Division of Bass

The Division of Bass is an Australian electoral division in Tasmania.

It includes most of the city of Launceston and its surrounds. It has traditionally been a marginal seat and has had more members than any other federal electorate.

Geography

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. In addition to Launceston, Bass encompasses the Furneaux Group of islands, George Town, West Tamar, and Dorset.

History

File:George Bass engraving.png

George Bass, the division's namesake

The division was one of the five established when the former Division of Tasmania was redistributed on 2 October 1903 and is named for the explorer George Bass. It has always been based on the city of Launceston and surrounding rural areas, and its boundaries have changed very little in the century since its creation. For most of its history it has been a marginal seat, changing hands between the Australian Labor Party and the conservative parties—since 1949 the Liberal Party. Its most notable member has been Lance Barnard, who was Deputy Prime Minister in the Whitlam government. His resignation in 1975 was followed by Labor's heavy defeat in the Bass by-election, which is seen as the beginning of the end of the Whitlam government.

The Liberals won the seat at the 2019 election, retaining it for two terms before losing it to Jess Teesdale of the Labor Party in the 2025 election.

Bass has had the most different members of any federal electorate at nineteen.

Members

Image		Member	Party	Term	Notes
Template:Australian party style|	File:David Storrer.jpg	David Storrer (1854–1935)	Protectionist	16 December 1903 – 26 May 1909	Previously held the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Launceston. Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|			Independent	26 May 1909 – 13 April 1910
Template:Australian party style|	File:Jens Jensen.jpg	Jens Jensen (1865–1936)	Labor	13 April 1910 – 14 November 1916	Previously held the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Wilmot. Served as minister under Fisher and Hughes. Lost seat. Later elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Bass in 1922
Template:Australian party style|			National Labor	14 November 1916 – 17 February 1917
Template:Australian party style|			Nationalist	17 February 1917 – 1919
Template:Australian party style|			Independent	1919 – 13 December 1919
Template:Australian party style|	File:Syd Jackson.png	Syd Jackson (1889–1941)	Nationalist	13 December 1919 – 12 October 1929	Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:Allan Guy.jpg	Allan Guy (1890–1979)	Labor	12 October 1929 – March 1931	Previously held the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Bass. Served as minister under Lyons. Lost seat. Later elected to the Division of Wilmot in 1940
Template:Australian party style|			Independent	March 1931 – 7 May 1931
Template:Australian party style|			United Australia	7 May 1931 – 15 September 1934
Template:Australian party style|	File:Claude Barnard.jpg	Claude Barnard (1890–1957)	Labor	15 September 1934 – 10 December 1949	Served as minister under Chifley. Lost seat. Later elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Bass in 1950. Son was Lance Barnard
Template:Australian party style|	File:Bruce Kekwick.png	Bruce Kekwick (1910–1982)	Liberal	10 December 1949 – 29 May 1954	Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:Lance Barnard 1973 (1).jpg	Lance Barnard (1919–1997)	Labor	29 May 1954 – 2 June 1975	Served as minister and Deputy Prime Minister under Whitlam. Resigned to become Australian Ambassador to Sweden, Norway and Finland. Father was Claude Barnard
Template:Australian party style|	File:Liberal Placeholder.png	Kevin Newman (1933–1999)	Liberal	28 June 1975 – 26 October 1984	Served as minister under Fraser. Retired
Template:Australian party style|	File:Liberal Placeholder.png	Warwick Smith (1954–)		1 December 1984 – 13 March 1993	Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:Labor Placeholder.png	Silvia Smith (1939–2020)	Labor	13 March 1993 – 2 March 1996	Lost seat. Later elected to the Tasmanian Legislative Council in 1997
Template:Australian party style|	File:Liberal Placeholder.png	Warwick Smith (1954–)	Liberal	2 March 1996 – 3 October 1998	Served as minister under Howard. Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:Labor Placeholder.png	Michelle O'Byrne (1968–)	Labor	3 October 1998 – 9 October 2004	Lost seat. Later elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Bass in 2006
Template:Australian party style|	File:Liberal Placeholder.png	Michael Ferguson (1974–)	Liberal	9 October 2004 – 24 November 2007	Lost seat. Later elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Bass in 2010
Template:Australian party style|	File:Labor Placeholder.png	Jodie Campbell (1972–)	Labor	24 November 2007 – 19 July 2010	Retired
Template:Australian party style|	File:Labor Placeholder.png	Geoff Lyons (1953–)		21 August 2010 – 7 September 2013	Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:Andrew Nikolic -June 2009.jpg	Andrew Nikolic (1961–)	Liberal	7 September 2013 – 2 July 2016	Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:RH in Scottsdale (cropped).jpg	Ross Hart (1960–)	Labor	2 July 2016 – 18 May 2019	Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:Bridget Archer 2022.png	Bridget Archer (1975–)	Liberal	18 May 2019 – 3 May 2025	Lost seat
Template:Australian party style|	File:Labor Placeholder.png	Jess Teesdale	Labor	3 May 2025 – present	Incumbent

External links

• Division of Bass - Australian Electoral Commission