Electoral district of Murray (South Australia)

Murray
South AustraliaHouse of Assembly
StateSouth Australia
Created1902
Abolished1985
NamesakeMurray River
DemographicRural

Murray is a defunct electoral district that elected members to the House of Assembly, the lower house of the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of South Australia. The electorate, incorporating part of the River Murray, was rural in nature, with Mannum the only large town within its boundaries.[1][2] From its establishment to the 1938 state election, Murray was a three-member electorate, but was made a single-member electorate afterwards, as part of a system of electoral malapportionment known as the "Playmander". In both incarnations it elected candidates from both major parties as marginal and safe seat holders at various times. If just 21 LCL votes were Labor votes in Murray at the 1968 election, Labor would have formed majority government. Murray was one of two gains in 1968 that put the LCL in office. The electorate was abolished prior to the 1985 election, with its territory now forming part of the districts of Hammond, Kavel, and Schubert. In total, 24 people represented Murray between 1902 and 1985, with its most notable member being Thomas Playford IV, who later served as Premier of South Australia.[3]

  1. ^ See Third Schedule, page 227 "ELECTORAL DISTRICT OF MURRAY" in An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1934–1953 (SA).
  2. ^ See section 11, pages 709-710 "ELECTORAL DISTRICT OF MURRAY" in An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1934–1965 (SA).
  3. ^ List of members is not directly navigable. Enter "Murray" in electorate drop-down menu to display list of members for the electorate. Former Members of the Parliament of South Australia – Parliament of South Australia.