Forrest was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1904 to 1950. It was based in the South West region of the state, in the timber milling areas near the town of Dwellingup.
From the first time it was contested at the 1904 state election, the district was always a reliable Labor Party seat. Its first member was Albert Wilson. He was succeeded at the 1908 state election by Peter O'Loghlen. O'Loughlen resigned the seat to contest the federal division of Swan at the 1913 Australian federal election. The by-election to replace him was won by Labor candidate Thomas Moore, who stood unopposed. But with O'Loughlen losing the contest for the federal seat of Swan, Moore resigned before he could be seated and O'Loughlen won a second by-election.
O'Loughlen's death in 1923 triggered a by-election that was won by Labor candidate John Holman. Holman himself died in 1925 and was succeeded at the subsequent by-election by his daughter May Holman. May Holman—the first female representative of an Australian parliament to belong to the Labor Party—held the seat until her death in a car accident on the day of the 1939 state election. The by-election to succeed her was won by her brother Edward Holman. He was succeeded at the 1947 state election by Alfred Reynolds, who held the seat until its abolition at the 1950 state election.
Members for Forrest MemberPartyTerm Albert Wilson Labor 1904–1906 Independent 1906–1908 Peter O'Loghlen Labor 1908–1910 Dennis Jones Labor 1910 Peter O'Loghlen Labor 1910–1913 Thomas Moore Labor 1913 Peter O'Loghlen Labor 1913–1923 John Holman Labor 1923–1925 May Holman Labor 1925–1939 Edward Holman Labor 1939–1947 Alfred Reynolds Labor 1947–1950
Election results
References