Division of Sturt

{{About|the Australian federal electorate|the historical state electorates|Electoral district of Sturt (disambiguation){{!}}Electoral district of Sturt}} {{short description|Australian federal electoral division}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2017}} {{Infobox Australian Electorate | federal = yes | name = Sturt | image = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|from=Australian Federal Electorates/South Australia (2019)/Sturt.map|frame-height=300|frame-width=400|overlay=[[File:Division of Sturt 2019.png|x100px]]|overlay-horizontal-alignment=right|overlay-vertical-alignment=bottom}} | caption = Interactive map of boundaries since the [[2019 Australian federal election|2019 federal election]] | created = 1949 | mp = [[Claire Clutterham]] | mp-party = [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] | namesake = [[Charles Sturt]] | electors = 130340 | electors_year = [[2025 Australian federal election|2025]] | area = 97 | class = Inner metropolitan |near-n = [[Division of Makin|Makin]] |near-ne = [[Division of Mayo|Mayo]] |near-nw = [[Division of Makin|Makin]] |near-e = [[Division of Mayo|Mayo]] |near-w = [[Division of Adelaide|Adelaide]] |near-s = [[Division of Boothby|Boothby]] |near-se = [[Division of Mayo|Mayo]] |near-sw = [[Division of Boothby|Boothby]] |state=|upper=|lifespan=|coordinates=}}

The '''Division of Sturt''' is an [[Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives|Australian electoral division]] in [[South Australia]]. It was proclaimed at the South Australian redistribution of 11 May 1949. Sturt was named for Captain [[Charles Sturt]], a nineteenth century British officer and explorer.

==Boundaries== Current boundaries see Sturt covering an area of approximately 97 km² east of the city, from [[Oakden, South Australia|Oakden]] and [[Hope Valley, South Australia|Hope Valley]] in the north to [[Glen Osmond, South Australia|Glen Osmond]] in the south, taking in the foothills of the [[Mount Lofty Ranges]]. Suburbs include [[Athelstone, South Australia|Athelstone]], [[Burnside, South Australia|Burnside]], [[Campbelltown, South Australia|Campbelltown]], [[Dernancourt, South Australia|Dernancourt]], [[Frewville, South Australia|Frewville]], [[Gilles Plains, South Australia|Gilles Plains]], [[Glen Osmond, South Australia|Glen Osmond]], [[Glenside, South Australia|Glenside]], [[Glynde, South Australia|Glynde]], [[Hectorville, South Australia|Hectorville]], [[Highbury, South Australia|Highbury]], [[Hillcrest, South Australia|Hillcrest]], [[Holden Hill, South Australia|Holden Hill]], [[Hope Valley, South Australia|Hope Valley]], [[Kensington, South Australia|Kensington]], [[Klemzig, South Australia|Klemzig]], [[Magill, South Australia|Magill]], [[Marden, South Australia|Marden]], [[Oakden, South Australia|Oakden]], [[Paradise, South Australia|Paradise]], [[Tranmere, South Australia|Tranmere]] and parts of [[Payneham, South Australia|Payneham]] and [[Rostrevor, South Australia|Rostrevor]].

==History== [[File:Charles Sturt by John Michael Crossland lowres color.jpg|thumb|left|[[Charles Sturt]], the division's namesake]] The Division of Sturt was proclaimed at the redistribution of 11 May 1949, and was first contested at the [[1949 Australian federal election|1949 election]], when the number of electorates was increased to 10, as a fairly safe [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] seat with a notional 6.1 percent two-party margin. Boundaries at the seat's creation saw it take in the sub divisions of [[Salisbury, South Australia|Salisbury]] and [[Northfield, South Australia|Northfield]] from the [[Division of Wakefield]] to the north and to the south the sub divisions of [[Magill, South Australia|Magill]] and [[Burnside, South Australia|Burnside]] from the [[Division of Boothby]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130762539 | title=Federal election guide | newspaper=News | date=25 November 1949 }}</ref>

For all but four of its first 44 years, it was dominated by the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] political dynasty of [[Keith Wilson (South Australian politician)|Keith Wilson]] and his son, [[Ian Wilson (Australian politician)|Ian]]. Keith Wilson won the seat in 1949 with a marginal 2.8 percent two-party vote from an 8.9 percent two-party swing as part of the massive Liberal victory of that year.{{cn|date=July 2025}} He was unseated by [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] challenger [[Norman Makin]] at the [[1954 Australian federal election|1954 election]]. However, ahead of the [[1955 Australian federal election|1955 election]], a redistribution transferred most of Sturt's Labor-friendly northern portion to the newly created [[Division of Bonython]], created due to an increase in northern Adelaide's population. This turned Sturt from a three percent marginal Labor seat to a 2.4 percent marginal Liberal seat. Makin opted to transfer to Bonython, and Keith Wilson retook Sturt in 1955 with a healthy 7.9 percent two-party swing, turning it into a safe Liberal seat in one stroke. He was reelected without serious difficulty until handing Sturt to Ian in 1966. [[Norm Foster (politician)|Norm Foster]] defeated Ian at the [[1969 Australian federal election|1969 election]], but Ian regained the seat at the [[1972 Australian federal election|1972 election]] even as Labor won government.

