Chronology of Australian federal parliaments explained

The term of Australian parliaments is determined by the opening and dissolution (or expiration) of the House of Representatives. The Senate is not normally dissolved at all, except at a double dissolution, when the entire parliament is dissolved.

Parliaments do not have a fixed term. The maximum term permitted by section 28 of the Constitution of Australia is three years, counted from the date the parliament first meets after a general election. However, the Governor-General, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, may dissolve the parliament earlier. This has happened in all but one case (the 3rd Parliament 1907–1910). However, the 18th Parliament (1946–49) was only five days short of the full three years, and eight parliaments have exceeded 2 years, 300 days. The average length of completed parliaments since Federation has been about 2 years, 130 days.

Because there is only an indirect relationship between the dates of elections and the commencement and dissolution dates of parliaments, more than three years can elapse between consecutive elections. This has happened on a number of occasions, most recently between the 2019 and 2022 elections (3 years 3 days). The longest gap between elections was 3 years 122 days, between the 1906 and 1910 elections.

Parliaments may be divided into one or more sessions. Each session except the last must be prorogued before a new session can begin. One of the effects of prorogation is that it prevents the Senate from meeting and conducting its business after the House of Representatives has concluded its business.

Between 1928 and 1989, the last or sole session of a parliament was not prorogued, as the parliament was dissolved. Since 1993, the session has been prorogued prior to dissolution.

