Division of Bass (state)

This article is about the state electorate. For the federal electorate, see Division of Bass. For the Victorian state electorate, see Electoral district of Bass.

The electoral division of Bass is one of the five electorates in the Tasmanian House of Assembly, it includes north-east Tasmania and Flinders Island. Bass takes its name from the British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia: George Bass. The division shares its name and boundaries with the federal division of Bass.

Bass Tasmania—House of Assembly
Interactive map of boundaries since the 2021 state election
State	Tasmania
Created	1909
MP	Bridget Archer (Liberal) Rob Fairs (Liberal) Michael Ferguson (Liberal) Janie Finlay (Labor) Jess Greene (Labor) George Razay (Independent) Cecily Rosol (Greens)
Party	Greens (1), Independent (1), Labor (2), Liberal (3)
Namesake	George Bass
Electors	78,182 (2021)
Area	7,976 km2 (3,079.6 sq mi)
Demographic	Mixed
Federal electorate(s)	Bass
State electorate(s)	Launceston McIntyre Rosevears Windermere
Electorates around Bass: Bass Strait Bass Strait Bass Strait Braddon Bass Tasman Sea Lyons Lyons Lyons

Division of Bass before the 2021 state election

Bass and the other House of Assembly electoral divisions are each represented by seven members elected under the Hare-Clark electoral system.

History and electoral profile

Bass was created in 1909 and includes the city of Launceston and towns in the states north east including: Scottsdale, Lilydale, St Helens, George Town and others.^[1]

Representation

Distribution of seats

As 6-member seat: Election Seats won 1909–1912             1912–1913             1913–1916             1916–1919             1919–1922             1922–1925             1925–1928             1928–1931             1931–1934             1934–1937             1937–1941             1941–1946             1946–1948             1948–1950             1950–1955             1955–1956             1956–1959             As 7-member seat: Election Seats won 1959–1964               1964–1969               1969–1972               1972–1976               1976–1979               1979–1982               1982–1986               1986–1989               1989–1992               1992–1996               1996–1998               As 5-member seat: Election Seats won 1998–2002           2002–2006           2006–2010           2010–2014           2014–2018           2018–2021           2021–2024           As 7-member seat: Election Seats won 2024–2028

Legend:   Labor   Liberal   Greens   Nationalist   Liberal   Anti-Socialist   Liberal (Lee)   Liberal Democrat   Independent

Members for Bass

Year	Member		Party	Member		Party	Member		Party	Member		Party	Member		Party	Member		Party	Member		Party
1909	6 seats (1909–1959)				Thomas Bakhap	Anti-Socialist		James Guy	Labor		Robert Sadler	Liberal Democrat		Charles Howroyd	Labor		Albert Solomon	Anti-Socialist		Richard McKenzie	Anti-Socialist
1912						Liberal					George Becker	Labor						Liberal			Liberal
1913					Robert Sadler	Liberal		Arthur Anderson	Labor											John Hayes	Liberal
1914																	Alexander Marshall	Liberal
1915								James McDonald	Labor
1916								Allan Guy	Labor
1917						Nationalist									Nationalist			Nationalist			Nationalist
1917														James Newton	Nationalist
1919
1922					Jens Jensen	Independent Labor
1923																				George Shields	Nationalist
1925															Liberal
1925					Victor Shaw	Labor											Claude James	Liberal		Henry Thomson	Nationalist
1928															Nationalist			Nationalist
1928														John Ockerby	Nationalist
1929								Thomas Davies	Labor
1931											Robert Murphy	Nationalist								Howard Barber	Nationalist
1933																				Herbert Postle	Nationalist
1934											John McDonald	Labor								Allen Hollingsworth	Nationalist
1936					John Madden	Labor
1937																	Eric Howroyd	Labor
1941																				Frank Marriott	Nationalist
1942								John Quintal	Labor
1945											Alan Welsh	Labor
1946															Liberal						Independent
1946								Reg Turnbull	Labor		Bill Beattie	Liberal		Fred Marriott	Liberal					Alexander Atkins	Labor
1948																				John Orchard	Liberal
1950											Claude Barnard	Labor					John Steer	Liberal
1954																				Bill Beattie	Liberal
1955
1956					Alexander Atkins	Labor
1957											John Madden	Labor
1959		Mac Le Fevre	Labor						Independent
1961								Wallace Fraser	Labor					James McGowen	Liberal		Max Bushby	Liberal
1964														John Steer	Liberal
1968														James Henty	Liberal
1969		Allan Foster	Labor					Michael Barnard	Labor		Timothy Barrenger	Liberal
1972					David Farquhar	Labor					Mac Le Fevre	Labor		Neil Pitt	Liberal
1974		Harry Holgate	Labor
1976					Gill James	Labor					Jim Mooney	Liberal		Neil Robson	Liberal
1979											Mary Willey	Labor								John Beswick	Liberal
1981												Independent
1982											Brendan Lyons	Liberal
1984								Peter Patmore	Labor
1986											Peter Rae	Liberal					Frank Madill	Liberal
1989					Jim Cox	Labor					Lance Armstrong	Greens
1992		Tony Benneworth	Liberal		Gill James	Labor								Sue Napier	Liberal
1996											Jim Cox	Labor
1998	5 seats (1998–2024)																		5 seats (1998–2024)
2000																	David Fry	Liberal
2002					Kim Booth	Greens		Kathryn Hay	Labor								Peter Gutwein	Liberal
2006								Michelle O'Byrne	Labor
2010											Brian Wightman	Labor		Michael Ferguson	Liberal
2014											Sarah Courtney	Liberal
2015					Andrea Dawkins	Greens
2018					Jennifer Houston	Labor
2021					Janie Finlay	Labor
2022											Lara Alexander	Liberal					Simon Wood	Liberal
2023												Independent
2024		Cecily Rosol	Greens								Rebekah Pentland	Jacqui Lambie								Rob Fairs	Liberal
2024												Independent
2025								Jess Greene	Labor		George Razay	Independent					Bridget Archer	Liberal

