About Chisholm

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Chisholm covers an area of approximately 61 sq km in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, from Box Hill North in the north to Oakleigh and Clayton in the south and from Glen Waverley and Mount Waverley in the east to Burwood and Chadstone in the west. Other suburbs partly included in Chisholm are Ashwood, Box Hill, Box Hill South, Burwood, Chadstone, Huntingdale, Mont Albert, Mount Waverley, Oakleigh East and Surrey Hills.

Click here for a map of Chisholm

History

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Caroline Chisholm (1808-77)

Created when the Parliament was enlarged in 1949, the electorate is named after Caroline Chisholm (1808-77). Caroline Chisholm was famours for her work with newly arrived migrants to New South Wales in the 1840s and 1850s. She later worked with migrants on the Victorian goldfields and was an oustanding contributor to the community. Annually, I award my own Caroline Chisholm Awards to recognise the immeasurable contribution of volunteers to the community of Chisholm, and to commemorate the values exemplified by the work of Caroline Chisholm herself.

Helen Meyer, a social worker and long time local activist first won Chisholm for Labor when Bob Hawke became Prime Minister in 1983. Helen was re-elected at the 1984 general election and she continued to be a popular and effective local MP. In 1987, Dr Michael Wooldridge successfully contested Chisholm representing the Liberal Party.

I won back the seat in 1998, and was successfully re-elected in 2001, 2004 and 2007. I currently hold the seat with a margin of 7.3%.