Ian was a key early member of the progressive [[Liberal Movement (Australia)|Liberal Movement]] faction within the Liberal Party. However, he remained with the Liberals when the Liberal Movement became a separate party, and eventually served as a minister in the last term of the [[Malcolm Fraser|Fraser]] government. The Liberal Movement ran a candidate in Sturt in the [[1974 Australian federal election|1974 election]], polling 7.2 percent, much of which derived from Wilson’s vote. The Wilson dynasty ended at the [[1993 Australian federal election|1993 election]], when Ian was defeated for preselection by [[Christopher Pyne]].

Sturt was significantly redistributed prior to the 1993 election, reducing the Liberal margin from a fairly safe 7.7 percent two-party margin to a marginal notional 4.7 percent two-party margin. However, Pyne retained the seat with a small swing in his favour.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

The Liberal Movement's successor party, the [[Australian Democrats]], traditionally polled well in Sturt, highlighted by 13.5 percent at their first showing in the [[1977 Australian federal election|1977 election]] and 15 percent in the [[1990 Australian federal election|1990 election]], the best result by a minor party in Sturt. However, the Democrats vote later dropped sharply, they gained only 2.26 percent in the [[2004 Australian federal election|2004 election]]. The party was deregistered in 2015. Additionally, an independent Liberal contested Sturt at the 1993 election, polling a respectable 14.6 percent.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

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.<ref>{{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 |archive-date=23 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523135724/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1718/Quick_Guides/FederalRedistributions |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Recent elections===

====2007 election==== Pyne came close to losing Sturt at the [[2007 Australian federal election|2007 election]] to [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] candidate [[Mia Handshin]], after suffering a 5.9 percent two-party swing to finish with a 0.9 percent two-party margin (856 votes), which made Sturt the most marginal seat in South Australia. Prior to the pre-selection of Handshin, [[No Pokies]] MP [[Nick Xenophon]] had been considering running in the seat as an independent, before deciding to run for the [[Australian Senate|Senate]] instead. At the [[2010 Australian federal election|2010 election]], Pyne increased his two-party vote to 53.4 percent, which saw neighbouring [[Division of Boothby|Boothby]] become South Australia's most marginal seat. Pyne increased his two-party margin to 10.1 percent in the [[2013 Australian federal election|2013 election]] and was elevated to the [[Cabinet of Australia]].

====2016 election and Xenophon==== [[Nick Xenophon]] confirmed in December 2014 that the [[Nick Xenophon Team]] (NXT) party would field lower and upper house candidates around the country at the [[2016 Australian federal election|2016 federal election]], citing the government's ambiguity on the [[Collins-class submarine replacement project]] as the primary motivation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/subs-backlash-nick-xenophon-sets-sights-on-liberalheld-seats-in-adelaide-20150406-1mez7u.html |title=Subs backlash, Nick Xenophon sets sights on Liberal-held seats in Adelaide: SMH 6 April 2015 |date=6 April 2015 |access-date=4 June 2015 |archive-date=10 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610083634/http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/subs-backlash-nick-xenophon-sets-sights-on-liberalheld-seats-in-adelaide-20150406-1mez7u.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Even before the NXT candidate was announced, a ReachTEL opinion poll of 700 Sturt voters conducted during July 2015 put NXT on 38 percent, the Liberals on 30.8 (−23.6) percent and Labor on 17.4 (−11.5) percent. On the two-party vote, the Liberals were on 52 (−8.1) percent to Labor on 48 (+8.1) percent, however, with NXT leading the primary vote, the decisive two-candidate vote put NXT on a winning 62 percent to the Liberals on 38 (−22) percent.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://indaily.com.au/news/2015/07/29/union-poll-shows-pyne-at-risk/ |title=Union poll shows Pyne at risk: InDaily 29 July 2015 |date=29 July 2015 |access-date=5 February 2016 |archive-date=6 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206181723/http://indaily.com.au/news/2015/07/29/union-poll-shows-pyne-at-risk/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] [[psephologist]] [[Antony Green]]'s 2016 federal election guide for South Australia stated NXT had a "strong chance of winning lower house seats and three or four Senate seats".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/federal-election-2016/guide/preview-sa/ |title=Election Guide (SA) – 2016 federal election guide: Antony Green ABC |website=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=20 May 2016 |archive-date=9 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160709214138/http://www.abc.net.au/news/federal-election-2016/guide/preview-sa/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In late 2015, NXT nominated Sturt as their top South Australian lower house target and announced Matthew Wright as their NXT candidate in Sturt. Wright is an [[emergency physician]] at the [[Flinders Medical Centre]] who has also worked for humanitarian projects in the [[Solomon Islands]], [[Papua New Guinea]] and [[East Timor]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-07/xenophon-eyes-off-five-big-coalition-targets-for-seats/7007316 |title=Nick Xenophon Team nominates five top targets for upcoming federal election: ABC 7 December 2015 |newspaper=ABC News |date=7 December 2015 |access-date=7 December 2015 |archive-date=7 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151207233842/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-07/xenophon-eyes-off-five-big-coalition-targets-for-seats/7007316 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[https://nxt.org.au/candidates/ 2016 NXT candidates: NXT.org.au] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223042718/https://nxt.org.au/candidates/ |date=23 December 2015 }}</ref>

