Anthony Byrne - Holt Electorate

Holt Electorate

The Holt electorate covers an area of approximately 145 km2, in Melbourne's South Eastern suburbs, extending from Lysterfield South in the north to Cranbourne in the south.

The Holt Electorate includes the suburbs of Cranbourne, Doveton, Endeavour Hills, Eumemmerring, Hallam, Hampton Park, Lynbrook, Narre Warren South. Plus parts of the suburbs of Berwick, Clyde, Clyde North, Lyndhurst, Lysterfield, Lysterfield South, Narre Warren and Narre Warren North.

According to the 2006 Census, 55% of all dwellings in Holt are being purchased, making Holt the seat with the highest rate of mortgages in the country. The Holt electorate was created in 1969 and is named after former Prime Minister Harold Edward Holt (1966–1967), who disappeared in 1967 while swimming off Portsea Beach. Originally a marginal electorate, redistributions have converted Holt into a relatively safe Labor seat. Holt was held by former Hawke government minister Michael Duffy 1980-96. He retired to be succeeded by Gareth Evans, who had served in the Senate 1977-96. Deputy Labor Leader at the 1998 Federal election, Evans announced he would retire while appearing on the ABC-TV's election night coverage, but delayed his resignation until late in 1999, when Anthony Byrne comfortably won a by-election held in conjunction with the republic referendum.

At the 2004 election, Holt suffered a 6.4% swing, reflecting the Liberal campaign on the Scoresby Tollway, as well as Victorian antipathy to Labor Leader Mark Latham. However, Labor's vote recovered with a 10.1% swing to Labor in 2007. At the 2010 election Anthony further extended his margin to 13.2% after achieving a 1.6% swing to Labor.