Watson (NSW)
Watson is a federal electoral division in NSW covering 50.5 km², currently held by Tony Burke (ALP). It is the 7th smallest of 150 divisions by area and the 33rd most populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $3.8m across 170 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Watson boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 50.5 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 183,154 |
| Population density | 3,627.53/km² |
| Median age | 36 |
| Median personal income | $626/week |
| Median household income | $1,543/week |
| Median family income | $1,745/week |
| Median rent | $400/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $2,167/month |
| Average household size | 2.9 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 1.1 |
How Watson compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 50.5 km², the 7th smallest of 150 divisions with data; 16% of the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 183,154, the 33rd most populous of 149 divisions with data; 9% above the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 3,627.5/km², the 7th most densely populated of 149 divisions with data; 6.9 times the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $626/week, the 8th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 20% below the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $400/week, the 41st highest of 149 divisions with data; 7% above the median of $375/week.
Where Watson is near the top or bottom of a list, see: Smallest federal electorates by area · Most densely populated federal electorates · Federal electorates with the lowest median income. All rankings →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 116,432 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 85.73% (+2.41 swing) |
| Informal vote | 17.01% (+6.38 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Tony Burke (ALP) 66.52% (margin 16.5pts) (+66.52 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Australian Labor Party 72.86% (margin 22.9pts) (+7.7 swing) notional |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Burke ★ | Labor | 39,763 | 48% | -6.11pts |
| Zakir Alam | Liberal | 12,585 | 15.19% | -11.23pts |
| Ziad Basyouny | Independent | 12,209 | 14.74% | +14.74pts |
| Jocelyn Brewer | The Greens | 7,399 | 8.93% | +1.82pts |
| Vanessa Hadchiti | Libertarian | 3,559 | 4.3% | +4.3pts |
| Elisha Trevena | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 2,674 | 3.23% | -2.06pts |
| John Koukoulis | Trumpet of Patriots | 2,162 | 2.61% | +2.61pts |
| John Mannah | Family First | 1,428 | 1.72% | +1.72pts |
| Zain Khan | Independent | 1,055 | 1.27% | +1.27pts |
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 Watson.
| Total value | $3,827,653 (170 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $876,194 (125 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $2,951,459 (45 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese Australian Services Society Limited | 2 | $1,108,170 |
| AMAN Aged Care Limited | 1 | $550,000 |
| Hayat Business Services Pty. Ltd. | 1 | $439,438 |
| The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) | 2 | $223,714 |
| Wheelchair Rugby League Australia Ltd | 1 | $133,333 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA572539 | Chinese Australian Services Society Limited | ACVVS Aged Care Volunteer Visitor Scheme | Recipient based here | $1,105,170 |
| GA576771 | AMAN Aged Care Limited | RC 1st Nations AC Infrastructure Sppt | Recipient based here | $550,000 |
| GA579784 | Hayat Business Services Pty. Ltd. | CCCF Open Competitive Sustainability Support | Recipient based here | $439,438 |
| GA583614 | The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) | CCCF Open Competitive Sustainability Support | Recipient based here | $166,100 |
| GA576163 | Wheelchair Rugby League Australia Ltd | Family Support Funding Program (FSFP) | Recipient based here | $133,333 |
See every grant award in Watson →
Member
| Member | Tony Burke (ALP) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | Minister for the Arts Minister for Home Affairs Minister for Cyber Security Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Leader of the House |
Voting attendance
89.8% (3,276 of 3,649 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $1,876,217 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $1,004,956 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $44,887 |
| Office Facilities | $475,373 |
| Office Administration | $243,121 |
| Other Car Costs | $20,606 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $31,361 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $268 |
| Travel Allowance | $51,510 |
| Telecommunications | $1,931 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Cabinet Minister (15 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | Under 100 km² (32 electorates) |
| State | NSW (46 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Urban/Suburban (98 electorates) |
Previous / next in New South Wales (alphabetical): ← Warringah · Wentworth →
Other electorates in New South Wales
Banks · Barton · Bennelong · Berowra · Blaxland · Bradfield · Calare · Chifley · Cook · Cowper · Cunningham · Dobell · Eden-Monaro · Farrer · Fowler · Gilmore · Grayndler · Greenway · Hughes · Hume · Hunter · Kingsford Smith · Lindsay · Lyne · Macarthur · Mackellar · Macquarie · McMahon · Mitchell · New England · Newcastle · Page · Parkes · Parramatta · Paterson · Reid · Richmond · Riverina · Robertson · Shortland · Sydney · Warringah · Wentworth · Werriwa · Whitlam
AEC profile · They Vote For You · Tony Burke 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.