# Division of Cook

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Division_of_Cook
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Division_of_Cook.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_of_Cook
> Source revision: 1346129763
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Australian federal electoral division

This article is about the current federal electorate. For the previous electorate, see [Division of Cook (1906–1955)](/source/Division_of_Cook_(1906%E2%80%931955)). For the Queensland state electorate, see [Electoral district of Cook](/source/Electoral_district_of_Cook).

Australian electorate

Cook Australian House of Representatives Division Interactive map of electorate boundaries Created 1969; 57 years ago (1969) MP Simon Kennedy Party Liberal Namesake James Cook Joseph Cook Electors 118,924 (2025) Area 67 km2 (25.9 sq mi) Demographic Inner metropolitan Electorates around Cook: Banks Barton Kingsford Smith Hughes Cook Tasman Sea Hughes Hughes Tasman Sea Footnotes [1]

The **Division of Cook** is an [Australian electoral division](/source/Electorates_of_the_Australian_House_of_Representatives) in the state of [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales). It is located in [Southern Sydney](/source/Southern_Sydney) south-southwest of [Botany Bay](/source/Botany_Bay), stretching from [Kirrawee](/source/Kirrawee%2C_New_South_Wales) to [Kurnell](/source/Kurnell%2C_New_South_Wales), and encompassing [Sans Souci](/source/Sans_Souci%2C_New_South_Wales) to the north.

Since [2024](/source/2024_Cook_by-election), its [MP](/source/Australian_House_of_Representatives) has been [Simon Kennedy](/source/Simon_Kennedy) of the [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Australia). From 2007 to 2024, the seat was held by [Scott Morrison](/source/Scott_Morrison), who served as [Prime Minister of Australia](/source/Prime_Minister_of_Australia) from 2018 to 2022.

## History

[James Cook](/source/James_Cook), the original namesake of the division

[Joseph Cook](/source/Joseph_Cook), the joint namesake of the division since 2024

Cook was created in 1969, mostly out of the [Liberal](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Australia)-leaning areas of the neighbouring [Division of Hughes](/source/Division_of_Hughes). It was a natural choice for that seat's one-term Liberal member, [Don Dobie](/source/Don_Dobie), to transfer after the creation of Cook erased his majority in Hughes. The division was originally named in honour of [James Cook](/source/James_Cook), who mapped the east coast of Australia in 1770. In 2006, the [Australian Electoral Commission](/source/Australian_Electoral_Commission)'s Redistribution Committee for New South Wales proposed that the division be jointly named for [Joseph Cook](/source/Joseph_Cook), [Prime Minister of Australia](/source/Prime_Minister_of_Australia) from 1913 to 1914, but this did not eventuate at the time.[2] In 2024, the namesake was officially expanded to include Joseph Cook, granting recognition to him alongside other former Prime Ministers who have divisions named in their honour.[3]

For most of the first quarter-century of its existence, Cook was a marginal to fairly safe Liberal seat; it has been in Liberal hands for all but two terms. The Liberal majority ballooned with the party's national landslide victory at the [1996 general election](/source/1996_Australian_federal_election), and since then Cook has been a "blue ribbon" safe seat for the Liberal Party.

In 2007, following news of Baird's impending retirement, the seat attracted significant media attention due to the controversial preselection of Liberal candidate Michael Towke. Allegations surfaced that Towke had engaged in branch-stacking and had embellished his curriculum vitae;[4] although these allegations were subsequently proven false,[5] the damage was done. In August 2007, Towke was disendorsed as the Liberal candidate and was replaced with Morrison, a former director of the New South Wales Liberal Party.[6] Morrison won the seat at the election while suffering a swing of six percent, the only time since 1996 that the Liberals' hold on it has been remotely threatened. However, he still won enough primary votes to retain the seat outright.

As of the [2019 federal election](/source/2019_Australian_federal_election), it is the safest metropolitan Coalition seat, with a 19-point swing needed for Labor to win it.

Prominent members include Dobie, who held the seat from its 1969 creation until his retirement in 1996 (with a brief break from 1972 to 1975); [Bruce Baird](/source/Bruce_Baird), a former Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party of New South Wales before his move into federal politics; and [Scott Morrison](/source/Scott_Morrison), former Prime Minister of Australia (2018–2022).

