Metropolitan Province (Western Australia)
# Metropolitan Province (Western Australia)

The Metropolitan Province was a multi-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 1893, and became effective on 22 May 1894 following the first council elections following the granting of responsible government to Western Australia. The seat was safe for the Liberal Party and its predecessors.

Until the 1950 elections, it covered Perth's central business district and nearby environs, but moved at that point to the western and northern suburbs while still extending to include Perth itself. 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 shrinking into the wealthy western suburbs region. Thereafter, it was a safe seat for the Liberal Party. In 1989, the province was abolished by the Acts Amendment (Electoral Reform) Act 1987, and with two others became part of the North Metropolitan Region under the new proportional voting system.

## 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 |
| - | - | - |
| 1893 | 22 May 1894 – 22 May 1898 | Perth, East Perth, West Perth |
| 1896 | 22 May 1898 – 22 May 1900 | Perth, East Perth, North Perth, West Perth |
| 1899 | 22 May 1900 – 22 May 1904 | Perth, East Perth, North Perth, West Perth |
| 1904 | 22 May 1904 – 22 May 1912 | Perth, East Perth, North Perth, West Perth |
| 1911 | 22 May 1912 – 22 May 1930 | Perth, East Perth, North Perth, West Perth |
| 1929 | 22 May 1930 – 22 May 1950 | Perth, East Perth, North Perth, West Perth |
| 1948 | 22 May 1950 – 22 May 1956 | Claremont, Cottesloe, East Perth, Leederville, Nedlands, North Perth, Subiaco, Wembley Beaches, West Perth |
| 1955 | 22 May 1956 – 22 May 1962 | Claremont, Cottesloe, East Perth, Leederville, Mount Hawthorn, Nedlands, North Perth, Subiaco, Wembley Beaches, West Perth |
| 1961 | 22 May 1962 – 22 May 1965 | Balcatta, Claremont, Cottesloe, Karrinyup, Mount Hawthorn, Nedlands, Perth, Subiaco, Wembley |
| 1963–64 | 22 May 1965 – 22 May 1968 | Claremont, Cottesloe, Nedlands, Perth, Subiaco |
| 1966 | 22 May 1968 – 22 May 1974 | Cottesloe, Floreat, Nedlands, Perth, Subiaco |
| 1972 | 22 May 1974 – 22 May 1977 | Cottesloe, Floreat, Nedlands, Perth, Subiaco |
| 1976 | 22 May 1977 – 22 May 1983 | Cottesloe, Floreat, Nedlands, Perth, Subiaco |
| 1982 | 22 May 1983 – 22 May 1989 | Cottesloe, Floreat, Nedlands, Perth, Subiaco |

## Representation

### Members

**Three-member seat**

| Member 1 | Party | Term | Member 2 | Party | Term | Member 3 | Party | Term |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sir George Shenton | | 1894–1906 | Stephen Henry Parker | | 1894–1897 | Henry Saunders | | 1894–1902 |
| Sir George Shenton | | 1894–1906 | George Randell | | 1897–1910 | Henry Saunders | | 1894–1902 |
| Sir George Shenton | | 1894–1906 | George Randell | | 1897–1910 | James Wright | | 1902–1908 |
| Charles Sommers | Liberal | 1906–1918 | Walter Kingsmill | | 1903–1922 | Arthur Jenkins | Liberal | 1908–1917 |
| Charles Sommers | Liberal | 1906–1918 | Walter Kingsmill | | 1903–1922 | Harry Boan | Nationalist | 1917–1918 |
| Henry Saunders | Independent | 1918–1919 | Walter Kingsmill | | 1903–1922 | John Nicholson | Nationalist | 1918–1941 |
| Arthur Lovekin | Nationalist | 1919–1931 | James Macfarlane | Nationalist | 1922–1928 | John Nicholson | Nationalist | 1918–1941 |
| Leonard Bolton | Nationalist | 1932–1945 | James Franklin | Nationalist | 1928–1940 | John Nicholson | Nationalist | 1918–1941 |
| Leonard Bolton | Nationalist | 1932–1945 | Sir Hal Colebatch | Nationalist | 1940–1945 | James Hislop | Nationalist | 1941–1945 |
| Leonard Bolton | Liberal | 1945–1948 | Sir Hal Colebatch | Liberal | 1945–1948 | James Hislop | Liberal | 1945–1965 |
| Keith Watson | Liberal | 1948–1965 | Harry Hearn | Liberal | 1948–1956 | James Hislop | Liberal | 1945–1965 |
| Keith Watson | Liberal | 1948–1965 | Reg Mattiske | Liberal | 1956–1965 | James Hislop | Liberal | 1945–1965 |

**Two-member seat**

| Member 1 | Party | Term | Member 2 | Party | Term |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| James Hislop | Liberal | 1965–1971 | Keith Watson | Liberal | 1965–1968 |
| John Williams | Liberal | 1971–1989 | Ian Medcalf | Liberal | 1968–1986 |
| John Williams | Liberal | 1971–1989 | Max Evans | Liberal | 1986–1989 |
