Members of the Australian Senate, 1975–1978

This is a list of members of the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...

from 1975 to 1978. The 13 December 1975 election

Australian federal election, 1975

Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 December 1975. All 127 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 64 seats in the Senate were up for election following a double dissolution of both Houses....

was a double dissolution

Double dissolution

A double dissolution is a procedure permitted under the Australian Constitution to resolve deadlocks between the House of Representatives and the Senate....

of both Houses, with all 127 seats in the House of Representatives

Australian House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....

, and all 64 seats in the Senate

Australian Senate

The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...

were up for election. Malcolm Fraser

Malcolm Fraser

John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...

had been commissioned as prime minister following the dismissal of the Prime Minister Gough Whitlam

Gough Whitlam

Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...

’s three-year old Labor government

Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...

by Governor-General

Governor-General of Australia

The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...

Sir John Kerr, on 11 November 1975. The same day, Fraser advised the calling of the election, in accordance with Kerr’s stipulated conditions. Thus the Liberal Party of Australia

Liberal Party of Australia

The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...

, led by Fraser, with coalition

Coalition (Australia)

The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...

partner the National Country Party

National Party of Australia

The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...

, led by Doug Anthony

Doug Anthony

John Douglas Anthony, AC, CH , is a former Australian politician. He was leader of the National Party from 1971 to 1984, and Deputy Prime Minister from 1971 to 1972 and again from 1975 to 1983.-Early life:...

, went to the election as a minority caretaker government

Caretaker government

Caretaker government is a type of government that rules temporarily. A caretaker government is often set up following a war until stable democratic rule can be restored, or installed, in which case it is often referred to as a provisional government...

. The election resulted in the Coalition securing government with a 30-seat swing in the House of Representatives away from Labor.

In accordance with section 13 of the Constitution terms for Senators (except for the four representatives of the territories) was taken to commence on 1 July 1975. Half the Senators representing the States were allocated terms finishing on 30 June 1978 and the other half on 30 June 1981. The terms of Senators representating the territories finished at the dissolution of the House of Representatives for the December 1977 election

Australian federal election, 1977

Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1977. All 124 seats in the House of Representatives, and 34 of the 64 seats in the Senate, were up for election....

