| Parkes AustralianHouse of RepresentativesDivision | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  Interactive map of electorate boundaries from the2025 federal election | |||||||||||||||
| Created | 1984 | ||||||||||||||
| MP | Jamie Chaffey | ||||||||||||||
| Party | Nationals | ||||||||||||||
| Namesake | Sir Henry Parkes | ||||||||||||||
| Electors | 130,913 (2025) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 406,755 km2 (157,049.0 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Demographic | Rural | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
TheDivision of Parkes is anAustralian electoral division in thestate ofNew South Wales. Located in the northwestern part of the state, it is its largest division by land area at 406,755 km2 (157,049.0 sq mi), bordering bothQueensland andSouth Australia.
Since its inception in 1984, the division has continuously been held by theNational Party. Since2025 itsMP has beenJamie Chaffey.
The formerDivision of Parkes (1901–1969) was located in suburbanSydney, and was not related to this division, except in name.
The division is named afterSir Henry Parkes, seventhPremier of New South Wales and sometimes known as the 'Father of Federation'. The division was proclaimed at the redistribution of 11 October 1984, and was first contested at the1984 federal election. The seat is currently a safe Nationals seat. It was substantially changed by the 2006 redistribution and is now considered by many observers as the successor to the abolishedDivision of Gwydir. As a result, the then member for Parkes,John Cobb, instead contested theDivision of Calare. The current Member for Parkes, since the2007 federal election, isMark Coulton, a member of theNational Party of Australia.[1]
According to the2011 census, approximately 78 per cent of the population within the division identify asChristian,[2] more than any other electorate in Australia at that time.[3]
The 2015 redistribution resulted in Parkes expanded westwards to cover the state'sFar West, includingBroken Hill.[4] The seat previously lost this area to theDivision of Farrer in the 2006 redistribution.[5]
Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by theAustralian 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.[6]
The largest electorate in the state, it is located in the far north west of the state, adjoining the border withQueensland in the north and withSouth Australia in the west. Its largest population centre isDubbo. It also includes the towns ofBroken Hill,Dunedoo,Coonabarabran,Coonamble,Walgett,Narrabri,Moree,Warren,Nyngan,Cobar andBourke. Since the 2024 distribution, it has also included the towns ofParkes,Forbes andWest Wyalong.[7]
| Redistribution | Map | Interactive | Elections | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 11 October | 1984 1987 1990 | |||
| 1992 31 January | 1993 1996 1998 | |||
| 2000 31 January |  | 2001 2004 | ||
| 2006 |  | 2007 | ||
| 2009 |  | 2010 2013 | ||
| 2016 25 February |  |  | 2016 2019 2022 | |
| 2024 10 October | |  | 2025 |
| Image | Member | Party | Term | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Michael Cobb (1945–) | Nationals | 1 December 1984 – 31 August 1998 | Retired | |
| Tony Lawler (1961–) | 3 October 1998 – 8 October 2001 | Retired | ||
 | John Cobb (1950–) | 10 November 2001 – 24 November 2007 | Served as minister underHoward. Transferred to the Division ofCalare | ||
 | Mark Coulton (1958–) | 24 November 2007 – 28 March 2025 | Served as minister underMorrison. Retired | ||
| Jamie Chaffey | 3 May 2025 – present | Incumbent | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | Jamie Chaffey | 41,912 | 39.96 | −9.02 | |
| Labor | Nathan Fell | 20,630 | 19.67 | +0.14 | |
| One Nation | Mark Carter | 14,320 | 13.65 | +5.93 | |
| Shooters, Fishers, Farmers | Stephen Pope | 6,776 | 6.46 | +4.36 | |
| Greens | Trish Frail | 6,404 | 6.11 | +1.37 | |
| Libertarian | Sally Edwards | 3,885 | 3.70 | −2.66 | |
| Indigenous-Aboriginal | Bob Wilson | 3,117 | 2.97 | −1.21 | |
| Family First | Maurice Davey | 2,690 | 2.56 | +2.56 | |
| Independent | Stuart Howe | 2,597 | 2.48 | +0.44 | |
| Trumpet of Patriots | Petrus Van Der Steen | 2,556 | 2.44 | +2.44 | |
| Total formal votes | 104,887 | 89.85 | −2.43 | ||
| Informal votes | 11,855 | 10.15 | +2.43 | ||
| Turnout | 116,742 | 89.22 | +0.72 | ||
| Two-party-preferred result | |||||
| National | Jamie Chaffey | 66,047 | 62.97 | −5.18 | |
| Labor | Nathan Fell | 38,840 | 37.03 | +5.18 | |
| Nationalhold | Swing | −5.18 | |||
30°53′13″S147°22′23″E / 30.887°S 147.373°E /-30.887; 147.373