A [[Opinion polling for the Australian federal election, 2016#Individual seat polling during the election campaign|ReachTEL opinion poll in Sturt]] of 762 voters conducted by [[robocall]] on 9 June during the [[2016 Australian federal election|2016 election]] campaign found NXT and the Liberals neck-and-neck.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reachtel.com.au/blog/7-news-grey-poll-9june16 |title=Grey opinion poll 9 June |publisher=ReachTEL |date=2016-06-10 |access-date=2016-06-14 |archive-date=21 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921043031/https://www.reachtel.com.au/blog/7-news-grey-poll-9june16 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2016/06/10/reachtel-50-50-5/ |title=ReachTEL: 50-50 – The Poll Bludger 10 June 2016 |access-date=14 June 2016 |archive-date=26 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826030722/https://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2016/06/10/reachtel-50-50-5/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Pyne retained the seat for the Liberals with a 55.9 percent two-party vote from a 4.2 percent two-party swing, reducing the seat from a safe to marginal status.

==== 2019/2022 elections ==== In May 2019, Christopher Pyne resigned and [[James Stevens (Australian politician)|James Stevens]] assumed office. Following the loss of [[Division of Boothby|Boothby]] in [[2022 Australian federal election|2022]], Sturt was the only Liberal-held seat in Adelaide.

==== 2025 election ==== On 6 June 2024, Labor announced that councilor [[Claire Clutterham]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Claire Clutterham {{!}} City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters |url=https://www.npsp.sa.gov.au/about_council/mayor_and_elected_members/st_peters_ward/claire-clutterham |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=www.npsp.sa.gov.au}}</ref> would run against Stevens at the next election, as a newly appointed Labor candidate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-06 |title=Doorstop interview – Adelaide |url=https://www.pm.gov.au/media/doorstop-interview-adelaide-1 |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=www.pm.gov.au}}</ref> Katie McCusker contested the seat for the Australian Greens.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tribune |first=The National |date=2024-05-21 |title=Greens announce Katie McCusker as candidate for Sturt at federal election |url=https://www.nationaltribune.com.au/greens-announce-katie-mccusker-as-candidate-for-sturt-at-federal-election/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=The National Tribune |language=en-AU}}</ref> At the [[2025 Australian federal election|2025 election]], Labor won Sturt for the first time since the [[1969 Australian federal election|1969 election]] and the third time ever, with Liberal incumbent Stevens losing to Labor's Clutterham.<ref name=abc >{{cite news |last1=MacLennan |first1=Leah |title=Goodbye Adelaide, we hardly knew ye: Liberals locked out of capital city seats in SA |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-04/no-adelaide-seats-for-liberals-after-2025-federal-election/105248078 |access-date=4 May 2025 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=3 May 2025 |language=en-AU}}</ref>

The result in Sturt left the Liberals completely shut out in the Adelaide metropolitan area for the first time since the [[1946 Australian federal election|1946 election]].<ref name=abc /> Furthermore, the Liberals won just two of the 400+ metropolitan election-day booths across the seven Adelaide-based seats — [[One Tree Hill, South Australia|One Tree Hill]] in [[Division of Spence|Spence]],<ref>[https://results.aec.gov.au/31496/Website/HousePollingPlaceFirstPrefs-31496-31431.htm One Tree Hill - polling place], ''2025 Tally Room'', Australian Electoral Commission.</ref> and [[Unley Park, South Australia|Unley Park]] in the [[Division of Adelaide]].<ref>[https://results.aec.gov.au/31496/Website/HousePollingPlaceFirstPrefs-31496-6878.htm Unley Park - polling place], ''2025 Tally Room'', Australian Electoral Commission.</ref>

