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Description
(Unfortunately, we have not been able to locate the boundaries for greater Sydney in the 1949 redistribution. If you have information on these, don't hesitate to leave a comment or get in touch with us on Twitter AJRElectionMaps .)

Like Melbourne, Sydney saw its representation grow massively when the House was expanded in 1949. Unlike Melbourne, Sydney's urban growth was highly directed in one direction: west. The flat plain west of Sydney was largely rural in 1945, but the growth of the city and the growth of private car ownership opened it up to suburban development. Parramatta and Reid were each split into three new seats, and in 1955 the new divisions of Hughes and Werriwa (the latter having previously existed as a rural seat) were carved out south and west of them respectively.

The new suburbs were largely working-class, the Labor state government in NSW pursuing a vigorous public housing construction programme, but otherwise the pre-war voting patterns continued to assert themselves, and the fate of the Coalition federal government was reflected in Sydney. Whereas Melbourne had been rocked by the 1955 ALP split, in Sydney the Catholic archbishop spoke out against Santamaria's "Movement" and the party managed to stay intact. The Liberals nonetheless won the marginal seats of Phillip and St George. In 1958, the latter returned to Labor, while 1961's near Labor win saw Phillip and Evans change hands as well. In 1963 and 1966, however, the Liberals regained their lost ground and more, cutting a swathe from Sydney Harbour clear to Botany Bay west of the city centre.

Although Melbourne MPs dominated both sides of politics through this era, there were notable exceptions. H. V. Evatt, the ALP leader who combatted the "Movement" and helped cause the DLP split, represented Barton on the Botany Bay shore until moving to Hunter in 1958, and Gough Whitlam, who became Labor leader right at the tail end of the period, represented Werriwa from 1952 until 1977. On the Coalition side, the marginal seat of Lowe on the south shore of Sydney Harbour was represented by Holt's Treasurer, and the future Prime Minister, William McMahon.

Description
(Unfortunately, we have not been able to locate the boundaries for greater Sydney in the 1949 redistribution. If you have information on these, don't hesitate to leave a comment or get in touch with us on Twitter AJRElectionMaps .)

Like Melbourne, Sydney saw its representation grow massively when the House was expanded in 1949. Unlike Melbourne, Sydney's urban growth was highly directed in one direction: west. The flat plain west of Sydney was largely rural in 1945, but the growth of the city and the growth of private car ownership opened it up to suburban development. Parramatta and Reid were each split into three new seats, and in 1955 the new divisions of Hughes and Werriwa (the latter having previously existed as a rural seat) were carved out south and west of them respectively.

The new suburbs were largely working-class, the Labor state government in NSW pursuing a vigorous public housing construction programme, but otherwise the pre-war voting patterns continued to assert themselves, and the fate of the Coalition federal government was reflected in Sydney. Whereas Melbourne had been rocked by the 1955 ALP split, in Sydney the Catholic archbishop spoke out against Santamaria's "Movement" and the party managed to stay intact. The Liberals nonetheless won the marginal seats of Phillip and St George. In 1958, the latter returned to Labor, while 1961's near Labor win saw Phillip and Evans change hands as well. In 1963 and 1966, however, the Liberals regained their lost ground and more, cutting a swathe from Sydney Harbour clear to Botany Bay west of the city centre.

Although Melbourne MPs dominated both sides of politics through this era, there were notable exceptions. H. V. Evatt, the ALP leader who combatted the "Movement" and helped cause the DLP split, represented Barton on the Botany Bay shore until moving to Hunter in 1958, and Gough Whitlam, who became Labor leader right at the tail end of the period, represented Werriwa from 1952 until 1977. On the Coalition side, the marginal seat of Lowe on the south shore of Sydney Harbour was represented by Holt's Treasurer, and the future Prime Minister, William McMahon.