View source for Division of Cook

{{short description|Australian federal electoral division}}
{{about|the current federal electorate|the previous electorate|Division of Cook (1906–1955)|the Queensland state electorate|Electoral district of Cook}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox Australian electorate
| federal       = yes
| name          = Cook
| image         = {{switcher
|{{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|from=Australian Federal Electorates/New South Wales (2016)/Cook.map|frame-height=300|frame-width=400|overlay-horizontal-alignment=right|overlay-vertical-alignment=bottom|overlay=[[File:Division of COOK 2016.png|x100px]]
}}
|From the [[2016 Australian federal election|2016 federal election]] to 2025
|{{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|from=Australian Federal Electorates/New South Wales (2025)/Cook.map|frame-height=300|frame-width=400|overlay-horizontal-alignment=right|overlay-vertical-alignment=bottom|overlay=[[File:Division of Cook 2025.svg|x100px]]
}}
|From the [[2025 Australian federal election|2025 federal election]]
|default=2
}}
| caption       = Interactive map of electorate boundaries
| created       = {{start date and age|1969}}
| mp            = [[Simon Kennedy]]
| mp-party      = [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]
| namesake      = [[James Cook]]<br/>[[Joseph Cook]]
| electors      = 118,924
| electors_year = [[2025 Australian federal election|2025]]
| area          = 67
| class         = Inner metropolitan
|near-n = [[Division of Barton|Barton]]
|near-ne = [[Division of Kingsford Smith|Kingsford Smith]]
|near-nw = [[Division of Banks|Banks]]
|near-e = ''[[Tasman Sea]]''
|near-w = [[Division of Hughes|Hughes]]
|near-s = [[Division of Hughes|Hughes]]
|near-se = ''[[Tasman Sea]]''
|near-sw = [[Division of Hughes|Hughes]]
|footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aec.gov.au/redistributions/2023/nsw/final-report/files/maps-a4/2024-aec-nsw-a4-map-cook_FINAL.pdf |title=MAP OF COMMONWEALTH ELECTORAL DIVISION OF COOK |date=October 2024 |access-date=2025-03-19 |publisher=[[Australian Electoral Commission|AEC]]}}</ref>
}}

The '''Division of Cook''' is an [[Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives|Australian electoral division]] in the [[States and territories of Australia|State]] of [[New South Wales]].

==History==
[[File:Captainjamescookportrait.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[James Cook]], the original namesake of the division]]
[[File:Sir Joseph Cook.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[Joseph Cook]], the other namesake of the division since 2024]]
Cook was created in 1969, mostly out of the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]-leaning areas of neighbouring [[Division of Hughes|Hughes]]. It was thus a natural choice for that seat's one-term Liberal member, [[Don Dobie]], to transfer after the creation of Cook erased his majority in Hughes. The division was originally named in honour of [[James Cook]], who mapped the east coast of Australia in 1770. In 2006, the [[Australian Electoral Commission]]'s Redistribution Committee for New South Wales proposed that the division be jointly named for [[Joseph Cook]], [[Prime Minister of Australia]] from 1913 to 1914, but this did not eventuate at the time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/files/2005/nsw/proposal_nsw_redistribution06.pdf|page=36|title=The 2006 Proposed Redistribution of New South Wales into 49 Electoral Divisions : Report of the Redistribution Committee|publisher=Australian Electoral Commission|year=2006|access-date=25 August 2018|archive-date=5 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105085025/https://www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/files/2005/nsw/proposal_nsw_redistribution06.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2024, the namesake was finally altered to be joint between both men, to give recognition to Joseph Cook and have a division named after him like other former Prime Ministers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aec.gov.au/redistributions/2023/nsw/final-report/files/Redistribution-of-New-South-Wales-into-electoral-divisions-October-2024.pdf|title=Redistribution of New South Wales into electoral divisions|publisher=Australian Electoral Commission|date=October 2024|access-date=1 December 2024}}</ref>

For most of the first quarter-century of its existence, Cook was a marginal to fairly safe Liberal seat; it has been in Liberal hands for all but two terms. The Liberal majority ballooned with the party's national landslide victory at the [[1996 Australian federal election|1996 general election]], and since then Cook has been a "blue ribbon" safe seat for the Liberal Party. As of the [[2019 Australian federal election|2019 federal election]], it is the safest metropolitan Coalition seat, with a 19-point swing needed for Labor to win it.

The most prominent members were Dobie, who held the seat from its 1969 creation until his retirement in 1996 (with a brief break from 1972 to 1975); [[Bruce Baird]], a former Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party of New South Wales before his move into Federal politics; and [[Scott Morrison]] MP, former Prime Minister of Australia 2018–2022.

In 2007, following news of Baird's impending retirement, the seat attracted significant media attention, thanks to the controversial preselection of Liberal candidate Michael Towke. Allegations surfaced to the effect that Towke had engaged in branch-stacking and had embellished his curriculum vitae;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s1996381.htm|title=Liberal Party disendorses Michael Towke|work=[[PM (ABC Radio)]]|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|format=transcript|date=3 August 2007|access-date=21 August 2012|archive-date=14 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114194710/http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s1996381.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> although these allegations were subsequently proven false,<ref>{{cite news|author=Sheehan, Paul|url=http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/nasty-saga-you-nearly-missed-20091025-hem5.html|title=Nasty saga you nearly missed|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=26 October 2009|access-date=21 August 2012|archive-date=26 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126102343/http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/nasty-saga-you-nearly-missed-20091025-hem5.html|url-status=live}}</ref> the damage was done. In August 2007, Towke was disendorsed as the Liberal candidate and was replaced with Morrison, a former director of the New South Wales Liberal Party.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clennell |first1=Andrew |title=Libs reject Towke |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/libs-reject-towke-20070804-gdqrwt.html |access-date=14 April 2024 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=3 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402222819/https://www.smh.com.au/national/libs-reject-towke-20070804-gdqrwt.html |archive-date=2 April 2019 |language=en|url-status=live}}</ref> Morrison won the seat at the election while suffering a swing of six percent, the only time since 1996 that the Liberals' hold on it has been remotely threatened. However, he still won enough primary votes to retain the seat outright.

