Western Australia will gain a new seat in the federal House of Representatives, located in Perth’s south-east, according to a draft redistribution paper released today, but in a strange coincidence will share the same name as a recently proposed state electorate in a different part of Perth.
The new electorate, to be named Burt, will center on Armadale and Gosnells, and will include portions of the four neighbouring electorates, according to the Australian Electoral Commission.
All four seats are currently held by the Liberal Party.
It will cover the suburbs of Langford, Huntingdale, Southern River, Thornlie, Canning Vale, Champion Lakes, Piara Waters and Kelmscott, among others.
The move could potentially deplete margins in the nearby Liberal seats of Swan, held by Steve Irons, Pearce, held by Christian Porter, Hasluck, held by Ken Wyatt, and Canning, formerly held by now deceased Don Randall.
But the changes won’t take effect prior to the upcoming Canning by-election, set for September 19.
The recent Western Australian Electoral Commission proposed redistribution of state electorates also included a state seat of Burt, focussed in Applecross and Palmyra.
That seat, which is moving westward, is currently known as Alfred Cove and held by embattled Transport Minister Dean Nalder.
Both seats are named to honour the powerful colonial Burt family, which included the state’s first Supreme Court chief justice Archibald Burt and 11th chief justice Francis Burt.
Francis Burt is also honoured in the eponymous Francis Burt Chambers.
Septimus Burt, another member of the family, served in both the state’s Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council.
