Members of the Australian Senate, 1978–1981

Senate composition at 1 July 1978
Government (34) – (1 seat majority)
Coalition
  Liberal (27)
  Country Party (6)
  Country Liberal (1)

Opposition (27)
  Labor (27)

Crossbench (3)
  Democrats (2)
  Independent (1)
 

This is a list of members of the Australian Senate from 1 July 1978 to 30 June 1981.[1] Half of the state senators were elected at the December 1975 election and had terms due to finish on 30 June 1981; the other half of the state senators were elected at the December 1977 election and had terms due to finish on 30 June 1984. The territory senators were elected at the December 1977 election and their terms ended at the dissolution of the House of Representatives, which was October 1980.

Senator Party State Term ending Years in office
Brian Archer   Liberal Tasmania 1984 1975–1994
Peter Baume   Liberal New South Wales 1984 1974–1991
Reg Bishop   Labor South Australia 1981 1961–1981
Florence Bjelke-Petersen [a]   National Country Queensland 1981 1981–1993
Neville Bonner   Liberal Queensland 1981 1971–1983
John Button   Labor Victoria 1984 1974–1993
John Carrick   Liberal New South Wales 1981 1970–1987
Jim Cavanagh   Labor South Australia 1981 1961–1981
Fred Chaney   Liberal Western Australia 1984 1974–1990
Don Chipp   Democrats Victoria 1984 1977–1986
Ruth Coleman   Labor Western Australia 1984 1974–1987
Stan Collard   National Country Queensland 1984 1975–1987
Mal Colston   Labor Queensland 1984 1975–1999
Bob Cotton [b]   Liberal New South Wales 1981 1965–1978
Gordon Davidson   Liberal South Australia 1981 1961, 1962, 1965–1981
Peter Durack   Liberal Western Australia 1981 1970–1993
Ron Elstob   Labor South Australia 1984 1978–1987
Gareth Evans   Labor Victoria 1984 1977–1996
George Georges   Labor Queensland 1984 1967–1987
Arthur Gietzelt   Labor New South Wales 1984 1970–1989
Don Grimes   Labor Tasmania 1984 1974–1987
Margaret Guilfoyle   Liberal Victoria 1981 1970–1987
David Hamer   Liberal Victoria 1984 1978–1990
Brian Harradine   Independent Tasmania 1981 1975–2005
Jean Hearn [c]   Labor Tasmania 1981 1980–1985
Don Jessop   Liberal South Australia 1981 1970–1991
Jim Keeffe   Labor Queensland 1981 1964–1983
Bernie Kilgariff   Country Liberal Northern Territory 1980, 1983 [d] 1975–1987
John Knight [e]   Liberal Australian Capital Territory 1980 [d] 1975–1981
Misha Lajovic   Liberal New South Wales 1984 1975–1985
Sir Condor Laucke   Liberal South Australia 1981 1967–1981
Austin Lewis   Liberal Victoria 1981 1976–1993
David MacGibbon   Liberal Queensland 1984 1978–1999
Kathy Martin   Liberal Queensland 1984 1974–1984
John Martyr [f]   Liberal Western Australia 1984 1981–1983
Colin Mason   Democrats New South Wales 1984 1978–1987
Ron Maunsell   National Country Queensland 1981 1967–1981
Ron McAuliffe   Labor Queensland 1981 1970–1981
Doug McClelland   Labor New South Wales 1981 1961–1987
Jim McClelland [g]   Labor New South Wales 1981 1970–1978
Gordon McIntosh   Labor Western Australia 1981 1974–1987
Geoff McLaren   Labor South Australia 1984 1970–1983
Jean Melzer   Labor Victoria 1981 1974–1981
Tony Messner   Liberal South Australia 1984 1975–1990
Alan Missen   Liberal Victoria 1984 1974–1986
Tony Mulvihill   Labor New South Wales 1984 1964–1983
Laurence Neal [h]   National Country Victoria 1981 1980–1981
Justin O'Byrne [i]   Labor Tasmania 1981 1947–1981
Cyril Primmer   Labor Victoria 1981 1971–1985
Chris Puplick [b]   Liberal New South Wales 1981 1978–1981, 1984–1990
Peter Rae   Liberal Tasmania 1981 1967–1986
Margaret Reid [e]   Liberal Australian Capital Territory 1980, 1983 [d] 1981–2003
Ted Robertson   Labor Northern Territory 1980, 1983 [d] 1975–1987
Allan Rocher [f]   Liberal Western Australia 1984 1978–1981
Susan Ryan   Labor Australian Capital Territory 1980, 1983 [d] 1975–1988
Douglas Scott   National Country New South Wales 1981 1970, 1974–1985
Glen Sheil [a]   National Country Queensland 1981 1974–1981
Kerry Sibraa [g]   Labor New South Wales 1981 1975–1978, 1978–1994
Peter Sim   Liberal Western Australia 1981 1964–1981
Michael Tate   Labor Tasmania 1984 1977–1993
Baden Teague   Liberal South Australia 1984 1977–1996
Andrew Thomas   Liberal Western Australia 1984 1975–1983
Michael Townley   Liberal Tasmania 1981 1970–1987
Peter Walsh   Labor Western Australia 1984 1974–1993
Shirley Walters   Liberal Tasmania 1984 1975–1993
John Watson   Liberal Tasmania 1984 1978–2008
James Webster [h]   National Country Victoria 1981 1964–1980
John Wheeldon   Labor Western Australia 1981 1964–1981
Rt. Reg Withers   Liberal Western Australia 1981 1966, 1967–1987
Ken Wriedt [c]   Labor Tasmania 1981 1964–1980
Harold Young   Liberal South Australia 1984 1968–1981

Notes

  1. ^ a b Queensland NCP Senator Glen Sheil resigned in early 1981. Florence Bjelke-Petersen was appointed as his replacement on 12 March for a term ending 30 June 1981.
  2. ^ a b New South Wales Liberal Senator Bob Cotton resigned on 13 July 1978. Chris Puplick was appointed as his replacement on 26 July for a term ending 30 June 1981.
  3. ^ a b Tasmanian Labor Senator Ken Wriedt resigned on 25 September 1980 in order to contest the Australian House of Representatives seat of Denison at the 1980 election. Jean Hearn was appointed as his replacement on 15 October for a term ending 30 June 1981.
  4. ^ a b c d e The term of a territory senator ends at the dissolution of the House of Representatives, which was October 1980.
  5. ^ a b Australian Capital Territory Liberal Senator John Knight died on 4 March 1981. Margaret Reid was appointed as his replacement on 5 May for a term ending at the October 1980 election.
  6. ^ a b Western Australian Liberal Senator Allan Rocher resigned in early 1981 to contest the 1981 Curtin by-election. John Martyr was appointed as his replacement on 11 March for a term ending 30 June 1984.
  7. ^ a b New South Wales Labor Senator Jim McClelland resigned on 21 July 1978. Kerry Sibraa was appointed as his replacement on 9 August for a term ending 30 June 1981.
  8. ^ a b Victorian National Party Senator James Webster resigned on 21 January 1980. Laurence Neal was appointed as his replacement on 11 March for a term ending 30 June 1981.
  9. ^ Father of the Senate

References

  1. ^ "The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate 1978". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 25 March 2017.