It is located in the wealthy beachside suburbs of Perth, including Claremont, Cottesloe, Mosman Park, Nedlands, Subiaco and Swanbourne.

Its most prominent member has been Paul Hasluck, who was a senior Cabinet minister in the Menzies and Holt governments and then Governor-General of Australia after leaving politics.

Other prominent members include Victor Garland, a minister in the McMahon and Fraser governments, and Bishop, the former Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party (the first woman to hold this role) and a minister in the Howard, Abbott, and Turnbull governments.

Bishop retired at the 2019 election, and Celia Hammond, a former vice chancellor of University of Notre Dame Australia, retained it for the Liberals with a reduced majority.

[1] In August 2021, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) announced that Curtin would gain the remainder of the suburb of Scarborough and parts of Gwelup, Karrinyup and Trigg from the abolished seat of Stirling.