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| Adam Carr's Election Archive
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Australian federal election, 2025
Division of La Trobe, Victoria
Named for: Charles La Trobe (1801-75), Administrator and Lt-Governor
of Port Phillip / Victoria 1839-54 (Charles La Trobe spelled his surname as two words, and the Electoral Commission uses that spelling, as does La Trobe University. But the Latrobe River, the Latrobe Valley, and
Latrobe City are spelled as one word.)
Outer eastern Melbourne: Beaconsfield, Emerald, Koo Wee Rup, Officer, Pakenham
Enrolment at 2019 election: 101,740
Enrolment at 2022 election: 105,791 (+04.1)
1999 republic referendum: No 51.6
2018 same-sex marriage survey: Yes 67.5
2023 Voice referendum: No 61.5
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Sitting member: Hon Jason Wood (Liberal): Elected 2004, 2007. Defeated 2010. Elected 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022
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2007 Liberal majority over Labor: 0.5%
2010 Labor majority over Liberal: 0.9%
2013 Liberal majority over Labor: 4.0%
2016 Liberal majority over Labor: 1.5%
2019 Liberal majority over Labor: 4.5%
2022 Liberal majority over Labor: 8.7%
2025 notional Liberal majority over Labor: 8.4%
Status: Fairly safe Liberal
Liberal two-party vote 1983-2022
2022 results
Statistics and history
Announced candidates:
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Hon Jason Wood
Liberal Party |
Division of La Trobe
La Trobe was created in 1949, covering most of Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs. It was later cut back to centre on the
Dandenong Ranges townships. In the 1990s the seat was extended southwards to take in fast-growing and increasingly
affluent suburbs around Berwick and Narre Warren, which are high-mortgage areas sensitive to interest rates and other
hip-pocket issues. La Trobe is thus a typical mortgage belt seat, with levels of families with dependent children and
dwellings being purchased among the country's highest, and a fairly low level of people in professional and
managerial occupations.
In the 1970s La Trobe was a key marginal seat and was first won by Labor in the Whitlam victory of 1972. Members have
included
Richard Casey, Minister for External Affairs in the
Menzies Government, later Lord Casey and Governor-General.
Since 1990 La Trobe has trended towards the Liberals, mainly because of the increasing affluence and conservatism of the
outer south-eastern suburban area. Nevertheless Labor retains strong support in the Dandenong Ranges towns and in parts of Beriwck,
and continues to hold most of the state seats in this area.
The 2018 redistribution removed many of the Dandenong Ranges towns, and added the fast-growing outer suburb of
Pakenham, previously in
McMillan. This has increased
the Liberal majority, but Pakenham is trending towards Labor as it grows.
Jason Wood, Liberal MP for La Trobe from 2004 to 2010 and again since 2013, was a Victoria Police officer for 16 years before entering politics, including service in the Counter Terrorism Coordination Unit. He was defeated by Labor's
Laura Smyth in 2010, but regained the seat in 2013, and has retained it since. He was a
minister in the last term of the Morrison Government, and is now Shadow Minister for Community Safety, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs.
The 2021 and 2024 redistributions continued the trend of pushing La Trobe out of the Dandenongs and towards the Westernport area.
Avensleigh and Clematis have been transferred to Casey, while a swathe of semi-rural territory around Garfield, Koo Wee Rup and
Tooradin has been added, from
Holt and
Monash.
This has slightly increased the Liberal majority.
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