Members of the Australian Senate, 1975–1978

This is a list of members of the Australian Senate from 1975 to 1978. The 13 December 1975 election was a double dissolution of both Houses, with all 127 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 64 seats in the Senate were up for election. Malcolm Fraser had been commissioned as prime minister following the dismissal of the Prime Minister Gough Whitlam’s three-year old Labor government by Governor-General 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, led by Fraser, with coalition partner the National Country Party, led by Doug Anthony, went to the election as a minority caretaker 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.

Senator	Party	State	Years in Office
Brian Archer[1]	Liberal	Tasmania	1975–1994
Dr Peter Baume[1]	Liberal	New South Wales	1974–1991
Hon Reg Bishop[2]	ALP	South Australia	1961–1981
Neville Bonner[2]	Liberal	Queensland	1971–1983
Bill Brown[1]	ALP	Victoria	1969–1970, 1971–1978
John Button[1]	ALP	Victoria	1974–1993
Don Cameron[1]	ALP	South Australia	1969–1978
Hon John Carrick[2]	Liberal	New South Wales	1970–1987
Hon Jim Cavanagh[2]	ALP	South Australia	1961–1981
Fred Chaney[1]	Liberal	Western Australia	1974–1990
Ruth Coleman[1]	ALP	Western Australia	1974–1987
Stan Collard[1]	NCP	Queensland	1975–1987
Dr Mal Colston[1]	ALP	Queensland	1975–1999
Hon Sir Magnus Cormack[1]	Liberal	Victoria	1951–1953, 1962–1978
Hon Bob Cotton[2]	Liberal	New South Wales	1965–1978
Gordon Davidson[2]	Liberal	South Australia	1961, 1962, 1965–1981
Donald Devitt[1]	ALP	Tasmania	1965–1978
Hon Tom Drake-Brockman[1]	NCP	Western Australia	1958, 1959–1978
Hon Peter Durack[2]	Liberal	Western Australia	1970–1993
George Georges[1]	ALP	Queensland	1967–1987
Arthur Gietzelt[1]	ALP	New South Wales	1970–1989
Hon Ivor Greenwood[3]	Liberal	Victoria	1968–1976
Dr Don Grimes[1]	ALP	Tasmania	1974–1987
Hon Margaret Guilfoyle[2]	Liberal	Victoria	1970–1987
Janine Haines[1][4]	Democrat	South Australia	1977–1978, 1980–1990
Steele Hall[4]	Liberal Movement/Liberal	South Australia	1974–1977
Brian Harradine[2]	Independent	Tasmania	1975–2005
Don Jessop[2]	Liberal	South Australia	1970–1991
Jim Keeffe[2]	ALP	Queensland	1964–1983
Bernie Kilgariff	CLP	Northern Territory	1975–1987
John Knight	Liberal	Australian Capital Territory	1975–1981
Milivoj Lajovic[1]	Liberal	New South Wales	1975–1985
Sir Condor Laucke[2]	Liberal	South Australia	1967–1981
Austin Lewis[2][3]	Liberal	Victoria	1976–1993
Kathy Martin[1]	Liberal	Queensland	1974–1984
Ron Maunsell[2]	NCP	Queensland	1967–1981
Ron McAuliffe[2]	ALP	Queensland	1970–1981
Hon Doug McClelland[2]	ALP	New South Wales	1961–1987
Hon Jim McClelland[2]	ALP	New South Wales	1970–1978
Gordon McIntosh[2]	ALP	Western Australia	1974–1987
Geoff McLaren[1]	ALP	South Australia	1970–1983
Jean Melzer[2]	ALP	Victoria	1974–1981
Tony Messner[1]	Liberal	South Australia	1975–1990
Alan Missen[1]	Liberal	Victoria	1974–1986
Tony Mulvihill[1]	ALP	New South Wales	1964–1983
Hon Justin O'Byrne[2]	ALP	Tasmania	1947–1981
Cyril Primmer[2]	ALP	Victoria	1971–1985
Peter Rae[2]	Liberal	Tasmania	1967–1986
Ted Robertson	ALP	Northern Territory	1975–1987
Susan Ryan	ALP	Australian Capital Territory	1975–1988
Douglas Scott[2]	NCP	New South Wales	1970, 1974–1985
Dr Glen Sheil[2]	NCP	Queensland	1974–1981
Kerry Sibraa[1]	ALP	New South Wales	1975–1978, 1978–1994
Peter Sim[2]	Liberal	Western Australia	1964–1981
Tom Tehan[1]	NCP	Victoria	1975–1978
Andrew Thomas[1]	Liberal	Western Australia	1975–1983
Michael Townley[2]	Liberal	Tasmania	1970–1987
Peter Walsh[1]	ALP	Western Australia	1974–1993
Shirley Walters[1]	Liberal	Tasmania	1975–1993
Hon James Webster[2]	NCP	Victoria	1964–1981
Hon John Wheeldon[2]	ALP	Western Australia	1964–1981
Rt Hon Reg Withers[2]	Liberal	Western Australia	1966, 1967–1987
Ian Wood[1]	Liberal	Queensland	1950–1978
Hon Ken Wriedt[2]	ALP	Tasmania	1964–1980
Hon Reg Wright[1]	Liberal	Tasmania	1950–1978
Harold Young[1]	Liberal	South Australia	1968–1981

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad} Term finishing 30 June 1978
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad} Term finishing 30 June 1981
3. ^ ^{a b} Liberal Ivor Greenwood died on 13 October 1976; Liberal Austin Lewis was appointed to fill the ensuing vacancy on 17 December.
4. ^ ^{a b} Liberal Movement (later Liberal) Steele Hall resigned on 16 November 1977; Democrat Janine Haines was appointed to fill the ensuing vacancy on 14 December.

References

• Journal of the Senate. Parliament of Australia. 1978. 
• "Members of the Senate since 1901". Parliamentary Handbook. Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080725081044/http://www.aph.gov.au/library/handbook/historical/senate/index.htm. Retrieved 20 November 2008. 

See also

• Australian House of Representatives
• Australian electoral system

Members of the Australian Parliament

House of Representatives 1974–1975  · 1975–1977  · 1977–1980

Senate 1974–1975  · 1975–1978  · 1978–1981