==Boundaries==
Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been 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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Muller |first1=Damon |title=The process of federal redistributions: a quick guide |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1718/Quick_Guides/FederalRedistributions |website=Parliament of Australia |access-date=19 April 2022 |date=14 November 2017 |archive-date=23 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523135724/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1718/Quick_Guides/FederalRedistributions |url-status=live }}</ref>

The division is located in the southern suburbs of [[Sydney]], including [[Beverley Park, New South Wales|Beverley Park]], [[Burraneer, New South Wales|Burraneer]], [[Caringbah]], [[Caringbah South, New South Wales|Caringbah South]], [[Carss Park, New South Wales|Carss Park]], [[Cronulla, New South Wales|Cronulla]], [[Dolans Bay, New South Wales|Dolans Bay]], [[Dolls Point, New South Wales|Dolls Point]], [[Greenhills Beach, New South Wales|Greenhills Beach]], [[Gymea Bay, New South Wales|Gymea Bay]], [[Kangaroo Point, New South Wales|Kangaroo Point]], [[Kogarah Bay, New South Wales|Kogarah Bay]], [[Kurnell, New South Wales|Kurnell]], [[Kyle Bay, New South Wales|Kyle Bay]], [[Lilli Pilli, New South Wales|Lilli Pilli]], [[Miranda, New South Wales|Miranda]], [[Monterey, New South Wales|Monterey]], [[Port Hacking, New South Wales|Port Hacking]], [[Ramsgate, New South Wales|Ramsgate]], [[Ramsgate Beach, New South Wales|Ramsgate Beach]], [[Sandringham, New South Wales|Sandringham]], [[Sans Souci, New South Wales|Sans Souci]], [[Sylvania Waters, New South Wales|Sylvania Waters]], [[Taren Point, New South Wales|Taren Point]], [[Woolooware]], and [[Yowie Bay, New South Wales|Yowie Bay]]; as well as parts of [[Blakehurst, New South Wales|Blakehurst]], [[Connells Point, New South Wales|Connells Point]], [[Gymea, New South Wales|Gymea]], [[Kogarah, New South Wales|Kogarah]], and [[Sylvania, New South Wales|Sylvania]].

==Members==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2 | Image
! Member
! Party
! Term
! Notes
|-
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|&nbsp;
| [[File:Don_Dobie_1960s.png|100px]]
| [[Don Dobie]]<br />{{small|(1927–1996)}}
| [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]
| nowrap | [[1969 Australian federal election|25 October 1969]] –<br />[[1972 Australian federal election|2 December 1972]]
| Previously held the [[Division of Hughes]]. Lost seat

|-
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|&nbsp;
| [[File:Ray Thorburn 1974 (cropped).jpg|100px]]
| [[Ray Thorburn]]<br />{{small|(1930–1986)}}
| [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]]
| nowrap | [[1972 Australian federal election|2 December 1972]] –<br />[[1975 Australian federal election|13 December 1975]]
| Lost seat

|-
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|&nbsp;
| [[File:Don_Dobie_1960s.png|100px]]
| [[Don Dobie]]<br />{{small|(1927–1996)}}
| rowspan="5" | [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]
| nowrap | [[1975 Australian federal election|13 December 1975]] –<br />[[1996 Australian federal election|29 January 1996]]
| Retired

|-
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|&nbsp;
| [[File:Liberal Placeholder.png|100px]]
| [[Stephen Mutch]]<br />{{small|(1956–)}}
| nowrap | [[1996 Australian federal election|2 March 1996]] –<br />[[1998 Australian federal election|31 August 1998]]
| Previously a member of the [[New South Wales Legislative Council]]. Lost preselection and retired

|-
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|&nbsp;
| [[File:Bruce Baird 2017.jpg|100px]]
| [[Bruce Baird]]<br />{{small|(1942–)}}
| nowrap | [[1998 Australian federal election|3 October 1998]] –<br />[[2007 Australian federal election|17 October 2007]]
| Previously held the [[New South Wales Legislative Assembly]] seat of [[Electoral district of Northcott|Northcott]]. Retired

|-
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|&nbsp;
| [[File:Scott Morrison portrait.jpg|100px]]
| [[Scott Morrison]]<br />{{small|(1968–)}}
| nowrap | [[2007 Australian federal election|24 November 2007]] –<br />28 February 2024
| Served as minister under [[Abbott Government|Abbott]] and [[Turnbull Government|Turnbull]]. Served as [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] from [[Morrison Government|2018 to 2022]]. Resigned to retire from politics

|-
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|&nbsp;
| [[File:Liberal Placeholder.png|100px]]
| [[Simon Kennedy]]<br />{{small|(1982–)}}
| nowrap | [[2024 Cook by-election|13 April 2024]] –<br />present
| Incumbent
|}

==Election results==
{{main|Electoral results for the Division of Cook}}
{{Excerpt|Results of the 2025 Australian federal election in New South Wales|section=Cook}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.aec.gov.au/profiles/c/Cook.htm Division of Cook – Australian Electoral Commission]

{{Australian federal divisions of New South Wales}}

{{coord|-34.031|151.100|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Division of}}
[[Category:Electoral divisions of Australia]]
[[Category:Electoral divisions of Australia in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Constituencies established in 1969]]
[[Category:Scott Morrison]]
[[Category:1969 establishments in Australia]]