It was created as a notional Labor seat. However, this area was located in naturally Liberal territory, and the Liberals won it resoundingly as part of their massive victory in the 1949 election, turning it into a safe Liberal seat in one stroke. It was held by a Liberal or a conservative independent for the next 70 years. The only time it was out of Liberal hands came when Allan Rocher won it in 1996 after losing his Liberal endorsement. Rocher was defeated at the 1998 election, when Julie Bishop reclaimed it for the Liberals.
Bishop retired at the 2019 election, and Celia Hammond, a former vice chancellor of University of Notre Dame Australia, retained it for the Liberals with a reduced majority. With a two-party preferred margin of 14.3 percent, it was the fifth-safest Coalition seat in metropolitan Australia. However, at the 2022 election, Hammond lost over 11 percent of her primary vote, and lost the seat to teal independentKate Chaney, granddaughter of former Liberal minister Fred Chaney Sr. and niece of former Liberal minister Fred Chaney Jr.
Geography
Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australian 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.[1]