Senator	Party	State	Years in Office
Brian Archer Brian Archer Brian Roper Archer was an Australian Senator who represented the Liberal Party for the state of Tasmania. He served as a Senator for from 13 December 1975 to 31 January 1994....	Liberal Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...	Tasmania Tasmania Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...	1975–1994
Dr Peter Baume Peter Baume Peter Erne Baume, AC is a former Australian politician.Baume was born in Sydney, New South Wales and was educated at North Sydney Boys High School and Sydney Grammar School. He married Jennifer Tucson 1958 and they have one son and one daughter...	Liberal	New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...	1974–1991
Hon Reg Bishop Reg Bishop Reginald Bishop AO was an Australian politician. He was born in Adelaide and left school at fifteen and became a clerk in the South Australian Railways at the Islington Railway Workshops. He was an official of the Australian Railways Union from 1937 until 1956 and Secretary of the South...	ALP Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...	South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...	1961–1981
Neville Bonner Neville Bonner Neville Thomas Bonner AO was an Australian politician, and the first indigenous Australian to become a member of the Parliament of Australia...	Liberal	Queensland Queensland Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...	1971–1983
Bill Brown	ALP	Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....	1969–1970, 1971–1978
John Button John Button John Norman Button was an Australian politician, who served as a senior minister in the Hawke and Keating Labor governments...	ALP	Victoria	1974–1993
Don Cameron Donald Newton Cameron Donald Newton "Don" Cameron , Australian politician, was born in Murray Bridge, South Australia, and was educated at Gawler. Like his brother Clyde Cameron, he became a shearer and an official of the Australian Workers Union, and was also active in the Australian Labor Party...	ALP	South Australia	1969–1978
Hon John Carrick John Carrick (Australian politician) Sir John Leslie Carrick, AC, KCMG is a former Australian politician.-Early life:Carrick studied economics at the University of Sydney . Before he was able to commence his career to any great degree he fought with the Sparrow Force of the Australian Army during World War II. He was landed on...	Liberal	New South Wales	1970–1987
Hon Jim Cavanagh	ALP	South Australia	1961–1981
Fred Chaney Fred Chaney Frederick Michael Chaney, AO is a former Western Australian politician who, until April 2007, held the position of deputy chairman of the Australian Native Title Tribunal and is Chair of Desert Knowledge Australia and on the Board of Directors of Reconciliation Australia.Chaney was born in Perth,...	Liberal	Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...	1974–1990
Ruth Coleman Ruth Coleman Ruth Nancy Coleman was an Australian Senator who represented the Australian Labor Party for the state of Western Australia. She served as a Senator for 14 years, from 18 April 1974 to 5 June 1987.-References:...	ALP	Western Australia	1974–1987
Stan Collard Stan Collard Stanley James Collard is a retired Australian politician. Born at Maleny, Queensland, he was a locomotive engine driver before entering politics. In 1975, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Country Party Senator for Queensland. He remained in the Senate until his retirement in...	NCP National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...	Queensland	1975–1987
Dr Mal Colston Mal Colston Malcolm Arthur "Mal" Colston , Australian politician, was a Senator in the Parliament of Australia representing the state of Queensland between 1975 and 1999...	ALP	Queensland	1975–1999
Hon Sir Magnus Cormack Magnus Cormack Sir Magnus Cameron Cormack KBE was a Scottish-born Australian politician.Born in Caithness-shire, he migrated to Australia as a child, and was educated at St Peter's College in Adelaide. He became a farmer and grazier in the western district of Victoria before serving in the military during World...	Liberal	Victoria	1951–1953, 1962–1978
Hon Bob Cotton	Liberal	New South Wales	1965–1978
Gordon Davidson Gordon Davidson (Australian politician) Gordon Sinclair Davidson was an Australian politician. He was a grazier and church administrator before entering politics. In 1961, he was appointed to the Australian Senate as a Liberal Senator for South Australia, filling the casual vacancy caused by the death of Rex Pearson...	Liberal	South Australia	1961, 1962, 1965–1981
Donald Devitt Donald Devitt Donald Michael Devitt was an Australian politician. Born in Launceston, Tasmania, he was educated at state schools before becoming a council clerk. He served in the military 1942-1945, after which he became a farmer and high school bursar. In 1964, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a...	ALP	Tasmania	1965–1978
Hon Tom Drake-Brockman	NCP	Western Australia	1958, 1959–1978
Hon Peter Durack Peter Durack Peter Drew Durack, QC was an Australian politician, representing the Liberal Party. He rose to become Attorney-General of Australia....	Liberal	Western Australia	1970–1993
George Georges George Georges George Georges was a Labor senator for Queensland, Australia from 1968 to 1986. From 15 December 1986 he was an independent after quitting the ALP...	ALP	Queensland	1967–1987
Arthur Gietzelt Arthur Gietzelt Arthur Thomas Gietzelt, AO is a former Australian politician and minister.Gietzelt was educated at Hurstville High School. He served in the armed forces in New Guinea during World War II from 1941 to 1945....	ALP	New South Wales	1970–1989
Hon Ivor Greenwood Ivor Greenwood Ivor John Greenwood was an Australian politician and barrister.-Biography:Greenwood was born in North Melbourne and educated at Hartwell Central State School, Mont Albert Central State School, Scotch College and the University of Melbourne...	Liberal	Victoria	1968–1976
