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State:

New South Wales

Name Derivation:

Named after Sir Charles Cowper (1807-1875), Premier of New South Wales (25 August-2 October 1856).

Area and Location Description:

It covers an area of approximately 7699 sq km from Gladstone/Smithtown in the south to Yamba in the north.

The main towns include Bellingen, Bowraville, Coffs Harbour, Dorrigo, Maclean, Macksville, Nambucca Heads, Sawtell, South West Rocks, Urunga, Woolgoolga and Yamba.

Products/Industries of the area:

Fishing, forestry, agriculture - especially bananas - vegetables and dairy cattle, as well as tourism.

First Proclaimed

1900/1901

Members

Luke Hartsuyker (NP) 2001 -

G Nehl (NP) 1984 - 2001

I L Robinson (CP/NCP) 1963-84

F W McGuren (ALP) 1961-63

E C G Page (FSU/CP) 1919-61

J Thomson (PROT/LIB/NAT) 1906-19

H W Lee (FT) 1903-06

F Clarke (PROT) 1901-03

For Current Members information, browse the Parliament of Australia Members page.

AEC - Divisional Office Contact Numbers and Addresses

Demographic Rating

Rural

3 October 1998 Election	6 November 1999 Referendum	10 November 2001 Election
Enrolment: 79 213 Informal Vote: 2.74% Turnout: 95.19% Seat Status: Fairly safe National Two Party Preferred: ALP: 43.64% NP: 56.36%	Enrolment: 80 698 Informal Vote: Republic Question 0.68% Preamble Question 0.71% Turnout: Republic Question 95.35% Preamble Question 95.33%	Enrolment: 79 982 Informal Vote: 4.11% Turnout: 95.31% Seat Status: Marginal National Two Party Preferred: ALP: 45.27% NP: 54.73%