Named after the suburb of the same name, it is a 16.48 km2 (6.36 sq mi) suburban electorate in Adelaide's inner north, taking in the suburbs of Blair Athol, Broadview, Clearview, Enfield, Kilburn, Lightsview, Northgate, and Sefton Park; and parts of Nailsworth, Northfield and Prospect.

The seat was vacant pending a by-election in February 2019—Labor MP John Rau resigned from parliament in December 2018, following Labor's defeat at the 2018 South Australian state election in March.

[2] Labor's Andrea Michaels was elected as Rau's successor on 9 February after defeating Independent candidate Gary Johanson in the by-election.

Clarke subsequently contested the election as an independent, but came third, falling 800 votes short of the Liberal candidate.

At the 2006 election, Clarke decided to contest a South Australian Legislative Council seat, for which he had very little chance of success.