Essendon – Victoria 2014

ALP 4.3%

Incumbent MP
Justin Madden, since 2010. Previously Member of the Legislative Council for Doutta Galla 1999-2006, Member for Western Metropolitan 2006-2010.

Geography
Western Melbourne. Essendon covers eastern parts of the City of Moonee Valley, specifically the suburbs of Ascot Vale, Ascot Vale West, Essendon, Essendon North, Flemington, Moonee Ponds, Strathmore and Strathmore Heights.

Redistribution
Essendon gained those parts of Flemington and Travancore in the City of Moonee Valley from Melbourne, and lost Aberfeldie to Niddrie. These changes increased the Labor margin from 2.4% to 4.3%.

History
Essendon has existed as an electoral district since 1904. Apart from one term in the 1950s when the seat was abolished, it has alternated between the ALP and conservative parties. At most elections since the 1950s it has been won by the party of government, with a few exceptions.

Essendon was first won by William Watt of the Liberal Party. He had previously served as Member for North Melbourne and East Melbourne since 1897.

Watt served as Premier for Victoria in two six-month stints from 1912 to 1914. In 1914 Watt resigned from Essendon to run for the federal seat of Balaclava for the Liberal Party. He served as a senior member of Billy Hughes’ Nationalist government before falling out with Hughes. He later served as Speaker from 1923 to 1926, and retired in 1929.

The 1914 by-election was won by the ALP’s Maurice Blackburn. He lost his seat in 1917, later returning as Member for Fitzroy and then Clifton Hill from 1925 to 1934, when he resigned to take the federal seat of Bourke. Blackburn regularly defied the ALP leadership and was expelled from the ALP in 1941, losing his seat in 1943.

Thomas Ryan won Essendon in 1917 and held it until his defeat in 1924 by the ALP’s Francis Keane. He held Essendon for one term before moving to Coburg in 1927, holding it until 1940.

In 1927, Essendon was won by Arthur Drakeford, who held it until his defeat in 1932. He held the federal seat of Maribyrnong from 1934 to 1955, serving as a minister in the Curtin and Chifley governments during  the 1940s and serving until he lost his seat in 1955 following the ALP split which caused the creation of the Democratic Labor Party.

James Dillon held Essendon for the United Australia Party from 1932 to 1943, when he lost to Samuel Merrifield. Merrifield moved to Moonee Ponds in 1945, holding it until his defeat in 1955. He then served as an upper house member for Doutta Galla province from 1958 to 1970.

Arthur Drakeford Jr won Essendon in 1945, holding it for one term before losing in 1947. He later won Pascoe Vale in 1955 and holding it until its abolition in 1958.

Allen Bateman held Essendon for the Liberal Party for one term from 1947 to 1950, when he was defeated by George Fewster of the ALP. He held the seat until 1955 when Essendon was abolished.

Essendon was restored after one term in 1958, when it was won by the Liberal Party’s Kenneth Wheeler. He held Essendon until 1979, serving as Speaker from 1973 until his retirement.

Essendon was held from 1979 to 1992 by Barry Rowe of the ALP. He served as a minister in the Labor government from 1989 to 1991. In 1992 he contested the seat of Gisborne unsuccessfully, while Essendon was won by the Liberal Party’s Ian Davis.

Davis held Essendon for one term, losing in 1996 to Judy Maddigan. Maddigan served as Speaker of the Legislative  Assembly from 2002 to 2006. Maddigan was re-elected in 1999, 2002 and 2006.

In 2010, Essendon was won by Justin Madden, a minister in the Labor government and a member of the Legislative Council. Madden had held a seat in Doutta Galla province from 1999 to 2006, and represented Western Metropolitan from 2006 to 2010.

Candidates

1. Richard Lawrence (Independent)
2. Ashley Waite (Greens)
3. Mario Antonio Mendez (Voice for the West)
4. Fred Ackerman (Liberal)
5. Danny Pearson (Labor)

Assessment
Essendon is a marginal seat. Labor will be disadvantaged by the loss of their sitting member, but a general swing towards Labor should strengthen their position in Essendon.

2010 election result

2010 two-party-preferred result

Booth breakdown
Booths in Essendon have been divided into three areas: central, north and south.

The ALP won a solid 59.4% majority in the south. The Liberal Party won slim majorities in central (50.2%) and north (50.5%).

The Greens polled very strongly in Essendon, ranging from 11.7% in the north to 22.7% in the south.