The electoral district of Canning was an electorate in the state of Western Australia. The electorate, which was named for the Canning River which ran through it, was first contested at the 1897 election, Given royal assent on 8 October 1896. but was abolished prior to the 1901 election, with most of its territory transferred to the new seat of South Perth. However, for the 1904 election, South Perth was abolished and Canning re-created. Canning was abolished for a second time in the 1988 redistribution.
Canning covered much of Perth's inner southern region, being reduced progressively as suburban areas such as Applecross, South Perth, Victoria Park and Belmont developed and became populous enough to require their own electorates. By the time of its dissolution it corresponded approximately with the present-day Kenwick district and had become a safe Labor Party seat.
Geography Canning initially covered all the land south of the Swan River between North Lake Road, Alfred Cove and Epsom Avenue, Redcliffe, extending south and southeast to what are now South Street, Roe Highway and Brook Road. Most of this area was rural at the time, and at the 1897 election contained only 321 enrolled voters, but from the 1920s onwards and especially after World War II, suburban development along with electoral reform resulted in areas meeting the threshold to require an elected member. In the 1929 redistribution, Victoria Park was established and areas northeast of Orrong Road were moved into Middle Swan. Other areas were split in subsequent redistributions:
1948: South Perth and Melville 1955: Beeloo 1966: Clontarf 1976: Murdoch
In its final incarnation, from 1983 until 1989, Canning included the suburbs of Beckenham, Ferndale, Kenwick, Langford, Lynwood, Thornlie and Wattle Grove, and parts of Cannington and East Cannington.
Members for Canning
Canning (1897–1901)MemberPartyTerm Frank Wilson Oppositionist 1897–1901Canning (1904–1989) William Gordon Ministerial 1904–1911 Charles Lewis Labor 1911–1914 Robert Robinson Liberal 1914–1917 Nationalist 1917–1921 Alec Clydesdale Labor 1921–1930 Herbert Wells Nationalist 1930–1933 Charles Cross Labor 1933–1947 George Yates Liberal 1947–1949 LCL 1949–1950 Arthur Griffith LCL 1950–1953 Colin Jamieson Labor 1953–1956 William Gaffy Labor 1956–1959 Des O'Neil LCL 1959–1962 Don May Labor 1962–1965 Ross Elliott LCL 1965–1968 Tom Bateman Labor 1968–1986 Judyth Watson Labor 1986–1989
Election results
References