Spence (SA)
Spence is a federal electoral division in SA covering 534.1 km², currently held by Matt Burnell (ALP). It is the 69th largest of 150 divisions by area and the 21st most populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $704.4k across 91 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Spence boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 534.1 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 188,227 |
| Population density | 352.41/km² |
| Median age | 35 |
| Median personal income | $635/week |
| Median household income | $1,278/week |
| Median family income | $1,518/week |
| Median rent | $275/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $1,300/month |
| Average household size | 2.6 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 0.8 |
How Spence compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 534.1 km², the 69th largest of 150 divisions with data; 72% above the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 188,227, the 21st most populous of 149 divisions with data; 12% above the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 352.4/km², the 68th least densely populated of 149 divisions with data; 33% below the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $635/week, the 11th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 18% below the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $275/week, the 20th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 27% below the median of $375/week.
Where Spence is near the top or bottom of a list, see: Federal electorates with the lowest median income · Federal electorates with the lowest median rent. All rankings →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 138,898 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 87.51% (+0.94 swing) |
| Informal vote | 8.2% (+3.25 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Matt Burnell (ALP) 65.34% (margin 15.3pts) (+2.44 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Australian Labor Party 65.34% (margin 15.3pts) (+2.44 swing) |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Burnell ★ | Australian Labor Party | 49,463 | 44.33% | +0.47pts |
| Daniel Wild | Liberal | 20,852 | 18.69% | -6.87pts |
| Luke Skinner | The Greens | 16,166 | 14.49% | +3.14pts |
| Darryl Bothe | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 10,654 | 9.55% | -1.31pts |
| John William Bennett | Family First | 4,901 | 4.39% | +4.39pts |
| Paul Michael Morrell | Trumpet of Patriots | 4,454 | 3.99% | +2.36pts |
| Kym Hanton | Independent | 2,749 | 2.46% | +2.46pts |
| Miranda Joyce Smith | Animal Justice Party | 2,343 | 2.1% | +2.1pts |
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 Spence.
| Total value | $704,351 (91 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $582,797 (70 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $121,554 (21 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Returned & Services League (Salisbury) Sub-Branch Incorporated | 1 | $61,989 |
| Goodstart Early Learning Gawler South | 1 | $31,602 |
| Gawler Riverside Early Learning Centre | 2 | $25,711 |
| Goodstart Early Learning Penfield | 1 | $25,133 |
| Goodstart Early Learning Evanston Park | 1 | $22,977 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA588868 | Returned & Services League (Salisbury) Sub-Branch Incorporated | Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) | Recipient based here | $61,989 |
| GA571560 | Goodstart Early Learning Gawler South | Inclusion Support Program | Delivered here | $31,602 |
| GA571529 | Goodstart Early Learning Penfield | Inclusion Support Program | Delivered here | $25,133 |
| GA571413 | Goodstart Early Learning Evanston Park | Inclusion Support Program | Delivered here | $22,977 |
| GA573267 | Confident Kids Child Care & Early Learning Salisbury | Inclusion Support Program | Delivered here | $22,057 |
See every grant award in Spence →
Member
| Member | Matt Burnell (ALP) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | — |
Voting attendance
94.0% (792 of 843 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $615,031 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $61,777 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $0 |
| Office Facilities | $137,046 |
| Office Administration | $295,071 |
| Other Car Costs | $23,457 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $59,853 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $475 |
| Travel Allowance | $31,686 |
| Telecommunications | $4,408 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Backbencher (84 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | 100–1,000 km² (58 electorates) |
| State | SA (10 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Urban/Suburban (98 electorates) |
Previous / next in South Australia (alphabetical): ← Mayo · Sturt →
Other electorates in South Australia
Adelaide · Barker · Boothby · Grey · Hindmarsh · Kingston · Makin · Mayo · Sturt
AEC profile · They Vote For You · Matt Burnell 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.