countries among Anglicans and Methodists, for the Christian High Holy Day of Pentecost. It is the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the H ...

. It has been suggested that the redistribution was done deliberately to split Paterson's electoral support and prevent him from being returned to parliament in the 1950 election. Paterson contested

but was unsuccessful. From 1963 until 1971, member Peter Delamothe also served as Attorney-General. Today, the electoral districts of

and

comprise parts of the former Electoral district of Bowen.

Members

Election results

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowen Former electoral districts of Queensland

History

Members

Election results

See also

References