Ballarat (VIC)
Ballarat is a federal electoral division in VIC covering 5,322.8 km², currently held by Catherine King (ALP). It is the 43rd largest of 150 divisions by area and the 21st least populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $11.1m across 85 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Ballarat boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 5,322.8 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 152,243 |
| Population density | 28.6/km² |
| Median age | 41 |
| Median personal income | $734/week |
| Median household income | $1,445/week |
| Median family income | $1,876/week |
| Median rent | $295/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $1,500/month |
| Average household size | 2.4 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 0.7 |
How Ballarat compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 5,322.8 km², the 43rd largest of 150 divisions with data; 17.1 times the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 152,243, the 21st least populous of 149 divisions with data; 9% below the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 28.6/km², the 40th least densely populated of 149 divisions with data; 5% of the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $734/week, the 48th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 6% below the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $295/week, the 24th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 21% below the median of $375/week.
See all rankings (largest, most populous, highest income …) →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 116,238 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 93.34% (+3.61 swing) |
| Informal vote | 3.65% (-1.38 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Catherine King (ALP) 60.66% (margin 10.7pts) (-2.32 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Australian Labor Party 60.66% (margin 10.7pts) (-2.32 swing) |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catherine King ★ | Australian Labor Party | 44,273 | 42.35% | -2.4pts |
| Paula Doran | Liberal | 29,883 | 28.59% | +1.5pts |
| John Barnes | The Greens | 14,984 | 14.33% | -0.26pts |
| Terri Pryse-Smith | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 8,029 | 7.68% | +4.08pts |
| Ian Maxwell Harkness | Family First | 3,057 | 2.92% | +2.92pts |
| Luke Parker | Independent | 2,934 | 2.81% | +2.81pts |
| Ryan Redfern | Libertarian | 1,380 | 1.32% | +1.32pts |
Grants received
Grant awards published on GrantConnect, 1 Jul 2026 to 6 Nov 2026 (Political Gadgets' collection began with July 2026 publications). Source: GrantConnect, via Political Gadgets' grants page for Ballarat.
| Total value | $11,117,897 (85 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $1,674,587 (38 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $9,443,310 (47 awards) |
Each award is placed by its delivery postcode, or by the recipient's registered postcode when no delivery postcode is given. Many of the second kind are local organisations whose delivery location simply wasn't recorded, but they also include national organisations headquartered here, which is why city-centre seats can show large totals for money that is actually spent elsewhere.
Top recipients
| Recipient | Awards | Value |
|---|---|---|
| John Curtin Aged Care Inc. | 1 | $6,160,000 |
| Mollongghip & District Enterprises Pty Ltd | 1 | $2,169,888 |
| Golden Plains Shire Council | 1 | $1,500,000 |
| Lumora Early Learning Centre and Kindergarten Pty Ltd | 1 | $610,500 |
| The Young Men's Christian Association of Ballarat | 2 | $436,430 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA591834 | John Curtin Aged Care Inc. | AC Viability Sppt Prog Mkt Adj Program | Recipient based here | $6,160,000 |
| GA577515 | Mollongghip & District Enterprises Pty Ltd | Future Drought Fund Drought Resilience Innovation Challenges Pilot | Recipient based here | $2,169,888 |
| GA575769 | Golden Plains Shire Council | Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program | Delivered here | $1,500,000 |
| GA588570 | Lumora Early Learning Centre and Kindergarten Pty Ltd | CCCF Open Competitive Sustainability Support | Recipient based here | $610,500 |
| GA579799 | The Young Men's Christian Association of Ballarat | CCCF Open Competitive Sustainability Support | Recipient based here | $218,216 |
See every grant award in Ballarat →
Member
| Member | Catherine King (ALP) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government |
Voting attendance
82.4% (3,007 of 3,649 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $989,104 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $350,932 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $0 |
| Office Facilities | $170,999 |
| Office Administration | $261,059 |
| Other Car Costs | $65,660 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $88,958 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $0 |
| Travel Allowance | $47,378 |
| Telecommunications | $4,118 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Cabinet Minister (15 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | 1,000–10,000 km² (32 electorates) |
| State | VIC (38 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Rural/Regional (51 electorates) |
Previous / next in Victoria (alphabetical): ← Aston · Bendigo →
Other electorates in Victoria
Aston · Bendigo · Bruce · Calwell · Casey · Chisholm · Cooper · Corangamite · Corio · Deakin · Dunkley · Flinders · Fraser · Gellibrand · Gippsland · Goldstein · Gorton · Hawke · Holt · Hotham · Indi · Isaacs · Jagajaga · Kooyong · La Trobe · Lalor · Macnamara · Mallee · Maribyrnong · McEwen · Melbourne · Menzies · Monash · Nicholls · Scullin · Wannon · Wills
AEC profile · They Vote For You · Catherine King on Political Gadgets
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Geometry: AEC federal electoral boundaries (2025). Demographics: ABS Data API (Census 2021, CED 2021 boundaries). Election results: AEC 2025 tally room. Expenses: IPEA via indexpenses. Grants: GrantConnect via grants. Attendance & positions: Political Gadgets' own Australian Parliament division-record data. See the popup for licensing and caveats.