History of the Region

Northern Tablelands was created in 1981 by the amalgamation of the old Armidale and Tenterfield electorates following the Wran government's introduction of one-vote one-value electoral boundaries.

Armidale had been won for Labor in 1978 by popular local Bill McCarthy, Australian Labor Party, and he won the new seat in 1981, re-elected more narrowly in 1984. Already stricken with cancer, he died 1987, the National's Ray Chappell winning the subsequent by-election narrowly against McCarthy's widow Thelma.

The seat was then a National party stronghold until 1999 when Mr Chappell was defeated by Independent Richard Torbay who won the

Labor ensured it was no threat to Torbay at his first election by selecting a 20 year-old candidate, but Torbay's primary vote was so strong in 2003 that such assistance was not required.