The seat has existed since 1889 and has always been held by conservative parties. The Liberal Party has held the seat continuously since 1970, although the Nationals have provided strong challenges on occasions, such as at the 1999 election when election night figures suggested retired AFL FootballerPaul Couch would win the seat.[2] Ultimately, however, Couch failed to finish ahead of the Labor Party candidate and the Liberal candidate, Terry Mulder, won after receiving preferences from Couch.[3]
The 2014 Victorian election saw the LiberalTerry Mulder retain his seat,[4] with a 3.2% swing to Labor.[5] Mulder resigned from parliament on 3 September 2015. The subsequent by-election, held on 31 October, saw Richard Riordan elected as the new member.
^"Polwarth". ABC News Online. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 18 September 1999. Archived from the original on 18 January 2000. Retrieved 24 November 2018.