Electorate data cards

The Electorate data cards consist of statistics for each of the 88 lower house electoral districts, and for all of Victoria, from the last Australian Census in 2021. The data provided is a snapshot of some key demographic information such as age distribution and country of births, as well as size of the electorate, population, housing types, and some income and expense details. 

Students can use the cards to consider how members of parliament make decisions for their electorates or can be used across disciplines such as maths and geography to explore population distributions and/or statistical analysis. 

The data for cards has been generated from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Parliamentary Library. 

• Classroom connections

  The Engaging perspectives card can be used across multiple levels as a way of introducing and engaging with different perspectives on a topic.

  Grade 5 & 6

  At Grades 5 & 6 the cards can be used in conjunction with exploring Victoria’s and Australia’s democratic systems, such as explaining “how state/territory and federal laws are initiated and passed through parliament “ (VCCCL0120, to help students “identify different points of view on a contemporary issue relating to democracy and citizenship” (VCCC015).

  Years 7 & 8

  Students at Year 7 & 8 “explain how citizens can participate in Australia’s democracy, including the sue of the electoral system, contact with their elected representatives, use of lobby groups, interest groups and direct action” (VCCCG020). The cards can be used to provide insights into the range of arguments presented by different groups to their elected representatives, as well as prompt discussions as to “how groups express their identities, including religious and cultural identity, and how this expression can influence their perceptions of others and others’ perceptions of them” (VCCCC026).

  Years 9 & 10

  The cards can be used in conjunction with discussions of the political spectrum and different political parties’ ideologies to “explain the process through which government policy is shaped and developed” (VCCCG028), including analysing “how citizens’ political choices are shaped” (VCCCG030) and “how and why groups, including religious groups, participate in civic life” (VCCCC037).

  Years 11 & 12

  The Engaging perspective cards can be used in conjunction with a range of case studies for VCE Legal Studies, Politics and Sociology where a range of points of view and arguments may need to be taken into account.

• Related resources

  Law reform case study: Medically supervised injecting centres

  This law reform case study explores the parliamentary process, including the committee process, for reforming legislation, in this case the legislation relating to medically supervised injecting centres. The cards can be used to generate additional perspectives to those presented: in the public submissions part of the committee inquiry; in response to the review of the centre; or in response to propose legislation for additional centres.

  Changing the way we work

  The activities in this resource ask students to consider whether, in light of technological changes, there is a need for new legislation to regulate the workday. Therefore, the resource can be used as a case study to either explore a range of perspectives and arguments for potential action and changes in legislation.

  How to host a committee inquiry

  Students can use the perspective cards to develop a range of arguments in response to a committee inquiry or topic of interest.