The electorate of Fraser, created in 2019, was named in honour of Malcolm Fraser, the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia.
Naming a Labor-leaning seat after a Liberal prime minister might seem unusual but, given the makeup of the electorate, it was appropriate. The Vietnamese community is a large, growing and vibrant part of the Fraser community, comprising more than 30,000 people. Many still remember Malcolm Fraser’s generosity towards the refugees who arrived in Australia following the war in Vietnam.
Fraser is an extraordinarily diverse electorate, with nearly half its 170,000 residents born overseas. Some 170 countries are represented: the most populous communities hail from Vietnam, India, the Philippines, China, New Zealand, Malta and England. Fraser’s residents in fact lay claim to ancestry from 255 countries.
According to the most recent census, 111 languages are spoken in Fraser. While English remains the dominant language, other common languages include Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Greek, Spanish, Punjabi, and Arabic.
Some 30 religions are also represented, with the most popular being Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Greek Orthodox, Christianity, Baptist and Sikhism.
Fraser covers the Melbourne suburbs of: Albion, Ardeer, Braybrook, Brooklyn, Cairnlea, Deer Park, Derrimut, Footscray, West Footscray, Kealba, Kingsville, Maidstone, Maribyrnong, St Albans, Seddon, Sunshine, Sunshine North, Sunshine West, Tottenham, Yarraville.
Fraser takes in parts of the local government areas of Brimbank and Maribyrnong.
Profile of the electoral division of Fraser (Vic) – Australian Electoral Commission (aec.gov.au)
