State: New South Wales

Name Derivation: Named after Andrew 'Banjo' Paterson 1864-1941, Australian author and poet. There is also conjecture that the division was first named in 1947 after Colonel William Paterson 1755-1810 after whom the town and river within the division were named.

Area and Location Description: Paterson covers an area of approximately 9 373 sq km and extends from Raymond Terrace, Medowie and Anna Bay in the south to the southern boundary of Greater Taree local government area in the north and west to the Great Dividing Range. The main towns include Anna Bay, Bulahdelah, Clarence Town, Dungog, Forster, Gloucester, Hawks Nest, Lemon Tree Passage, Medowie, Morpeth, Nelson Bay, Paterson, Raymond Terrace, Stroud, Tuncurry and parts of Nabiac, Thornton and East Maitland.

Map of Division: Paterson [PDF 120KB]

Products/Industries of the Area: Timber, beef and dairy cattle, mixed farming, maize, sawmilling, fishing and oyster farming, tourism and general engineering.

First Proclaimed/Election: 1947/1949 (Division was abolished in 1984 and re-established at the 1992 redistribution.)

Demographic Rating: Rural

Members:

• Baldwin, B (LP) 2001-
• Horne, R H (ALP) 1998-2001
• Baldwin, R C (LP) 1996-1998
• Horne, R H (ALP) 1993-1996
• O'Keefe, F L (CP/NCP/NP) 1969-1984
• Fairhall, A (LP) 1949-1969

Current Member Details: Please refer to the Parliament of Australia website

AEC Divisional Office Address: Divisional Office Contact Details

2007 Federal Election Results: House of Representatives results for Paterson

Further information:

• 2004 Federal Election - House of Representatives results for Paterson
• 2004 Divisional Profile
• 2004 Map of Division

For supporting information, see Party Codes, Demographic Ratings and Seat Status .