Oxley is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales.
While the Mid North Coast has throughout history been conservative, Oxley is seen as particularly conservative even by Mid North Coast standards. As a single-member seat, Oxley has only ever been held by a conservative party. It is a very safe Nationals seat.
History Oxley was created in 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, replacing Gloucester and Raleigh, and elected three members. It was named after John Oxley. In 1927 it was divided into the single-member electorates of Oxley, Gloucester and Raleigh. In 1988 it was abolished and replaced by Port Macquarie. It was recreated in 1991.
Oxley is one of three original (post 1927 redistribution) electorates to have never been held by the Labor Party, the other districts being Tamworth and Upper Hunter. The National Party has held the seat since its current incarnation was created in 1991.
At the 2007 election it included most of Bellingen Shire (including Bellingen and Dorrigo), Nambucca Shire (including Nambucca Heads, Macksville and Bowraville), Kempsey Shire, some of inland Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, including Wauchope, the lightly inhabited northwest of the Mid-Coast Council, and the lightly inhabited eastern fringe of Walcha Shire and Armidale Regional Council.
The next redistribution taking effect at the 2015 state election redrew Oxley to contain the entirety of Bellingen Shire, Nambucca Shire, Kempsey Shire and a large inland component of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council. Its significant population centres include Bellingen, Nambucca Heads, Macksville, Kempsey and Wauchope.
Members for Oxley
First incarnation 1920-1988 Three members (1920–1927)MemberPartyTermMemberPartyTermMemberPartyTerm George Briner 1920–1920 Joseph Fitzgerald1920–1927 Richard Price1920–1922 Theodore Hill 1920–1922 1922–1927 Roy Vincent 1922–1927
Single-member (1927–1988)MemberPartyTerm Lewis Martin 1927–1932 1932–1941 George Mitchell 1941–1944 Les Jordan 1944–1959 1959–1965 Bruce Cowan 1965–1980 Peter King 1981–1981 Jim Brown 1981–1984 Bruce Jeffery 1984–1988 Single-member (1991–present)MemberPartyTerm Bruce Jeffery 1991–1999 Andrew Stoner 1999–2015 Melinda Pavey 2015–2023 Michael Kemp2023–present
Election results
References