Election results

Main article: Electoral results for the Division of Bass (state)

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2025 Tasmanian state election § Bass.[edit]

Vote totals given here are first round vote tallies.^[2]

2025 Tasmanian state election: Bass^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			8,432
	Liberal	Bridget Archer (elected 1)	13,108	19.4	+19.4
	Liberal	Michael Ferguson (elected 3)	6,881	10.2	−7.9
	Liberal	Rob Fairs (elected 5)	3,717	5.5	−2.9
	Liberal	Simon Wood	1,348	2.0	−0.8
	Liberal	Julie Sladden	1,747	1.9	−0.7
	Liberal	Chris Gatenby	1,504	1.8	−0.4
	Liberal	Sarah Quaile	1,448	0.9	−1.2
	Labor	Janie Finlay (elected 2)	8,797	13.0	+2.2
	Labor	Geoff Lyons	2,339	3.5	+1.0
	Labor	Jess Greene (elected 7)	2,256	3.3	+3.3
	Labor	Luke Moore	1,499	2.2	+2.2
	Labor	Melissa Anderson	852	2.0	+0.7
	Labor	William Gordon	1,112	1.9	+0.3
	Labor	Peter Thomas	443	1.5	+1.5
	Greens	Cecily Rosol (elected 4)	6,566	9.7	+3.4
	Greens	Lauren Ball	1,013	1.5	+0.3
	Greens	Charlene McLennan	871	1.3	+1.3
	Greens	Anne Layton-Bennett	828	1.2	+0.2
	Greens	Tom Hall	711	1.1	+0.1
	Greens	Eric March	577	0.8	+0.8
	Greens	Jack Fittler	542	0.8	+0.2
	Shooters, Fishers, Farmers	Michal Frydrych	2,754	4.0	+1.6
	Independent	George Razay (elected 6)	2,347	3.5	+1.7
	Independent	Rebekah Pentland	1,705	2.5	−1.0
	National	Angela Armstrong	684	1.0	−2.0
	National	Carl Cooper	683	1.0	+1.0
	Independent	Tim Walker	417	0.6	−0.2
	Independent	Jack Davenport	405	0.6	+0.2
	Independent	Caroline Larner	246	0.4	+0.4
	Independent	Fenella Edwards	181	0.3	+0.3
	Independent	Daniel Groat	135	0.2	+0.2
Total formal votes			67,450	93.6	+0.1
Informal votes			4,543	6.4	−0.1
Turnout			71,993	89.4	−1.2
Party total votes
	Liberal		28,193	41.8	+3.8
	Labor		18,564	27.5	-2.3
	Greens		11,136	16.5	+4.5
	Shooters, Fishers, Farmers		2,754	4.0	+1.6
	Independent	George Razay	2,347	3.5	+1.7
	Independent	Rebekah Pentland	1,705	2.5	−1.0
	National		1,367	2.0	+2.0
	Independent	Tim Walker	417	0.6	−0.2
	Independent	Jack Davenport	405	0.6	+0.2
	Independent	Caroline Larner	246	0.4	+0.4
	Independent	Fenella Edwards	181	0.3	+0.3
	Independent	Daniel Groat	135	0.2	+0.2
	Independent gain from Lambie Network

See also

• Australia portal
• Politics portal

• Tasmanian Legislative Council