==Members== {| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" |- ! colspan=2 | Image ! Member ! Party ! Term ! Notes |-

|- | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|  | [[File:Keith Wilson-1950-an23530385.jpg|100px]] | [[Keith Wilson (South Australian politician)|Keith Wilson]] {{small|(1900–1987)}} | [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] | nowrap | [[1949 Australian federal election|10 December 1949]] – [[1954 Australian federal election|29 May 1954]] | Previously a member of the [[Australian Senate|Senate]]. Lost seat

|- | {{Australian party style|Labor}}|  | [[File:Norman_Makin_1950s.png|100px]] | [[Norman Makin]] {{small|(1889–1982)}} | [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] | nowrap | [[1954 Australian federal election|29 May 1954]] – [[1955 Australian federal election|10 December 1955]] | Previously held the Division of [[Division of Hindmarsh|Hindmarsh]]. Transferred to the Division of [[Division of Bonython|Bonython]]

|- | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|  | [[File:Keith_Wilson_1960s.png|100px]] | [[Keith Wilson (South Australian politician)|Sir Keith Wilson]] {{small|(1900–1987)}} | rowspan="2" | [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] | nowrap | [[1955 Australian federal election|10 December 1955]] – [[1966 Australian federal election|31 October 1966]] | Retired. Son was [[Ian Wilson (Australian politician)|Ian Wilson]]

|- | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|  | [[File:Ian_Wilson_1960s.png|100px]] | [[Ian Wilson (Australian politician)|Ian Wilson]] {{small|(1932–2013)}} | nowrap | [[1966 Australian federal election|26 November 1966]] – [[1969 Australian federal election|25 October 1969]] | Lost seat

|- | {{Australian party style|Labor}}|  | [[File:Norm_Foster_1970.jpg|100px]] | [[Norm Foster (politician)|Norm Foster]] {{small|(1921–2006)}} | [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] | nowrap | [[1969 Australian federal election|25 October 1969]] – [[1972 Australian federal election|2 December 1972]] | Lost seat. Later elected to the [[South Australian Legislative Council]] in [[1975 South Australian state election|1975]]

|- | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|  | [[File:Ian_Wilson_1960s.png|100px]] | [[Ian Wilson (Australian politician)|Ian Wilson]] {{small|(1932–2013)}} | rowspan="3" | [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] | nowrap | [[1972 Australian federal election|2 December 1972]] – [[1993 Australian federal election|8 February 1993]] | Served as minister under [[Fraser Government|Fraser]]. Lost preselection and retired. Father was [[Keith Wilson (South Australian politician)|Sir Keith Wilson]]

|- | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|  | [[File:Christopher Pyne MP.jpg|100px]] | [[Christopher Pyne]] {{small|(1967–)}} | nowrap | [[1993 Australian federal election|13 March 1993]] – [[2019 Australian federal election|11 April 2019]] | Served as minister under [[Howard Government|Howard]], [[Abbott Government|Abbott]], [[Turnbull Government|Turnbull]] and [[Morrison Government|Morrison]]. Retired

|- | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|  | [[File:Liberal Party of Australia placeholder portrait.svg|100px]] | [[James Stevens (Australian politician)|James Stevens]] {{small|(1983–)}} | nowrap | [[2019 Australian federal election|18 May 2019]] – [[2025 Australian federal election|3 May 2025]] | Lost seat

|- | {{Australian party style|Labor}}|  | [[File:Labor Placeholder.png|100px]] | [[Claire Clutterham]] {{small|(1982–)}} | [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] | nowrap | [[2025 Australian federal election|3 May 2025]] – present | Incumbent |}

==Election results== {{main|Electoral results for the Division of Sturt}} {{Excerpt|Results of the 2025 Australian federal election in South Australia|section=Sturt}}

==Historical boundaries== [[File:Sturt1949.PNG|thumb|250px|left|Sturt in 1951]][[File:Sturt1967.PNG|thumb|250px|Sturt in 1967]] {{clear}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/federal_elections/2001/Profiles/sa/index.htm SA boundary map, 2001: AEC] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160310083801/http://www.atlas.sa.gov.au/images/4sa9politics1.jpg SA boundary map, 1984: Atlas SA]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sturt, Division of}} [[Category:Electoral divisions of Australia]] [[Category:Electoral divisions of Australia in South Australia]] [[Category:Constituencies established in 1949]] [[Category:1949 establishments in Australia]] [[Category:Charles Sturt]]