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Bunbury Electorate Profile (2025)

About the Bunbury Electorate

Map showing the boundaries of the Bunbury electorate for the 2021 election

PDF version of the Bunbury Electorate map PDF/pdf-file.png

Area (sq km): 110
Number of Electors: 31,873
Source: 2023 Final Distribution Report, Western Australian Electoral Distribution Commission.

Origin of the Name:
Bunbury is named in honour of Lieutenant Henry William St. Pierre Bunbury (1812-1875) of the 21st Fusiliers. Bunbury carried out explorations in this area in 1836, and in a book of his letters and papers published in 1930, he wrote of Bunbury, "A township has been formed, or at least laid down on the maps, comprising the southern promontory and part of the north beach at the entrance of Port Leschenault Inlet, which the Governor named "Bunbury" in compliment to me ..." In 1830, Lt Governor Stirling established a military station at Port Leschenault under the command of Lt McLeod, but it only lasted six months. Bunbury township was mentioned in the Government Gazette in 1839, but lots in the town were not surveyed until 1841, and these were declared open for selection in March 1841.
Source: Western Australia. Department of Land Administration. Names and Places.

Suburbs and Towns within the Electorate:
The electorate of Bunbury includes all or part of Bunbury, Carey Park, College Grove, Dalyellup, Davenport, East Bunbury, Gelorup, Glen Iris, Pelican Point, Picton, South Bunbury, Stirling Estate, Stratham, Usher and Withers.
Source: Western Australian Electoral Commission.


Local Governments within the Electorate:
City of Bunbury
Shire of Capel (part)

Schools
Government: Adam Road Primary School; Bunbury Primary School; Bunbury Senior High School; Carey Park Primary School; College Row School; Cooinda Primary School; Dalyellup College; Dalyellup Primary School; Djidi Djidi Aboriginal School; Maidens Park Primary School; Manea Senior College; Newton Moore Education Support Centre; Newton Moore Senior High School; Picton Primary School; South Bunbury Education Support Centre; South Bunbury Primary School; Tuart Forest Primary School.

Other: Bunbury Baptist College; Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School; Bunbury Catholic College; Grace Christian School; St Joseph's Catholic Primary School; St Mary's Catholic Primary School; South West Community College.


Local Newspapers:

Books about Bunbury:
  • Anthony J Barker: Excellent connections - a history of Bunbury, Western Australia, 1836-1990 (409p. City of Bunbury, 1992)
  • Freda Vines: Bunbury and Busselton sketchbook (64p. Rigby 1975)
  • Phyllis Barnes: Marlston Hill and all that (198p. P. Barnes, 2001)
  • Phyllis Barnes: Bunbury images - people and places (100p. P. Barnes, 2004)
  • John Wollaston: Wollaston's Picton journal 1841-1844 (321p. Pitman, 1948)

Statistical Profile of the Bunbury Electorate

Successive Members for the Bunbury Electorate

Name Party Term
Sir John Forrest Ministerialist 1880 - 1894,1894 - 1901
Thomas Hayward Ministerialist 1901 - 1904
Sir Newton James Moore Ministerialist 1904 - 1911
William Lemen Thomas Australian Labor Party 1911b - 1917
Griffin Cant Money Nationalist 1917 - 1925
Frederick James Withers Australian Labor Party 1924 - 1947
James Murray Liberal 1947 - 1950
Frank Guthrie Australian Labor Party 1950 - 1955
George Frederick Roberts Lib. & Country League 1955b - 1962
Maurice Clifford Williams Lib. & Country League 1962b - 1973
John Sibson Liberal 1973b - 1983
Philip John Smith Australian Labor Party 1983 - 1993
Ian Frederick Osborne Liberal 1993 - 2001
Anthony (Tony) James Dean Australian Labor Party 2001 - 2005
Giovanni (John) Mario Castrilli Liberal 2005 - 2017
Don Punch Australian Labor Party 2017 -

b = by-election
Source:
Black, David & Valerie Prescott. Election Statistics: Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996. Perth, WA: Parliament of Western Australia Electoral Commission, 1997.
Parliament of Western Australia, Members (website) http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au