Nicholls (VIC)
Nicholls is a federal electoral division in VIC covering 14,116.2 km², currently held by Sam Birrell (NAT). It is the 28th largest of 150 divisions by area and the 47th least populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $9.2m across 81 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Nicholls boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 14,116.2 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 159,507 |
| Population density | 11.3/km² |
| Median age | 43 |
| Median personal income | $684/week |
| Median household income | $1,325/week |
| Median family income | $1,682/week |
| Median rent | $255/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $1,300/month |
| Average household size | 2.4 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 0.8 |
How Nicholls compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 14,116.2 km², the 28th largest of 150 divisions with data; 45.4 times the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 159,507, the 47th least populous of 149 divisions with data; 5% below the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 11.3/km², the 28th least densely populated of 149 divisions with data; 2% of the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $684/week, the 23rd lowest of 149 divisions with data; 12% below the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $255/week, the 14th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 32% below the median of $375/week.
Where Nicholls is near the top or bottom of a list, see: Federal electorates with the lowest median rent. All rankings →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 121,390 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 91.45% (+1.49 swing) |
| Informal vote | 5.01% (-2.63 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Sam Birrell (NP) 64.38% (margin 14.4pts) (+64.38 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Liberal/National Coalition 64.38% (margin 14.4pts) (+35.62 swing) |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Birrell ★ | The Nationals | 48,762 | 46.24% | +21.93pts |
| Kim Travers | Australian Labor Party | 25,560 | 24.24% | +11.08pts |
| Aaron Tyrrell | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 12,095 | 11.47% | +4.87pts |
| Shelby Eade | The Greens | 8,235 | 7.81% | +4.08pts |
| Glenn Francis Floyd | Trumpet of Patriots | 4,999 | 4.74% | +4.24pts |
| Paul Edward Bachelor | Family First | 4,717 | 4.47% | +4.47pts |
| Jeff Davy | Citizens Party | 1,082 | 1.03% | +0.66pts |
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 Nicholls.
| Total value | $9,152,262 (81 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $295,311 (46 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $8,856,952 (35 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative Limited | 1 | $4,809,011 |
| Victorian YMCA Community Programming Pty Ltd | 3 | $920,150 |
| One Tree Community Services Inc | 1 | $660,000 |
| The Trustee for Kelly Club Australia Unit Trust | 2 | $543,422 |
| Uniting (Victoria and Tasmania) Limited | 3 | $495,000 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA572989 | Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative Limited | Indigenous New Directions Expansion | Recipient based here | $4,809,011 |
| GA579834 | One Tree Community Services Inc | CCCF Open Competitive Sustainability Support | Recipient based here | $660,000 |
| GA579998 | Victorian YMCA Community Programming Pty Ltd | CCCF Open Competitive Sustainability Support | Recipient based here | $451,000 |
| GA588864 | Shepparton RSL Sub-Branch Inc. | Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) | Recipient based here | $410,238 |
| GA579764 | Victorian YMCA Community Programming Pty Ltd | CCCF Open Competitive Sustainability Support | Recipient based here | $320,650 |
See every grant award in Nicholls →
Member
| Member | Sam Birrell (NAT) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Education Shadow Assistant Minister for Agriculture |
Voting attendance
67.7% (571 of 843 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $656,115 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $79,268 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $0 |
| Office Facilities | $152,128 |
| Office Administration | $320,653 |
| Other Car Costs | $34,690 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $29,553 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $20 |
| Travel Allowance | $33,828 |
| Telecommunications | $1,430 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Shadow Assistant Minister (7 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | 10,000–100,000 km² (17 electorates) |
| State | VIC (38 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Rural/Regional (51 electorates) |
Previous / next in Victoria (alphabetical): ← Monash · Scullin →
Other electorates in Victoria
Aston · Ballarat · 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 · Scullin · Wannon · Wills
AEC profile · They Vote For You · Sam Birrell 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.