Quick Facts
Biography
Darren Leicester Cheeseman MP (born 8 June 1976) is an Australian politician, holding the seat of Corangamite for the Australian Labor Party between 2007 and 2013. Cheeseman lost the seat to the Liberal Party of Australia's Sarah Henderson at the 2013 federal election.
Cheeseman was born in Christchurch, New Zealand. He grew up in Ballarat and attended Mount Clear College. He later studied for a Bachelor of Applied Science in Geology at the University of Ballarat. He worked for the Association for the Blind, and during that time also served as a Councillor for the City of Ballarat. Later he worked for the Community and Public Sector Union.
In 2006 Cheeseman contested Labor preselection for Corangamite against the Labor candidate in 2004, former Geelong mayor Peter McMullin. Having secured preselection, he went on to defeat longtime Liberal incumbent Stewart McArthur with a 6.6% swing. McArthur had held the seat since 1984. Cheeseman attributed his win to opposition to the Liberal government's industrial relations laws, WorkChoices. Cheeseman was only the third Labor member ever to win Corangamite, and the first since 1929. Cheeseman narrowly held Corangamite in 2010 against Liberal Henderson, becoming the first Labor member to win a second term in the seat. However, he was defeated when Henderson prevailed in 2013.
Cheeseman sought Labor preselection for Corangamite in 2015, but was defeated by Surf Coast Shire Councillor Libby Coker.
Cheeseman and his wife, Kirsty, live in Ballarat with their young sons Isaac and Noah.