Electoral district of Southern Downs

Southern Downs Queensland—Legislative Assembly
Electoral District of Southern Downs 2017
State	Queensland
Dates current	2001–present
MP	James Lister
Party	Liberal National
Namesake	Darling Downs
Electors	36,029 (2020)
Area	30,951 km2 (11,950.2 sq mi)
Demographic	Regional
Coordinates	28°20′S 150°42′E / 28.333°S 150.700°E / -28.333; 150.700
Electorates around Southern Downs: Warrego Condamine Lockyer Warrego Southern Downs Scenic Rim New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales

Southern Downs is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland. It was created in 2001 as a replacement for Warwick.^[1]

The district takes in the southern parts of the Darling Downs region along the New South Wales border. It includes the towns of Warwick, Goondiwindi, Stanthorpe, Millmerran and Allora. It also consists of several smaller communities such as Inglewood, Texas, Killarney, Wallangarra and Cecil Plains.

The Darling Downs has traditionally been a conservative area, and Southern Downs is no exception. It has been a safe seat for the Liberal National Party and its predecessor, the National Party for its entire existence. Warwick had been in the hands of a non-Labor party since 1947.

The seat's first member, Lawrence Springborg, transferred from Warwick in 2001. He served as the last leader of the Queensland branch of the National Party from January until July 2008, having previously served in the post from 2003 to 2006. He then served as the first leader of the LNP from 2008 to 2009, and again from 2015 to 2016. He also served as a minister in the Newman government.