Division of Dawson

The Division of Dawson is an Australian electoral division in the state of Queensland. It comprises the city of Mackay and the coastal region north-west, including the Whitsunday Islands, until the south-eastern suburbs of Townsville on the right bank of the Ross River.

Dawson Australian House of Representatives Division
Interactive map of boundaries since the 2019 federal election
Created	1949
MP	Andrew Willcox
Party	National[a]
Namesake	Anderson Dawson
Electors	117,233 (2025)
Area	14,630 km2 (5,648.7 sq mi)
Demographic	Provincial and rural
Electorates around Dawson: Herbert Coral Sea Coral Sea Kennedy Dawson Coral Sea Capricornia Capricornia Coral Sea

Since 2022 its MP has been Andrew Willcox of the National Party.

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.^[1]

The Division of Dawson includes the city of Mackay, as well as other neighbouring towns to the north-west, including Farleigh, Kuttabul, Mount Ossa, Seaforth and Calen. Along the Bruce Highway other towns include Bloomsbury, Proserpine, Bowen, Home Hill, Ayr and Giru until the south-eastern suburbs of Townsville on the right bank of the Ross River. It also includes the Whitsunday Islands.

History

Anderson Dawson, the division's namesake

The division was created in 1949 and is named after Anderson Dawson, the first Labor Premier of Queensland and leader of the first parliamentary socialist government anywhere in the world.

Apart from a period from 1966 to 1975 and 2007 to 2010, it has been held by the National Party. While Mackay, the largest city wholly within the electorate, is a longstanding Labor stronghold, it is usually not enough to overcome the region's overall conservative leaning.

Members

Image		Member	Party	Term	Notes
		Charles Davidson (1897–1985)	Country	10 December 1949 – 1 November 1963	Previously held the Division of Capricornia. Served as minister under Menzies. Retired
		George Shaw (1913–1966)		30 November 1963 – 9 January 1966	Died in office
		Rex Patterson (1927–2016)	Labor	26 February 1966 – 13 December 1975	Served as minister under Whitlam. Lost seat
		Ray Braithwaite (1933–)	National Country	13 December 1975 – 16 October 1982	Retired
			Nationals	16 October 1982 – 29 January 1996
		De-Anne Kelly (1954–)		2 March 1996 – 24 November 2007	Served as minister under Howard. Lost seat
		James Bidgood (1959–)	Labor	24 November 2007 – 19 July 2010	Retired
		George Christensen (1978–)	National[a]	21 August 2010 – 27 March 2022	Did not contest in 2022. Failed to win a Senate seat
			One Nation	27 March 2022 – 21 May 2022
		Andrew Willcox (1969–)	National[a]	21 May 2022 – present	Incumbent

Election results

Main article: Electoral results for the Division of Dawson

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2025 Australian federal election in Queensland § Dawson.[edit]

2025 Australian federal election: Dawson^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal National	Andrew Willcox	41,043	41.68	−1.65
	Labor	Neil Wallace	25,808	26.21	+1.74
	One Nation	Darren Brown	10,258	10.42	−2.85
	Greens	Paula Creen	6,944	7.05	−0.16
	Trumpet of Patriots	Michael Lockyer	5,673	5.76	+5.76
	People First	Alexander Beaumont	5,572	5.66	+5.66
	Family First	Amanda Nickson	3,170	3.22	+3.22
Total formal votes			98,468	95.31	−0.55
Informal votes			4,849	4.69	+0.55
Turnout			103,317	88.15	+0.66
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal National	Andrew Willcox	60,881	61.83	+1.41
	Labor	Neil Wallace	37,587	38.17	−1.41
	Liberal National hold		Swing	+1.41

Notes

1. Member of the Liberal National Party of Queensland sitting with the federal parliamentary National Party.