Metropolitan-Suburban Province

The Metropolitan-Suburban Province was a three-member electoral province of the Western Australian Legislative Council, located in the metropolitan region of Perth. It was created by the Constitution Acts Amendment Act 1899, and became effective on 29 August 1900 following a special election to fill all three seats. Historically taking in many coastal and riverside areas in the western suburbs of Perth, it was considered safe for the Nationalist Party for most of its existence.

At the 1950 elections, it was renamed Suburban Province, losing Claremont and Subiaco and moving inland. In 1963–1964, electoral changes to the Legislative Council, which abolished the 10 three-member seats and created 15 two-member seats in their place, resulted in the seat's abolishment, with its area being divided between North-East Metropolitan Province and South-East Metropolitan Province.

Geography

The province was made up of several complete Legislative Assembly districts, which changed at each distribution. It had a more restrictive franchise than the Legislative Assembly, however, so not all voters in the corresponding Assembly districts were eligible to vote in the Council.

Redistribution	Period	Electoral districts	Electors	% of State
1899	29 August 1900 – 22 May 1904	Claremont, Guildford, South Perth, Subiaco
1904	22 May 1904 – 22 May 1912	Balcatta, Canning, Claremont, Guildford, Subiaco	6,858	18.10%
1911	22 May 1912 – 22 May 1930	Canning, Claremont, Guildford, Leederville, Subiaco	12,093	25.65%
1929	22 May 1930 – 22 May 1950	Canning, Claremont, Guildford-Midland, Leederville, Maylands, Middle Swan, Mount Hawthorn, Nedlands, South Perth, Subiaco Victoria Park,
1948	22 May 1950 – 22 May 1956	Canning, Guildford-Midland, Maylands, Middle Swan, Mount Hawthorn, Mount Lawley, South Perth, Victoria Park,
1955	22 May 1956 – 22 May 1962	Beeloo, Guildford-Midland, Maylands, Middle Swan, Mount Lawley, South Perth, Victoria Park,
1961	22 May 1962 – 22 May 1965	Bayswater, Beeloo, Belmont, Maylands, Mount Lawley, South Perth, Swan, Victoria Park,

Representation

Members

Member 1	Party		Term	Member 2	Party		Term	Member 3	Party		Term
William Brookman			1900–1903	Adam Jameson			1900–1903	James Speed			1900–1902
								Barrington Wood			1902–1903
Joseph Langsford			1904–1911	Walter Kingsmill			1903–1910	Zebina Lane			1903–1908
								Sydney Stubbs		Ministerial	1908–1911
James Doland		Labor	1911–1912	Douglas Gawler		Liberal	1910–1915	Frederick Davis		Labor	1911–1914
Archibald Sanderson		Liberal	1912–1917	Athelstan Saw		Liberal	1914–1917	Joseph Duffell		Liberal	1914–1917
		Nationalist	1917–1922			Nationalist	1917–1929			Nationalist	1917–1926
Harry Boan		Nationalist	1922–1924
Henry Stephenson		Nationalist	1924–1930					Sir William Lathlain		Nationalist	1926–1932
James Macfarlane		Nationalist	1930–1942	Sir Charles Nathan		Nationalist	1930–1934	Alec Clydesdale		Labor	1932–1938
				Hubert Parker		Nationalist	1934–1945
Frank Gibson		Nationalist	1942–1945					James Dimmitt		Nationalist	1938–1945
		Liberal	1945–1956			Liberal	1945–1954			Liberal	1945–1953
George Jeffery		Labor	1956–1962	Ruby Hutchison		Labor	1954–1965	Arthur Griffith		Liberal	1953–1965
Herbert R. Robinson		Liberal	1962–1965

References

• David Black (2014), The Western Australian Parliamentary Handbook (Twenty-Third Edition)