Dr Don Grimes Don Grimes Donald James "Don" Grimes AO is an Australian former politician. He was a minister in the Labor government of Bob Hawke.-Biography:...	ALP	Tasmania	1974–1987
Hon Margaret Guilfoyle Margaret Guilfoyle Dame Margaret Georgina Constance Guilfoyle, AC, DBE was a British-born Australian Senator for the state of Victoria from 1971 to 1987. She was the second woman to receive a federal ministerial portfolio, after Dame Enid Lyons...	Liberal	Victoria	1970–1987
Janine Haines Janine Haines Janine Haines, AM , Australian politician, was the first female federal parliamentary leader of an Australian political party. An Australian Democrat, she was also the first member of that party to enter the federal parliament after the party's formation...	Democrat Australian Democrats The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...	South Australia	1977–1978, 1980–1990
Steele Hall Steele Hall Raymond Steele Hall was the 36th Premier of South Australia 1968-70, a senator for South Australia 1974-77, and federal member for the Division of Boothby 1981-96.-Biography:...	Liberal Movement/Liberal	South Australia	1974–1977
Brian Harradine Brian Harradine Richard William Brian Harradine , Australian politician, was an independent member of the Australian Senate from 1975 to 2005, representing the state of Tasmania. He was the longest-serving independent federal politician in Australian history, and a Father of the Senate.He was born in Quorn, South...	Independent	Tasmania	1975–2005
Don Jessop Don Jessop Donald Scott "Don" Jessop was an Australian politician. Born in Adelaide, he was educated at state schools and then the University of Adelaide, after which he became an optometrist at Port Augusta. He was a councillor with Port Augusta City...	Liberal	South Australia	1970–1991
Jim Keeffe	ALP	Queensland	1964–1983
Bernie Kilgariff Bernie Kilgariff Bernard Francis "Bernie" Kilgariff AM was an Australian politician. He was one of the founders of the Country Liberal Party and served as a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly before being elected to the Australian Senate.-Early life:Kilgariff was born in Adelaide, South...	CLP Country Liberal Party The Northern Territory Country Liberal Party is a Northern Territory political party affiliated with both the National and Liberal parties...	Northern Territory Northern Territory The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...	1975–1987
John Knight John Knight (Australian politician) John William Knight was an Australian politician. He represented the Australian Capital Territory in the Senate, for the Liberal Party of Australia, from 1975 until his death in 1981....	Liberal	Australian Capital Territory Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...	1975–1981
Milivoj Lajovic Milivoj Lajovic Milivoj Emil Lajovic , also known as Misha Lajovic, was an Australian politician of Slovene origin.Born in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in what was then the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, he emigrated to Australia after the establishment of the Titoist regime in Yugoslavia in 1945. He became an...	Liberal	New South Wales	1975–1985
Sir Condor Laucke Condor Laucke Sir Condor Louis Laucke, KCMG was an Australian Liberal Party politician who served in both the South Australian House of Assembly and the Federal Senate, before becoming Lieutenant Governor of South Australia....	Liberal	South Australia	1967–1981
Austin Lewis Austin Lewis Austin William Russell Lewis was an Australian politician.Born in Melbourne, he was educated at the University of Melbourne before becoming a solicitor, company director and farmer. On 7 December 1976, he was appointed to the Australian Senate as a Liberal Senator for Victoria, filling the casual...	Liberal	Victoria	1976–1993
Kathy Martin Kathy Sullivan (Australian politician) Kathy Sullivan , Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate from 1974 to 1984, representing Queensland, and a member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Moncrieff, Queensland, from 1984 to 2001. She served longer in the Australian Parliament than any other...	Liberal	Queensland	1974–1984
Ron Maunsell Ron Maunsell Charles Ronald "Ron" Maunsell was an Australian politician. Born in Cairns, Queensland, he was educated at state schools before serving in the military 1942-1947. He returned to become a grazier at Longreach. In 1967, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Country Party Senator for Queensland...	NCP	Queensland	1967–1981
Ron McAuliffe Ron McAuliffe Ronald Edward McAuliffe OBE was a politician and sports administrator in Queensland, Australia. He is best remembered for his years running the Queensland Rugby League, and his instrumental role in the formation of the State of Origin competition.McAuliffe attended school at St. Joseph's College,...	ALP	Queensland	1970–1981
Hon Doug McClelland	ALP	New South Wales	1961–1987
Hon Jim McClelland	ALP	New South Wales	1970–1978
Gordon McIntosh Gordon McIntosh Gordon Douglas McIntosh is a Scottish-born Australian politician. Born in Glasgow, he was a toolmaker and served in the military 1945-1948. Having moved to Australia, he was president of the Western Australian Amalgamated Engineering Union, and Vice-President of the Western Australian Amalgamated...	ALP	Western Australia	1974–1987
Geoff McLaren Geoff McLaren Geoffrey Thomas "Geoff" McLaren was an Australian politician. Born in Koroit, Victoria, he was educated at state schools before becoming a shearer. In 1961 he moved to Murray Bridge in South Australia, where he became a poultry farmer. In 1970, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Labor...	ALP	South Australia	1970–1983
Jean Melzer Jean Melzer Jean Isobelle Melzer was an Australian Senator representing the Australian Labor Party and the state of Victoria. She was elected on 18 May 1974 she served two terms, she was defeated at 1980 elections as she was placed third on the Labor ticket...	ALP	Victoria	1974–1981
