Port Darwin is an
electoral division
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
of the
Legislative Assembly in the
Northern Territory of Australia
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...
. It was first created in 1974, and is an entirely urban electorate, covering only 5 km² and taking in the
Darwin central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
, as well as the suburb of
Larrakeyah
Larrakeyah is an inner suburb of Darwin, the capital city of Australia's Northern Territory. It was one of the first parts of the city to be developed, and borders the Darwin Central Business District. At the 2016 Census, there were 3,729 peop ...
and part of
Stuart Park. There were 5,699 people enrolled in the electorate as of August 2020.
Unlike most state and territory electorates based on CBDs, Port Darwin historically tilted conservative. For most of the first four decades of its existence, Port Darwin was a safe seat for the
Country Liberal Party
The Country Liberal Party of the Northern Territory (CLP) is a centre-right political party in Australia's Northern Territory. In local politics it operates in a two-party system with the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It also contests federal ...
, although it was one of only two seats the party did not hold in the
first parliament from 1974 to 1977. It was widely considered as CLP heartland, and was their safest seat in Darwin for many years. The strength of the CLP vote in the seat was seen at the
2000 by-election caused by the resignation of controversial former
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
Shane Stone
Shane Leslie Stone (born 25 September 1950) is an Australian political figure. He is currently the Chair of the Council for the Order of Australia. He was also the Coordinator-General of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency and its pre ...
, when a struggling CLP still managed to easily fend off any challenge in the seat.
After the
Labor Party victory at the
2001 election, it became the only CLP-held seat west of
Palmerston Palmerston may refer to:
People
* Christie Palmerston (c. 1851–1897), Australian explorer
* Several prominent people have borne the title of Viscount Palmerston
** Henry Temple, 1st Viscount Palmerston (c. 1673–1757), Irish nobleman and ...
, and the only CLP seat in the capital. As a result, there were very few signs in the lead-up to the
2005 election that sitting member
Sue Carter
Susan Jill Carter (born 1956) is an Australian politician. She was a Country Liberal Party member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 2000 to 2005, representing the central Darwin electorate of Port Darwin. After winning a by-e ...
was in danger, with most commentators expecting her to win another term. However, on election day, there was a surprise significant and unprecedented swing to the ALP across the Territory. Though the result was so close that it was not known for several days after the election, Carter was ultimately defeated by Labor opponent
Kerry Sacilotto
Kerry Denise Sacilotto (born 21 May 1972) is a former Australian politician. She was the Labor member for Port Darwin in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 2005 to 2008. She held the positions of Deputy Speaker, Chairman of Committe ...
by 73 votes. Sacilotto actually won just enough primary votes to take the seat without the need for preferences. She held the seat for only one term, until when
John Elferink
Johan Wessel Elferink (born 24 September 1965) is an Australian politician. He is a former member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for the Country Liberal Party.
Early life
Elferink was born in the Netherlands and moved to Austr ...
regained the seat for the CLP at the
2008 election
This electoral calendar 2008 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2008 in the de jure and de facto sovereign states and their dependent territories. Referendums are included, even though they are not elections. By-elections are no ...
.
Elferink seemingly consolidated his hold on the seat in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
. However, he retired ahead of the
2016 election. At that election, the CLP lost over 12.9 percent of its primary vote amid its collapse in the Darwin/Palmerston area, allowing
Paul Kirby
Paul Andrew Kirby (born 27 February 1966) is an Australian politician. He has been the Labor member for Port Darwin in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly since 2016.
Early life and career
Kirby was the Northern Territory Organiser for ...
to become only the second Labor member to win it. Kirby successfully retained the seat four years later.
Members for Port Darwin
Election results
References
External links
Division profile from the Northern Territory Electoral Commission
{{Electoral divisions of the Northern Territory
Port Darwin
Port Darwin is the port in Darwin, Northern Territory, in northern Australia. The port has operated in a number of locations, including Stokes Hill Wharf, Cullen Bay and East Arm Wharf. In 2015, a 99-year lease was granted to the Chinese-owned ...
History of Darwin, Northern Territory