Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
since 2 August 2022
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerElected by the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Inaugural holderFrancis Murphy
Formation21 November 1856
DeputyMatt Fregon
WebsiteOfficial website
Party website

The Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria. The presiding officer of the upper house of the Parliament of Victoria, the Victorian Legislative Council, is the President of the Victorian Legislative Council.

A Speaker is elected at the beginning of each new parliamentary term by the Legislative Assembly from one of its members. The Assembly may re-elect an incumbent Speaker by passing a motion; otherwise, a secret ballot is held. The Assembly can dismiss the Speaker by a majority vote, and the Speaker can resign.

In practice, the Speaker is usually a member of the governing party or parties, who have the majority in the Assembly. The Speaker continues to be a member of a political party, and may or may not attend party meetings. The Speaker also continues to carry out ordinary electorate duties as a member of Parliament and must take part in an election campaign to be re-elected as a member of Parliament.

The Deputy Speaker, also elected by the Assembly, supports and assists the Speaker and fulfils the role as Speaker in their absence or during a vacancy in the position.

Speakers of the Victorian Legislative Assembly

Speakers[1]
No. Name Took office Left office Party Time
1 Francis Murphy 21 November 1856 24 January 1871 — 14 years, 64 days
2 Charles MacMahon 25 April 1871 April 1877 — 6 years, 0 days
3 Charles Gavan Duffy 22 May 1877 9 February 1880 — 2 years, 263 days
(2) Charles McMahon 11 May 1880 29 June 1880 — 49 days (6 years, 49 days)
4 Peter Lalor 22 July 1880 29 September 1887 — 7 years, 69 days
5 Matthew Davies 4 October 1887 April 1892 — 4 years, 183 days
6 Thomas Bent 11 May 1892 September 1894 — 2 years, 123 days
7 Graham Berry 4 October 1894 September 1897 — 2 years, 335 days
8 Francis Mason 25 October 1897 September 1902 — 4 years, 335 days
9 Duncan Gillies 14 October 1902 12 September 1903 Liberal 333 days
10 William Beazley 16 September 1903 10 May 1904 Labor 237 days
11 Frank Madden 29 June 1904 October 1917 Liberal 13 years, 122 days
12 John Mackey 29 November 1917 6 April 1924 Nationalist 6 years, 129 days
13 John Bowser 30 April 1924 5 March 1927 Nationalist 2 years, 309 days
14 Oswald Snowball 6 July 1927 16 March 1928 Nationalist 254 days
15 Alexander Peacock 4 July 1928 7 October 1933 Nationalist 5 years, 95 days
United Australia
16 Maurice Blackburn 11 October 1933 1 August 1934 Labor 294 days
17 William Everard 2 August 1934 6 September 1937 United Australia 3 years, 35 days
18 Tom Tunnecliffe 19 October 1937 15 February 1940 Labor 2 years, 119 days
19 William Slater 1 May 1940 20 October 1942 Labor 2 years, 172 days
20 George Knox 21 October 1942 9 October 1947 United Australia 4 years, 353 days
Liberal
21 Thomas Maltby 2 December 1947 13 April 1950 Liberal 2 years, 132 days
22 Archie Michaelis 20 June 1950 31 October 1952 Liberal 2 years, 133 days
23 Keith Sutton 17 December 1952 22 April 1955 Labor 2 years, 126 days
24 William McDonald 15 June 1955 19 March 1967 Liberal 11 years, 277 days
25 Vernon Christie 16 May 1967 18 June 1973 Liberal 6 years, 33 days
26 Kenneth Wheeler 19 June 1973 28 May 1979 Liberal 5 years, 343 days
27 Jim Plowman 29 May 1979 26 April 1982 Liberal 2 years, 332 days
28 Tom Edmunds 27 April 1982 24 October 1988 Labor 6 years, 180 days
29 Ken Coghill 25 October 1988 26 October 1992 Labor 4 years, 1 day
30 John Delzoppo 27 October 1992 13 May 1996 Liberal 3 years, 199 days
(27) Jim Plowman 14 May 1996 2 November 1999 Liberal 3 years, 172 days (6 years, 139 days)
31 Alex Andrianopoulos 3 November 1999 24 February 2003 Labor 3 years, 113 days
32 Judy Maddigan 25 February 2003 18 December 2006 Labor 3 years, 296 days
33 Jenny Lindell 19 December 2006 20 December 2010 Labor 4 years, 1 day
34 Ken Smith 21 December 2010 4 February 2014 Liberal 3 years, 45 days
35 Christine Fyffe 4 February 2014 22 December 2014 Liberal 321 days
36 Telmo Languiller 23 December 2014 25 February 2017 Labor 2 years, 64 days
37 Colin Brooks 7 March 2017 2 August 2022 Labor 7 years, 291 days
38 Maree Edwards 2 August 2022 Incumbent Labor 2 years, 143 days

References

  1. ^ "Legislative Assembly - Former Speakers". Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 2 September 2011.