Your Electorate - Batman

Named after John Batman, the early settler and explorer, this seat was first contested at the 1906 election.

The Batman electorate is in north east Melbourne and covers predominantly the City of Darebin including the suburbs of Northcote, Preston, Reservoir, Keon Park, Bundoora, Alphington, Thornbury and Fairfield. 

The seat is an old established area with large tracts of private houses, flats, units and public housing.

Batman is a multi-cultural electorate with residents from 148 different countries, who speak 105 different languages, and over 70 ethnic groups and associations.

The electorate has a history of light to medium industry, specialising predominantly in textiles and footwear.

But with changes to industry over the past two decades and the pressure on housing, industrial areas are gradually being replaced by residential developments.

The major employers include Northlands shopping centre, Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, Latrobe University and CIG.

Historically, Batman has been a Labor seat. Previous Members are:

• Brian Howe  (ALP)  1977-96
• HJ Garrick  (ALP)  1969-77  
• SJ Benson  (ALP/IND) 1962-69 
• AC Bird  (ALP)  1949-62
• F Brennan  (FLP/ALP) 1934-49
• S Denis  (UAP)  1931-34
• F Brennan  (ALP)  1911-31
• HE Beard  (ALP)  1910-11
• J Coon  (PROT) 1906-10