Tony Messner Tony Messner Anthony John Messner AO is a former Australian politician and minister.Messner was born in Melbourne and educated at a state primary school in Queensland, Pulteney Grammar School, Adelaide and the South Australian Institute of Technology.Messner was elected as a Senator for South Australia at the...	Liberal	South Australia	1975–1990
Alan Missen Alan Missen - Early life :Missen's parents were Clifford Missen, labourer, and Violet . Clifford hailed from Lismore in western Victoria and Violet from Chiltern in northern Victoria. They met in Melbourne where they married in 1920 and settled in the inner eastern Melbourne suburb of Kew...	Liberal	Victoria	1974–1986
Tony Mulvihill Tony Mulvihill James Anthony "Tony" Mulvihill was an Australian politician. Born in Sydney, he was educated at Catholic schools before becoming a railways employee. He was an official with the Australian Railways Union and then served as Assistant Secretary of the New South Wales Labor Party from 1957 to 1965...	ALP	New South Wales	1964–1983
Hon Justin O'Byrne Justin O'Byrne Justin Hilary O'Byrne, AO was a long-serving Australian Labor Party politician who represented Tasmania in the Federal Senate from 1947 to 1981, acting as President of the Senate from 1974 to 1975.-Biography:...	ALP	Tasmania	1947–1981
Cyril Primmer Cyril Primmer Cyril Graham Primmer was an Australian politician. Born in Warrnambool, Victoria, he was educated at state schools before becoming a dairy farmer at Koroit. He served in the military 1943-1945, and was a member of Belfast Shire Council. In 1970, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Labor...	ALP	Victoria	1971–1985
Peter Rae Peter Rae Peter Elliot Rae AO was an Australian Senator who represented the Liberal Party for the state of Tasmania. He served as a Senator for from 1967 until his resignation in January 1986...	Liberal	Tasmania	1967–1986
Ted Robertson Ted Robertson Edward Albert "Ted" Robertson was an Australian politician. Born in Albany, Western Australia, he was educated at the University of Western Australia before becoming a teacher. Having moved to the Northern Territory, he became Chairman of the Northern Territory Council of Social Services...	ALP	Northern Territory	1975–1987
Susan Ryan Susan Ryan Susan Maree Ryan AO is an Australian educator who served as a Senator for the Australian Capital Territory 1975–87...	ALP	Australian Capital Territory	1975–1988
Douglas Scott Douglas Scott (Australian politician) Douglas Barr Scott is a former Australian National Party politician and briefly government minister. Scott was born in Adelaide, South Australia and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney. He was a farmer and grazier before entering politics...	NCP	New South Wales	1970, 1974–1985
Dr Glen Sheil Glen Sheil Glenister Fermoy Sheil was an Australian politician, representing the National Party in the Senate for the state of Queensland from 1974 to 1981, and again from 1984 to 1990....	NCP	Queensland	1974–1981
Kerry Sibraa Kerry Sibraa Kerry Walter Sibraa, AO was an Australian Senator who represented the Labor Party for the state of New South Wales. He served as a Senator for from 1 July 1975 to 30 June 1978, and then again from 9 August 1978 until 1 February 1994, and was President of the Senate from 17 February 1987 to 1...	ALP	New South Wales	1975–1978, 1978–1994
Peter Sim	Liberal	Western Australia	1964–1981
Tom Tehan	NCP	Victoria	1975–1978
Andrew Thomas Andrew Thomas (Australian politician) Andrew Murray Thomas was a former Australian politician. Born in Blyth, South Australia, he was a farmer and stud breeder before entering politics. In 1975, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Liberal Senator for Western Australia. He held the seat until his defeat in 1983.-References:...	Liberal	Western Australia	1975–1983
Michael Townley Michael Townley (Australian politician) Michael Townley is a former Tasmanian senator. He served both as an Independent and as a Liberal Party of Australia senator....	Liberal	Tasmania	1970–1987
Peter Walsh	ALP	Western Australia	1974–1993
Shirley Walters Shirley Walters Mary Shirley Walters served as an Australian Senator for Tasmania from 13 December 1975. She retired from parliament on 30 June 1993. Before she entered politics she worked as a nurse. She is the daughter of Sir Eric Harrison....	Liberal	Tasmania	1975–1993
Hon James Webster	NCP	Victoria	1964–1981
Hon John Wheeldon John Wheeldon John Murray Wheeldon was an Australian federal politician and briefly a minister. He is mainly notable for his views on Australian foreign policy....	ALP	Western Australia	1964–1981
Rt Hon Reg Withers Reg Withers Reginald Greive 'Reg' Withers is a former long-serving member of the Australian Senate, a former government minister, and former Lord Mayor of Perth....	Liberal	Western Australia	1966, 1967–1987
Ian Wood Ian Wood (Australian politician) Ian Alexander Christie Wood was an Australian politician. Born at Mackay, Queensland, he was educated at state schools before becoming a travel agent. He served on Mackay City Council, including some years as mayor, 1930-1933, 1943-1953. He was also President of the Queensland Local Government...	Liberal	Queensland	1950–1978
Hon Ken Wriedt Ken Wriedt Kenneth Shaw "Ken" Wriedt was an Australian politician and minister in the Whitlam government.Wriedt was born in Melbourne, of Danish ancestry. His early life included time spent as a seaman...	ALP	Tasmania	1964–1980
Hon Reg Wright	Liberal	Tasmania	1950–1978
Harold Young Harold Young Sir Harold William Young KCMG was an Australian Liberal Party politician who represented South Australia in the Senate from 1968 to 1983, acting as President of the Senate from 1981 to 1983.-Biography:...	Liberal	South Australia	1968–1981

See also