## Geography

The division is located in the southern suburbs of [Sydney](/source/Sydney) in parts of the local government areas of [Sutherland](/source/Sutherland_Shire), [Bayside](/source/Bayside_Council), and [Georges River](/source/Georges_River_Council). It includes [Burraneer](/source/Burraneer), [Caringbah](/source/Caringbah), [Caringbah South](/source/Caringbah_South), [Cronulla](/source/Cronulla), [Dolans Bay](/source/Dolans_Bay%2C_New_South_Wales), [Dolls Point](/source/Dolls_Point), [Grays Point](/source/Grays_Point%2C_New_South_Wales), [Greenhills Beach](/source/Greenhills_Beach%2C_New_South_Wales), [Gymea](/source/Gymea%2C_New_South_Wales), [Gymea Bay](/source/Gymea_Bay%2C_New_South_Wales), [Kangaroo Point](/source/Kangaroo_Point%2C_New_South_Wales), [Kareela](/source/Kareela), [Kirrawee](/source/Kirrawee%2C_New_South_Wales), [Kurnell](/source/Kurnell%2C_New_South_Wales), [Lilli Pilli](/source/Lilli_Pilli%2C_New_South_Wales), [Miranda](/source/Miranda%2C_New_South_Wales), [Oyster Bay](/source/Oyster_Bay%2C_New_South_Wales), [Port Hacking](/source/Port_Hacking%2C_New_South_Wales), [Sandringham](/source/Sandringham%2C_New_South_Wales), [Sans Souci](/source/Sans_Souci%2C_New_South_Wales), [Sylvania](/source/Sylvania%2C_New_South_Wales), [Sylvania Waters](/source/Sylvania_Waters%2C_New_South_Wales), [Taren Point](/source/Taren_Point%2C_New_South_Wales), [Woolooware](/source/Woolooware), and [Yowie Bay](/source/Yowie_Bay%2C_New_South_Wales); as well as parts of [Como](/source/Como%2C_New_South_Wales), [Jannali](/source/Jannali), [Ramsgate](/source/Ramsgate%2C_New_South_Wales), [Ramsgate Beach](/source/Ramsgate_Beach%2C_New_South_Wales), and [Sutherland](/source/Sutherland%2C_New_South_Wales).[7]

Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the [Australian Electoral Commission](/source/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.[8]

## Members

Image Member Party Term Notes Don Dobie (1927–1996) Liberal 25 October 1969 – 2 December 1972 Previously held the Division of Hughes. Lost seat Ray Thorburn (1930–1986) Labor 2 December 1972 – 13 December 1975 Lost seat Don Dobie (1927–1996) Liberal 13 December 1975 – 29 January 1996 Retired Stephen Mutch (1956–) 2 March 1996 – 31 August 1998 Previously a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. Lost preselection and retired Bruce Baird (1942–) 3 October 1998 – 17 October 2007 Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Northcott. Retired Scott Morrison (1968–) 24 November 2007 – 28 February 2024 Served as minister under Abbott and Turnbull. Served as Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022. Resigned to retire from politics Simon Kennedy (1982–) 13 April 2024 – present Incumbent

## Election results

Main article: [Electoral results for the Division of Cook](/source/Electoral_results_for_the_Division_of_Cook)

This section is an excerpt from [Results of the 2025 Australian federal election in New South Wales § Cook](/source/Results_of_the_2025_Australian_federal_election_in_New_South_Wales#Cook).[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Results_of_the_2025_Australian_federal_election_in_New_South_Wales&action=edit)]

2025 Australian federal election: Cook[9] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Liberal Simon Kennedy 51,121 48.06 −5.66 Labor Simon Earle 33,474 31.47 +7.46 Greens Martin Moore 10,575 9.94 +0.50 One Nation Mark Preston 4,638 4.36 −0.06 Family First Natalie Fuller 3,310 3.11 +3.11 Trumpet of Patriots Sharon Hammond 3,246 3.05 +3.05 Total formal votes 106,364 95.47 −0.45 Informal votes 5,044 4.53 +0.45 Turnout 111,408 93.73 +1.84 Two-party-preferred result Liberal Simon Kennedy 60,834 57.19 −4.43 Labor Simon Earle 45,530 42.81 +4.43 Liberal hold Swing −4.43

