Corangamite swung back to Labor in 2007 when Darren Cheeseman claimed it with a 6.6% swing. He became only the third Labor candidate to win and the first for over 70 years. When Cheeseman won a second term in 2010 he became the first labor member to win a second term -albeit with the narrowest of margins.
Sarah Henderson, a lawyer, and former television journalist won the seat back for the Liberal party in 2013 with a 4.6 % swing. She has served out her term and will contest the seat again today.
In just hours we will learn what the future hold for Corangamite.
When James Chester Manifold became the very first member for Corangamite the total voters equaled 5415.
When Gratton Wilson, for the free trade party first wrenched it away from the Manifold Protectionist party in 1903 it was with a massive 35.2% swing. James Scullion first won the seat for labor in 1910 with a 29.4 % swing
There were 40,000 voters in the electorate when the Liberal party took hold with Geoffrey Street in 1936.
Corangamite is a big electorate , covering 7000 square kilometres and with the growth in the coastal regions, the areas south of the Barwon and redistribution of boundaries there will 100,000 people casting votes today. By days end we will see who will have the honour of serving the people of Corangamite for the next three years.
No matter who is elected they should remember there is history of dedicated and impressive members over the past 115 years… I wish them luck.
