| Nicholls Australian House of Representatives Division | |
|---|---|
 Location of Nicholls (dark green) in Victoria, Australia | |
| Created | 2019 |
| MP | Sam Birrell |
| Party | Nationals |
| Namesake | Sir Douglas Nicholls Lady Gladys Nicholls |
| Electors | 114,542 (2022) |
| Area | 14,773 km2 (5,703.9 sq mi) |
| Demographic | Rural and provincial |
The Division of Nicholls is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria, which was contested for the first time at the 2019 federal election.
Federal electoral division boundaries in Australia are 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.[1]
The division is named in honour of Sir Douglas and Lady Gladys Nicholls, in recognition of their contributions to the advocacy of Aboriginal rights.
The Division of Nicholls was created in 2019 after the Australian Electoral Commission oversaw a mandatory redistribution of divisions in Victoria.[2] Nicholls replaced the Division of Murray in the same location. It is located in the north of the state, adjoining the Murray River, which forms Victoria's border with New South Wales and includes the towns of Shepparton, Yarrawonga, Seymour, Echuca and Broadford.[3]
Prior to the 2019 election the seat was notionally held by the National Party on a margin of 22.3%, making it a very safe seat for the party.[4] Its predecessor had been safely conservative for nearly its entire existence since its creation in 1949, with the Liberal Party and the National Party holding it for long spells. Indeed, much of this region has been held by a conservative party since Federation; the area was part of the Division of Echuca from 1901 to 1937, then Indi from 1937 to 1949.
The final member for Murray, Damian Drum of the Nationals, followed most of his constituents into Nicholls and easily retained it, albeit with a small swing against him.
| Image | Member | Party | Term | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
Damian Drum (1960–) |
Nationals | 18 May 2019 – 11 April 2022 |
Previously held the Division of Murray. Retired | |
|
Sam Birrell | Nationals | 21 May 2022 – present |
Incumbent |
|
Main article: Electoral results for the Division of Nicholls |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | Sam Birrell | 24,886 | 26.14 | −25.13 | |
| Independent | Rob Priestly | 24,287 | 25.51 | +25.51 | |
| Liberal | Steve Brooks | 17,187 | 18.06 | +18.06 | |
| Labor | Bill Lodwick | 10,970 | 11.52 | −7.89 | |
| One Nation | Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell | 6,219 | 6.53 | −4.76 | |
| United Australia | Robert Peterson | 3,821 | 4.01 | −1.32 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Tim Laird | 3,366 | 3.54 | +3.54 | |
| Greens | Ian Christoe | 3,058 | 3.21 | −1.00 | |
| Fusion | Andrea Otto | 653 | 0.69 | +0.69 | |
| Australian Citizens | Jeff Davy | 377 | 0.40 | +0.40 | |
| Australian Federation | Eleonor Tabone | 367 | 0.39 | +0.39 | |
| Total formal votes | 95,191 | 92.11 | −0.43 | ||
| Informal votes | 8,159 | 7.89 | +0.43 | ||
| Turnout | 103,350 | 90.35 | −2.98 | ||
| Notional two-party-preferred count | |||||
| National | Sam Birrell | 63,918 | 67.15 | −2.88 | |
| Labor | Bill Lodwick | 31,273 | 32.85 | +2.88 | |
| Two-candidate-preferred result | |||||
| National | Sam Birrell | 51,221 | 53.81 | −16.22 | |
| Independent | Rob Priestly | 43,970 | 46.19 | +46.19 | |
| National hold | |||||