The coalition between regional grievance and urban wealth is not new in Australian politics. But David Farley's boast that his One Nation campaign is attracting donations from Woollahra and Toorak suggests something unexpected: that the party known for railing against establishment elites is now drawing support from the very precincts where such elites congregate.
Farley is a Narrandera-based agricultural businessman and former CEO of Australian Agricultural Company. He is contesting the Farrer byelection on 9 May 2026, a sprawling regional NSW seat vacated by former Liberal leader Sussan Ley. The race has emerged as a test of whether One Nation's strong national polling can translate into seats, and whether the Coalition can hold territory it has controlled for more than 25 years.
The suggestion that old money from Sydney's and Melbourne's wealthiest postcodes is backing a One Nation outsider reveals something about the current political mood. Toorak and Woollahra have traditionally favoured the established order. Yet voters there, as elsewhere, are feeling the pressure of cost-of-living pressures and broader economic anxieties. If Farley's fundraising claim is accurate, it signals that discontent has penetrated deep into the establishment heartland.
The apparent contradiction of One Nation drawing establishment money is not entirely surprising. The party has cultivated a reputation for challenging what it sees as government overreach and bureaucratic inefficiency, themes that resonate even among prosperous voters frustrated with policy directions. Farley has framed his candidacy around regional interests neglected by major parties, particularly regarding water as a 'sovereign' asset belonging to the whole nation rather than purely as an environmental concern.
Yet One Nation campaigns have historically derived funding from a mixture of sources. The party says it is well resourced for the byelection, in finances and local membership. Farley's mention of support from wealthy urban donors may reflect both the party's broadening appeal and the genuine frustration among some affluent Australians with current policy settings, particularly around energy and immigration.
The Farrer race itself is intensely competitive. Polling conducted for the Australia Institute showed One Nation had the largest primary vote in Farrer at 28.7 per cent, ahead of independent Michelle Milthorpe at 23.3 per cent, followed by the Liberals on 19.1 per cent, Labor on 9 per cent and the Nationals on 5.2 per cent. However, when asked who voters wanted to win the least, One Nation had the largest portion of 37.1 per cent. This gap between primary support and voter enthusiasm suggests a complex race where preferences will likely prove decisive.
Farley joined One Nation roughly six months ago, well before Ley announced her resignation, and said it was Ley's own governance of Farrer, particularly her failure to push back on water policy, that pushed him toward a party he felt had the courage to take on the fight. His campaign priorities include immigration reform, cost of living relief, and water security for the Murray-Darling Basin.
Whether wealthy voters from Toorak and Woollahra will deliver their money and votes to One Nation in any meaningful way remains to be seen. The byelection will provide an early indication of whether the party's momentum in national polling can translate to actual electoral success, and whether the coalition it is building extends from rural frustration to urban wealth.