A long-running campaign to rename Tasmania's federal electorate of Denison looks set for success following a recommendation of the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).

Denison profile: Named after Sir William Denison 1804–71, Lieutenant-Governor of Tasmania 1847–55 and Governor of New South Wales 1855–61

Named after Sir William Denison 1804–71, Lieutenant-Governor of Tasmania 1847–55 and Governor of New South Wales 1855–61 Covers an area of approximately 289km 2 from Austins Ferry in the north to Kingston in the south, from Hobart in the east to Collinsvale in the west. The City of Hobart and environs, the City of Glenorchy and parts of the Kingborough municipality are in this division

Covers an area of approximately 289km from Austins Ferry in the north to Kingston in the south, from Hobart in the east to Collinsvale in the west. The City of Hobart and environs, the City of Glenorchy and parts of the Kingborough municipality are in this division Industries: Banking and retail, chocolate and confectionery, catamaran construction, brewery, zinc works, food and timber processing, heavy transport, wholesale trade, engineering works, glass products and port facilities at Hobart

Industries: Banking and retail, chocolate and confectionery, catamaran construction, brewery, zinc works, food and timber processing, heavy transport, wholesale trade, engineering works, glass products and port facilities at Hobart Demographic rating: Inner metropolitan

The commission has proposed ditching the name Denison for the Hobart-based electorate in favour of Clark, in honour of Andrew Inglis Clark, who played a major role in the writing of the Australian constitution.

William Denison was the colonial lieutenant governor of Van Diemens Land from 1847 to 1855, with the electorate named in his honour formed in 1903.

Historian Reg Watson said Denison was a worthy administrator but had many detractors because, among other things, he opposed the ending of transportation of convicts from England to the colony.

Mr Watson said it was "time to change to a Tasmanian of great repute", agreeing that Andrew Inglis Clark was the man for the job.

"Clark is a son of Tasmania," Mr Watson said.

Clark, the originator of the Hare-Clark preferential voting system, authored the first draft of the constitution in 1890, with 88 of his 96 clauses still in the constitution today.

Denison's 'harsh treatment of convicts'

The current Member for Denison Andrew Wilkie agreed and said the name change was an appropriate tribute to one of the founders of the nation.

William Thomas Denison was a Governor of Tasmania. ( Supplied: National Library of Australia )

"Putting aside what some us might think about Lieutenant Governor Denison, Clark is a towering man in Australian political history, he was involved right back there in bringing the colonies together and writing the constitution," Mr Wilkie said.

"He was a very highly regarded politician and it would seem highly appropriate."

Mr Wilkie added: "Denison was a somewhat notorious character, so there might be another reason there for changing the name of the electorate."

Political activist Rodney Croome set up an online petition to change the electorate name.

Mr Croome said Denison fought hard against democracy in colonial Australia and had a very negative view about Tasmanian society.

"He was very harsh in his treatment of convicts. I really don't think he was a very good role model for contemporary Australians," he said.

"Andrew Inglis Clark was a great reforming law maker, a strong advocate for human rights, a strong advocate for education."

Time running out to object to name change

Denison is the smallest of Tasmania's five electorates and stretches from Austins Ferry in the north to Kingston in the south.

People have until next Wednesday to object to the name change, along with plans to move the municipalities of Dorset and Flinders into Bass and Meander Valley into Lyons.

The Tasmanian Parliament usually adopts the federal electorates for state elections.

Tasmanian Electoral Commissioner, Andrew Hawkey, said the federal process will be determined in November then it was up to the State Government.

"The implications for the Tasmanian state elections for the House of Assembly are a matter for the parliament, as the Constitution Act will need to be amended to adopt those if it chooses," Mr Hawkey said.

"The last time we had a name change was when Wilmot became Lyons in the 1980s."