Newcastle (NSW)
Newcastle is a federal electoral division in NSW covering 173.3 km², currently held by Sharon Claydon (ALP). It is the 58th smallest of 150 divisions by area and the 70th least populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $39.1m across 126 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Newcastle boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 173.3 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 166,162 |
| Population density | 958.81/km² |
| Median age | 37 |
| Median personal income | $867/week |
| Median household income | $1,804/week |
| Median family income | $2,303/week |
| Median rent | $400/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $2,000/month |
| Average household size | 2.4 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 0.8 |
How Newcastle compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 173.3 km², the 58th smallest of 150 divisions with data; 44% below the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 166,162, the 70th least populous of 149 divisions with data; 1% below the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 958.8/km², the 62nd most densely populated of 149 divisions with data; 83% above the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $867/week, the 43rd highest of 149 divisions with data; 11% above the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $400/week, the 41st highest of 149 divisions with data; 7% above the median of $375/week.
See all rankings (largest, most populous, highest income …) →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 126,226 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 92.22% (+1.52 swing) |
| Informal vote | 7% (+1.57 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Sharon Claydon (ALP) 65.8% (margin 15.8pts) (+65.8 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Australian Labor Party 70.79% (margin 20.8pts) (+2.85 swing) notional |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharon Claydon ★ | Labor | 49,054 | 45.31% | +1.25pts |
| Charlotte Mccabe | The Greens | 24,061 | 22.22% | +2.21pts |
| Asarri Mcphee | Liberal | 20,638 | 19.06% | -5.23pts |
| Phillip Heyne | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 5,789 | 5.35% | +0.83pts |
| Jennifer Stefanac | Trumpet of Patriots | 3,861 | 3.57% | +2.53pts |
| Jason Briggs | Family First | 2,319 | 2.14% | +2.14pts |
| Steve O'Brien | Socialist Alliance | 1,656 | 1.53% | +1.53pts |
| Robert Creech | 888 | 0.82% | +0.82pts |
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 Newcastle.
| Total value | $39,059,020 (126 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $8,811,156 (94 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $30,247,864 (32 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 |
|---|---|---|
| The University of Newcastle | 15 | $17,400,632 |
| FIRST LANGUAGES AUSTRALIA LIMITED | 2 | $11,033,094 |
| Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group Limited | 1 | $3,865,656 |
| HNECC Limited | 2 | $3,807,267 |
| Hunter Volunteer Centre Inc | 1 | $888,470 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA568099 | FIRST LANGUAGES AUSTRALIA LIMITED | Indigenous Languages and Arts Program | Recipient based here | $9,538,100 |
| GA578192 | Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group Limited | Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies | Recipient based here | $3,865,656 |
| GA572668 | HNECC Limited | SPC Primary Care FDSV Pilot | Recipient based here | $3,092,400 |
| GA579502 | The University of Newcastle | Centres of Research Excellence | Recipient based here | $3,000,000 |
| GA578189 | The University of Newcastle | Investigator Grants | Recipient based here | $2,836,100 |
See every grant award in Newcastle →
Member
| Member | Sharon Claydon (ALP) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | Deputy Speaker |
Voting attendance
84.6% (2,127 of 2,515 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $694,963 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $112,944 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $33,770 |
| Office Facilities | $181,799 |
| Office Administration | $278,629 |
| Other Car Costs | $29,410 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $20,200 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $345 |
| Travel Allowance | $33,538 |
| Telecommunications | $4,328 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Other Office Holder (9 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | 100–1,000 km² (58 electorates) |
| State | NSW (46 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Urban/Suburban (98 electorates) |
Previous / next in New South Wales (alphabetical): ← New England · Page →
Other electorates in New South Wales
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AEC profile · They Vote For You · Sharon Claydon 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.