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Electoral district of Churchlands

Coordinates: 31°56′S 115°47′E / 31.93°S 115.79°E / -31.93; 115.79
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Churchlands
Western AustraliaLegislative Assembly
Location of Churchlands (dark green) in the Perth metropolitan area
StateWestern Australia
Dates current1996–present
MPChristine Tonkin
PartyLabor
NamesakeChurchlands
Electors29,084 (2021)
Area24 km2 (9.3 sq mi)
DemographicMetropolitan
Coordinates31°56′S 115°47′E / 31.93°S 115.79°E / -31.93; 115.79

Churchlands is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. Churchlands is named for the western suburb of Churchlands, which falls within its borders, and was created at the 1994 redistribution, replacing the seat of Floreat which had existed since 1968.[1]

It was held for most of its history by Liz Constable, the independent former member for Floreat who had won the predecessor seat in a 1991 by-election. However, the seat's demographics suggested it was a strongly Liberal seat on paper, and it was taken for granted Constable would be succeeded by a Liberal once she retired. Constable retired at the 2013 election, and was succeeded as expected by Liberal Sean L'Estrange. L'Estrange held the seat until his unexpected defeat by Christine Tonkin in 2021.

Demographics

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Churchlands and the neighbouring electorates of Nedlands to the southeast and Cottesloe to the southwest comprise the affluent western suburbs of Perth—the Australian Bureau of Statistics's SEIFA index (2001) ranked them as the highest three electorates by socio-economic status in Western Australia, with high scores on educational and employment opportunity. At the 2006 census, the median individual income in the Churchlands electorate, based on its 2005 boundaries, was $607 per week compared to $513 in the Perth metropolitan area, and the median weekly household income was $1,115 compared to $1,086 across Perth. 45.4% of the population were professionals or managers.[2]

All three seats were considered comfortably safe Liberal seats, until the 2021 state election, and they are almost entirely within the federal seat of Curtin, which was safe Liberal as well until teal independent Kate Chaney won it in 2022.

Members for Churchlands

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Member Party Term
  Liz Constable Independent 1996–2013
  Sean L'Estrange Liberal 2013–2021
  Christine Tonkin Labor 2021–present

Election results

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2021 Western Australian state election: Churchlands[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sean L'Estrange 11,087 43.9 −9.2
Labor Christine Tonkin 9,938 39.4 +15.8
Greens Mark Twiss 2,640 10.5 −3.6
Independent Jim Bivoltsis 714 2.8 −1.3
Christians Ray Moran 394 1.6 −0.5
No Mandatory Vaccination L. Pearce 320 1.3 +1.3
WAxit Alexandra Farsalas 146 0.6 −0.9
Total formal votes 25,239 97.5 +0.7
Informal votes 650 2.5 −0.7
Turnout 25,889 89.0 +0.1
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Christine Tonkin 12,821 50.8 +12.5
Liberal Sean L'Estrange 12,413 49.2 −12.5
Labor gain from Liberal Swing +12.5

References

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  1. ^ "Electoral Distributions Act 1947 - Division of the State into Six Electoral Regions and 57 Electoral Districts by the Electoral Distribution Commissioners". Western Australia Government Gazette. 28 November 1994. p. 1994:6135-6327.
  2. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Community Profile Series: Churchlands (North Metropolitan) (State Electoral Division)". 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 5 August 2008.
    * Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Community Profile Series: Perth (Statistical Division)". 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 5 August 2008.
  3. ^ 2021 State General Election – Churchlands District Results, WAEC
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