Southern District was an electoral district for the Legislative Council of South Australia from 1882 until 1975. Prior to the passing of the Constitution Act Further Amendment Act 1881, the Legislative Council was 18 members elected by people from across the entire Province. From 1975, the Council returned to being elected from the entire state (the province had become a state of Australia in 1901).
At its creation in 1882, the Southern District consisted of seven electoral districts for the South Australian House of Assembly - Onkaparinga, Noarlunga, Mount Barker, Encounter Bay, Albert, Victoria and East Torrens. It covered the area of the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula and the south east of South Australia.
Members When created, the district was to elect six members to the Legislative Council which had been increased to 24 members, six from each of four districts. Transitional arrangements meant that members were only to be elected from the new districts as the terms of the existing members expired. From 1891, all members of the Council were elected by districts. All Southern District seats were filled from the 1890 by-election.
The Constitution Act Amendment Act 1901 reduced the size of the parliament, and Southern District then elected four members from the area of new enlarged Assembly districts of Victoria and Albert, Alexandra and Murray which covered roughly the same area, but with variation in the Adelaide Hills.Statistical Record of the Legislature 1836-2007: SA Parliament
Date of changeMemberMemberMemberMemberMemberMember8 May 1885 W. A. E. West-Erskine (resigned 1891) Richard Chaffey Baker (re-elected 1891, retired 1897)7 July 1885 by-election Samuel Tomkinson (retired 14 Apr 1904)12 May 1888 James Garden Ramsay (died, vacancy declared 5 June 1890) John Hannah Gordon (Resigned 16 December 1892)28 June 1890 by-election Friedrich Eduard Heinrich Wulf Krichauff (retired 1894)23 May 1891 Andrew Alexander Kirkpatrick11 July 1891 by-election John Lancelot Stirling (re-elected 1900, vacated by Act 1902)15 April 1893 by-election John Hannah Gordon (Filled the vacancy created by his own resignation? re-elected 1900, vacated by Act 1902)19 May 1894 Gregor McGregor (seated in federal parliament 1901) Sir Edwin Thomas Smith (vacated by Act, 1902)22 May 1897 Alexander Wallace Sandford (vacated by Act 1902) Sir Richard Chaffey Baker (seated in Federal parliament, 1901)19 May 19008 June 1901 by-election Alfred von Doussa George Riddoch From the 1902 double dissolution election, most districts only elected 4 members, for staggered terms twice as long as those of the lower house. Legislative Council elections are held at the same time as House of Assembly elections. Date of changeMemberMemberMemberMember3 May 1902 John Hannah Gordon (resigned 1 December 1903) Alfred von Doussa (Elected 1902, 1905, 1912) George Riddoch (ret 28 Feb 1910) Sir John Lancelot Stirling (re-elected 1910, 1918, 1924, 1930)14 December 1903 (uncontested by-election) Louis von Doussa (ret 4 May 1905)27 May 1905 Sir John William Downer (re-elected 1912)2 April 1910 John Cowan (re-elected 1918, 1924, 1930, 1938)10 February 1912 16 August 1915 by-election Joseph Botterill6 April 1918 9 October 1920 by-election Thomas McCallum re-elected 1921, 1927, 19339 and 16 April 1921 Robert Thomson Melrose5 April 1924 26 March 1927 Harry Dove Young (re-elected 1933)5 April 1930 17 June 1932 by-election Reuben Cranstoun Mowbray8 April 1933 19 March 1938 Frank Andrew Halleday18 June 1938 by-election Edward Daniel Alexander Bagot 29 March 1941 Norman Brookman (re-elected 1947) John Leonard Sandoe Bice (re-elected 1947, 1953) 29 April 1944 Norman Lane Jude (re-elected 1950, 1956, 1962, 1968) Leslie Harold Densley (re-elected 1950, 1956, 1962) 8 March 194726 May 1949 by-election John Lancelot Cowan (re-elected 1953) 4 March 1950 7 March 1953 3 March 1956 7 March 1959 Geoffrey O'Halloran Giles Allan Charles Hookings 3 March 196215 December 1962 by-election Renfrey Curgenven DeGaris (re-elected 1965,1973)19 June 1964 by-election Henry Kenneth Kemp (re-elected 1965,1973) 6 March 19652 June 1967 by-election Victor George Springett (re-elected 1968) 2 March 19683 July 1971 by-election Martin Bruce Cameron 10 March 197311 August 1973 by-election John Charles Burdett
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