The seat was created under the
Redistribution of Seats Act 1929 and was first contested in the 1930 state election. It was historically very safe for the
Country Party, and its member from 1967 to 1983, Ray McPharlin, led the party between 1974 and 1975. He lost the leadership after the party walked out of a coalition with
Charles Court and the
Liberal Party on 16 May 1975, only to ultimately return under considerable pressure. In 1978, McPharlin joined a breakaway party, known as the National Party (NP), led by future Deputy Premier
Hendy Cowan, and won the seat under this banner at the
1980 election. However, in 1982 he rejoined the National Country Party, who lost the seat for the first time in its history to the Liberals. It was recaptured by
Mort Schell at the 1986 election, however, the seat was dissolved in a redistribution under the
Electoral Districts Act 1947 on 29 April 1988 into the neighbouring seats of
Avon and
Merredin. ==Geography==