Create your own electorate

Getting started

• Use the Digital Atlas of Australia’s Federal electoral boundaries map to discuss the following questions:
  • • Why are the electorates different shapes and sizes?
    • How do electorates choose representatives?
• Using the Australian Electoral Commission website, the Australian Bureau of Statistics electorate profiles, and the Parliamentary Library electorate dashboard, investigate the electorate where your school is located. Find out:
  • • The name of the electorate and its meaning
    • The current member and their party
    • Who lives in the electorate (age, cultural diversity)
    • How they are employed (type of job, working full-time or part-time)
    • The type of housing (home owners, renting)
• As a class, consider the data and draw conclusions about the people who live in the electorate. For example, a large proportion of the electorate are under 50, work part time and are renting. With this information consider what might be important to the people who live here.

Activity (45 minutes)

1. Every Australian electorate is represented by a local member in the House of Representatives. As a class, brainstorm the qualities of a good local member. What kind of skills, qualities and experience should they have?
2. Tell students that they will be developing a presentation about a real or imagined electorate. Students may choose to be original and create their own electorate based on somewhere they have visited, or somewhere they would like to visit. Alternatively, you could ask your students to research a real electorate using the Australian Electoral Commission website, the Australian Bureau of Statistics electorate profiles, and the Parliamentary Library electorate dashboard.
3. Students should complete the Create your own electorate worksheet with information about their electorate. This includes the chance to consider how they would help the electorate if they were its local member.
4. Ask students to share their electorate with the class. This could be done as a poster or a PowerPoint presentation. They may like to deliver their presentation in role as the local member for the electorate.

 Discussion questions

• Did any of the electorates have similar issues? Why do you think that is?
• What are some ways that a local member can be involved in the community and speak on behalf of the electorate?

Extension

Ask students to imagine they are about to give their first speech in the House of Representatives as the newly elected member for their electorate. Students can write their first speech to present to the Parliament using the Make Speeches classroom activity. They might like to describe why they wanted to become a member of parliament, what they hope to achieve and any local, national or global issues that they are concerned about. You can watch examples of first speeches on the Australian Parliament House website.

• The House of Representatives
• People in Parliament
• Years 5+6
• Years 7+8