History
Created in 1962, from the abolished seat of Collaroy, Wakehurst was named in honour of the popular long-serving Governor of New South Wales from 1937 to 1946, Lord Wakehurst. It was held by the Liberal Party of Australia from its creation until the 1978 election, when it was won by the Australian Labor Party. They held the seat until the 1984 election, when the Liberals retook the seat.
The seat was first won in 1962 by Dick Healey of the Liberal Party. He moved to the new seat of Davidson in 1971. He served as a minister in the Coalition state government from 1973 to 1976, and retired in 1981. Wakehurst was won in 1971 by Allan Viney. He held the seat until his defeat in 1978 by the ALP’s Tom Webster. The 1978 election was a landslide for the ALP under Neville Wran, and Wakehurst was one of a number of traditional Liberal seats to fall to Labor.
Webster was re-elected at the 1981 election but was defeated in 1984 by Liberal candidate John Booth. Booth held the seat until 1991, when he lost preselection to Brad Hazzard. Hazzard has held Wakehurst since 1991. He joined the Coalition shadow frontbench after the 1995 election and currently serves as Minister for Planning and Infrastructure in the O'Farrell Ministry.
Read more about this topic: Electoral District Of Wakehurst
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