View source for Electoral district of Charters Towers

{{Short description|Former electoral district of Queensland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox Australian Electorate |
|name     = Charters Towers
|state    = qld
|image    = 
|caption  = 
|lifespan = 1888–1960; 1992–2009
|mp       = 
|mp-party = 
|namesake = [[Charters Towers, Queensland|Charters Towers]]
|area     = 
|class    = 
}}

'''Charters Towers''' was an [[Queensland Legislative Assembly electoral districts|electoral district]] of the [[Legislative Assembly of Queensland|Legislative Assembly]] in the Australian state of [[Queensland]]. It has had three incarnations, most recently being created as part of a redistribution in 1991 and lasting until 2008.<ref name=qpe>{{Cite QldElectorate|access-date=27 April 2020}}</ref>

The latest incarnation of Charters Towers was created in 1992, largely as a replacement for the abolished [[Electoral district of Flinders (Queensland)|Flinders]]. The electorate covered a vast area of central Queensland, from [[Etheridge Shire]] in the north to [[Jericho Shire]] in the south. Besides its namesake town, [[Charters Towers, Queensland|Charters Towers]], other major locations within the division included [[Georgetown, Queensland|Georgetown]], [[Hughenden, Queensland|Hughenden]], [[Richmond, Queensland|Richmond]], [[Moranbah, Queensland|Moranbah]], [[Clermont, Queensland|Clermont]], [[Tieri, Queensland|Tieri]], [[Alpha, Queensland|Alpha]], [[Aramac, Queensland|Aramac]] and [[Muttaburra, Queensland|Muttaburra]].  It was located in what was now [[National Party of Australia – Queensland|National]] heartland, and was held by that party and its successor, the [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|Liberal National Party]], for all but one term. The seat fell to [[Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)|Labor]] during its 2001 landslide, but reverted to its conservative ways in 2004.

In 2008, Charters Towers was abolished—with effect at the [[2009 Queensland state election|2009 state election]]—as a result of a redistribution undertaken by the [[Electoral Commission of Queensland]]. Its former territory and voters were split between the districts of [[Electoral district of Burdekin|Burdekin]], [[Electoral district of Gregory|Gregory]], [[Electoral district of Mount Isa|Mount Isa]] and the new seat of [[Electoral district of Dalrymple|Dalrymple]]. The seat's last member, [[Shane Knuth]], transferred to Dalrymple.

An earlier district called Charters Towers based in the same region existed from 1888 to 1960—firstly as a dual member electorate, and from 1912 as a single member electorate. Its most notable representative was [[Anderson Dawson]] of the [[Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)|Labor Party]], [[Premier of Queensland]] for six days in December 1899, and leader of the world's first parliamentary [[socialist]] government.

==Members for Charters Towers==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="8" | First incarnation (1888–1912, 2 members)
|-
!colspan="2"|Member!!Party!!Term
!colspan="2"|Member!!Party!!Term
|-
| {{Australian party style|Other}}|&nbsp;
| [[Robert Sayers]]
| Unaligned
| 1888–1893
| {{Australian party style|Other}}|&nbsp;
| [[Arthur Rutledge]]
| Ministerialist
| 1888–1893
|-
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|&nbsp;
| [[Anderson Dawson]]
| [[Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)|Labour]]
| 1893–1901
|rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}}|&nbsp;
|rowspan="2"| [[John Dunsford]]
|rowspan="2"| [[Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)|Labour]]
|rowspan="2"| 1893–1905
|-
|rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}}|&nbsp;
|rowspan="2"| [[John Burrows (politician)|John Burrows]]
|rowspan="2"| [[Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)|Labour]]
|rowspan="2"| 1901–1907
|-
|rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Other}}|&nbsp;
|rowspan="2"| [[William Paull (politician)|William Paull]]
|rowspan="2"| Opposition
|rowspan="2"| 1905–1908
|-
| {{Australian party style|Other}}|&nbsp;
| [[Joe Millican]]
| Opposition
| 1907–1908
|-
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|&nbsp;
| [[Vernon Winstanley]]
| [[Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)|Labour]]
| 1908–1912
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|&nbsp;
| [[John Mullan (Australian politician)|John Mullan]]
| [[Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)|Labour]]
| 1908–1912
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="4" | Second incarnation (1912–1960, 1 member)
|-
!colspan="2"|Member!!Party!!Term
|-
| {{Australian party style|Other}}|&nbsp;
| [[Robert Wynn Williams]]
| Ministerialist
| 1912–1915
|-
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|&nbsp;
| [[William Wellington]]
| [[Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)|Labor]]
| 1915–1939
|-
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|&nbsp;
| rowspan="2"|[[Arthur Jones (Australian politician)|Arthur Jones]]
| [[Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)|Labor]]
| 1939–1957
|-
| {{Australian party style|QLP}}|&nbsp;
| [[Queensland Labor Party (1957–1978)|Queensland Labor]]
| 1957–1960
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="4" | Third incarnation (1992–2009, 1 member)
|-
!colspan="2"|Member!!Party!!Term
|-
| {{Australian party style|Nationals QLD}}|&nbsp;
| [[Rob Mitchell (Queensland politician)|Rob Mitchell]]
| [[National Party of Australia – Queensland|National]]
| 1992–2001
|-
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|&nbsp;
| [[Christine Scott]]
| [[Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)|Labor]]
| 2001–2004
|-
| {{Australian party style|Nationals QLD}}|&nbsp;
|rowspan="2"| [[Shane Knuth]]
| [[National Party of Australia – Queensland|National]]
| 2004–2008
|-
| {{Australian party style|Liberal Nationals}}|&nbsp;
| [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|Liberal National]]
| 2008–2009
|-
|}

==Election results==

{{main|Electoral results for the district of Charters Towers}}

==See also==
* [[Electoral districts of Queensland]]
* [[Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly]] by year
* [[:Category:Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly]] by name

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060917100237/http://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/elections/state/state2006/Charters%20Towers/districtProfile.html District Profile - Charters Towers]
* [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080269b.htm Anderson (Andrew) Dawson biography]

{{coord missing|Queensland}}

{{Former electoral districts of Queensland |state=expanded}}
{{Electoral districts of Queensland |state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charters Towers}}
[[Category:Former electoral districts of Queensland]]
[[Category:Charters Towers]]