Electoral district of The Murray


The Murray was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian colony of Victoria from 1856 to 1877.
It was based in north-eastern Victoria, south of the Murray River. Its area was defined in the Victorian Constitution Act of 1855 as: "Bounded on the South and West by the Counties of Evelyn and Anglesea and the River Goulburn to its Junction with the River Murray; on the North and North-east by the River Murray ; and on the East by the great dividing Range, excepting the Country comprised in the Electoral Districts of the Murray Boroughs and of Beechworth".

History

The Murray Boroughs was a separate electorate and consisted of the towns of Wodonga, Wangaratta, Benalla, Euroa, Avenal and Seymour.
The district of The Murray was one of the initial districts of the first Victorian Legislative Assembly, 1856.

1861 Election Controversy

In August 1861 the electorate was declared for David Reid with 393 votes, a majority of ten, over John Orr. Mr Curtis A. Reid, the returning electoral officer for The Murray and brother of David Reid disallowed the entirety of the Longwood votes as they were made in pencil not pen and ink. John Orr brought a petition against the return of David Reid and in May 1862 the Elections and Qualification Committee declared the votes legal and disqualified David Reid as member for The Murray.

Members for The Murray

Initially, two members represented the electorate, then only one following the redistribution of 1859.
Member 1TermNotesMember 2TermNotes
Travers AdamsonNov. 1856 – Aug. 1859John GoodmanNov. 1856 – Jan. 1858Resigned
Travers AdamsonNov. 1856 – Aug. 1859William ForlongeJan. 1858 Jan. 1859Resigned
Travers AdamsonNov. 1856 – Aug. 1859William NicholsonJan. 1859 Aug. 1859
David ReidOct. 1859 – May 1862Disqualified---
John OrrMay 1862 – Dec. 1867---
William WittMar. 1868 – July 1872Resigned---
John OrrJuly 1872 Mar. 1874---
William WittMay 1874 – Apr. 1877---

= by-election
Nicholson went on to represent the then newly created Electoral district of Sandridge from October 1859.