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Map of Commonwealth Electoral Division of Cook"](https://www.aec.gov.au/redistributions/2023/nsw/final-report/files/maps-a4/2024-aec-nsw-a4-map-cook_FINAL.pdf) (PDF). [AEC](/source/Australian_Electoral_Commission). October 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["The 2006 Proposed Redistribution of New South Wales into 49 Electoral Divisions: Report of the Redistribution Committee"](https://www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/files/2005/nsw/proposal_nsw_redistribution06.pdf) (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 2006. p. 36. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211105085025/https://www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/files/2005/nsw/proposal_nsw_redistribution06.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Redistribution of New South Wales into electoral divisions"](https://www.aec.gov.au/redistributions/2023/nsw/final-report/files/Redistribution-of-New-South-Wales-into-electoral-divisions-October-2024.pdf) (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. October 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Liberal Party disendorses Michael Towke"](http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s1996381.htm) (transcript). *[PM (ABC Radio)](/source/PM_(ABC_Radio))*. [Australian Broadcasting Corporation](/source/Australian_Broadcasting_Corporation). 3 August 2007. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20131114194710/http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s1996381.htm) from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Sheehan, Paul (26 October 2009). ["Nasty saga you nearly missed"](http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/nasty-saga-you-nearly-missed-20091025-hem5.html). *[The Sydney Morning Herald](/source/The_Sydney_Morning_Herald)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130126102343/http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/nasty-saga-you-nearly-missed-20091025-hem5.html) from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Clennell, Andrew (3 August 2007). ["Libs reject Towke"](https://www.smh.com.au/national/libs-reject-towke-20070804-gdqrwt.html). *The Sydney Morning Herald*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190402222819/https://www.smh.com.au/national/libs-reject-towke-20070804-gdqrwt.html) from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Profile of the electoral division of Cook (NSW)"](https://www.aec.gov.au/redistributions/2023/nsw/final-report/files/maps-a4/2024-aec-nsw-a4-map-cook_FINAL.pdf) (PDF). [Australian Electoral Commission](/source/Australian_Electoral_Commission). Retrieved 3 September 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Muller, Damon (14 November 2017). ["The process of federal redistributions: a quick guide"](https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1718/Quick_Guides/FederalRedistributions). *Parliament of Australia*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220523135724/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1718/Quick_Guides/FederalRedistributions) from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [Cook, NSW](https://results.aec.gov.au/31496/Website/HouseDivisionPage-31496-112.htm), *2025 Tally Room*, Australian Electoral Commission.

## External links

- [Division of Cook – Australian Electoral Commission](http://www.aec.gov.au/profiles/c/Cook.htm)

v t e Electoral divisions of the Australian House of Representatives in New South Wales Labor (28) Banks Barton Bennelong Blaxland Chifley Cunningham Dobell Eden-Monaro Gilmore Grayndler Greenway Hughes Hunter Kingsford Smith Macarthur Macquarie McMahon Newcastle Parramatta Paterson Reid Richmond Robertson Shortland Sydney (including Lord Howe Island) Watson Werriwa Whitlam Liberal (5) Berowra Cook Hume Lindsay Mitchell National (5) Cowper Lyne Page Parkes Riverina Independent (4) Bradfield Calare Fowler Mackellar Community Strong (2) Warringah Wentworth One Nation (2) Farrer New England Abolished Barrier Bland Canobolas Charlton Cook (1906–1955) Dalley Darling Dundas East Sydney Evans Gwydir Illawarra Lang Lawson Lowe Martin Nepean North Sydney Parkes (1901–1969) Phillip Prospect Riverina-Darling St George South Sydney Throsby Watson (1934–1969) West Sydney Divisions in: New South Wales Victoria Queensland Western Australia South Australia Tasmania Territories

[34°01′52″S 151°06′00″E / 34.031°S 151.100°E / -34.031; 151.100](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Division_of_Cook&params=34.031_S_151.1_E_)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Division of Cook](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_of_Cook) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_of_Cook?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.