Chronology

Number and SessionDate of general election
(time since last election)		Date of openingLast sitting day of the
House of Representatives		Date of prorogation[1] Date of dissolution
(or expiration)		Length of
Parliament
align=center 1st Parliament29 & 30 March 1901
align=center First Session9 May 190110 October 190210 October 1902
align=center Second Session26 May 190322 October 190322 October 190323 November 19032 years 199 days
align=center 2nd Parliament16 December 1903
(2 years 261 days)
align=center First Session2 March 190415 December 190415 December 1904
align=center Second Session28 June 190521 December 190521 December 1905
align=center Third Session7 June 190612 October 190612 October 19065 November 19062 years 249 days
align=center 3rd Parliament12 December 1906
(2 years 361 days)
align=center First Session20 February 190721 February 190722 February 1907
align=center Second Session3 July 19075 June 190811 June 1908
align=center Third Session16 September 190811 December 190815 December 1908
align=center Fourth Session26 May 19098 December 190913 December 190919 February 1910
(expired)[2] 		3 years
align=center 4th Parliament13 April 1910
(3 years 122 days)
align=center First Session1 July 191025 November 191029 November 1910
align=center Second Session5 September 191119–21 December 191122 December 1911
align=center Third Session19 June 191220–21 December 19128 January 191323 April 19132 years 297 days
align=center 5th Parliament31 May 1913
(3 years 48 days)
align=center First Session9 July 191318–19 December 191319 December 1913
align=center Second Session15 April 191426 June 191427 June 191430 July 1914[3] 1 year 22 days
align=center 6th Parliament5 September 1914
(1 year 97 days)
align=center First Session8 October 191416–17 March 191720 March 191726 March 19172 years 203 days
align=center 7th Parliament5 May 1917
(2 years 242 days)
align=center First Session14 June 191714 June 191716 June 1917
align=center Second Session11 July 191724 October 191928 October 19193 November 19192 years 143 days
align=center 8th Parliament13 December 1919
(2 years 222 days)
align=center First Session26 February 19209–10 December 19215 January 1922
align=center Second Session28 June 192212–14 October 192218 October 19226 November 19222 years 254 days
align=center 9th Parliament16 December 1922
(3 years 3 days)
align=center First Session28 February 19239 March 192321 March 1923
align=center Second Session13 June 19239–10 October 192430 April 1925
align=center Third Session10 June 192523–25 September 192528 September 19253 October 19252 years 218 days
align=center 10th Parliament14 November 1925
(2 years 333 days)
align=center First Session13 January 192621–22 September 1928not prorogued9 October 19282 years 271 days
align=center 11th Parliament17 November 1928
(3 years 3 days)
align=center First Session6 February 192912 September 1929not prorogued16 September 19290 years 223 days
align=center 12th Parliament12 October 1929
(0 years 329 days)
align=center First Session20 November 192926 November 1931not prorogued27 November 19312 years 8 days
align=center 13th Parliament19 December 1931
(2 years 68 days)
align=center First Session17 February 19321–2 August 1934not prorogued7 August 19342 years 172 days
align=center 14th Parliament15 September 1934
(2 years 270 days)
align=center First Session23 October 193411 December 193627 May 1937
align=center Second Session17 June 193715 September 1937not prorogued21 September 19372 years 334 days
align=center 15th Parliament23 October 1937
(3 years 38 days)
align=center First Session30 November 19377–8 December 193914 March 1940
align=center Second Session17 April 194021–22 August 1940not prorogued27 August 1940 2 years 272 days
align=center 16th Parliament21 September 1940
(2 years 333 days)
align=center First Session20 November 19401 July 1943not prorogued7 July 19432 years 230 days
align=center 17th Parliament21 August 1943
(2 years 334 days)
align=center First Session23 September 194330–31 March 19445 July 1944
align=center Second Session17 July 19441 December 19448 February 1945
align=center Third Session21 February 19459 August 1946not prorogued16 August 19462 years 328 days
align=center 18th Parliament28 September 1946
(3 years 38 days)
align=center First Session6 November 194617–18 June 19484 August 1948
align=center Second Session1 September 194827 October 1949not prorogued31 October 19492 years 360 days
align=center 19th Parliament10 December 1949
(3 years 73 days)
align=center First Session22 February 195016 March 1951not prorogued19 March 19511 year 26 days
align=center 20th Parliament28 April 1951
(1 year 139 days)
align=center First Session12 June 195122 October 195330 October 1953
align=center Second Session10 November 19532–3 December 19534 February 1954
align=center Third Session15 February 195414 April 1954not prorogued21 April 19542 years 314 days
align=center 21st Parliament29 May 1954
(3 years 31 days)
align=center First Session4 August 195427–28 October 1955not prorogued4 November 19551 year 93 days
align=center 22nd Parliament10 December 1955
(1 year 195 days)
align=center First Session15 February 19568 November 19567 March 1957
align=center Second Session19 March 19575 December 195711 February 1958
align=center Third Session25 February 19581–2 October 1958not prorogued14 October 19582 years 242 days
align=center 23rd Parliament22 November 1958
(2 years 347 days)
align=center First Session17 February 19593 December 195910 February 1960
align=center Second Session8 March 19608–9 December 196020 February 1961
align=center Third Session7 March 196126–27 October 1961not prorogued2 November 19612 years 259 days
align=center 24th Parliament9 December 1961
(3 years 17 days)
align=center First Session20 February 196230 October 1963not prorogued1 November 19631 year 255 days
align=center 25th Parliament30 November 1963
(1 year 356 days)
align=center First Session25 February 196428 October 1966not prorogued31 October 19662 years 249 days
align=center 26th Parliament26 November 1966
(2 years 361 days)
align=center First Session21 February 19678–9 November 19679 February 1968
align=center Second Session12 March 196826 September 1969not prorogued29 September 19692 years 221 days
align=center 27th Parliament25 October 1969
(2 years 334 days)
align=center First Session25 November 196925–26 November 196923 February 1970
align=center Second Session3 March 197026 October 1972not prorogued2 November 1972 2 years 344 days
align=center 28th Parliament2 December 1972
(3 years 38 days)
align=center First Session27 February 197313 December 197314 February 1974
align=center Second Session28 February 197410 April 1974not prorogued11 April 19741 year 44 days
align=center 29th Parliament18 May 1974
(1 year 167 days)
align=center First Session9 July 197411 November 1975not prorogued11 November 19751 year 126 days
align=center 30th Parliament13 December 1975
(1 year 209 days)
align=center First Session17 February 197624 February 197728 February 1977
align=center Second Session8 March 19778 November 1977not prorogued10 November 19771 year 267 days
align=center 31st Parliament10 December 1977
(1 year 362 days)
align=center First Session21 February 197818 September 1980not prorogued19 September 19802 years 212 days
align=center 32nd Parliament18 October 1980
(2 years 312 days)
align=center First Session25 November 198014–15 December 1982not prorogued4 February 19832 years 72 days
align=center 33rd Parliament5 March 1983
(2 years 138 days)
align=center First Session21 April 198311 October 1984not prorogued26 October 19841 year 189 days
align=center 34th Parliament1 December 1984
(1 year 271 days)
align=center First Session21 February 19854 June 1987not prorogued5 June 19872 years 105 days
align=center 35th Parliament11 July 1987
(2 years 222 days)
align=center First Session14 September 198722 December 1989not prorogued19 February 19902 years 159 days
align=center 36th Parliament24 March 1990
(2 years 256 days)
align=center First Session8 May 199017–18 December 19928 February 19938 February 19932 years 277 days
align=center 37th Parliament13 March 1993
(2 years 356 days)
align=center First Session4 May 199330 November-
1 December 1995		29 January 199629 January 19962 years 271 days
align=center 38th Parliament2 March 1996
(2 years 356 days)
align=center First Session30 April 199615 July 199831 August 199831 August 19982 years 124 days
align=center 39th Parliament3 October 1998
(2 years 215 days)
align=center First Session10 November 199827 September 20018 October 20018 October 20012 years 333 days
align=center 40th Parliament10 November 2001
(3 years 38 days)
align=center First Session12 February 200212–13 August 200431 August 200431 August 20042 years 202 days
align=center 41st Parliament9 October 2004
(2 years 333 days)
align=center First Session16 November 200420 September 200715 October 200717 October 20072 years 336 days
align=center 42nd Parliament24 November 2007
(3 years 46 days)
align=center First Session12 February 200824 June 201019 July 2010[4] 19 July 20102 years 158 days
align=center 43rd Parliament21 August 2010
(2 years 270 days)
align=center First Session28 September 2010[5] 27 June 2013[6] 5 August 20135 August 20132 years 312 days
align=center 44th Parliament7 September 2013
(3 years 17 days)
align=center First Session12 November 2013[7] 18 March 201615 April 2016[8]
align=center Second Session18 April 20165 May 20169 May 20169 May 20162 years 180 days
align=center 45th Parliament2 July 2016
(2 years 300 days)
align=center First Session30 August 20164 April 2019[9] 11 April 201911 April 2019[10] 2 years 225 days
align=center 46th Parliament19 May 2019
(2 years 322 days)
align=center First Session2 July 201931 March 202211 April 202211 April 20222 years 284 days
align=center 47th Parliament21 May 2022
(3 years 3 days)
align=center First Session26 July 2022

Current Parliament

!Parliament!Date of opening!First Session!Date of dissolution (or expiration)
47th Parliament26 July 202226 July 2022TBD

See also

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Some sessions have been prorogued more than once. This table shows only the first date in each case.
  2. The 3rd Parliament 1907–1910 is the only one that was allowed to run for three years from the date of its first sitting, the maximum period allowed by s.28 of the Australian Constitution; all the others were dissolved earlier by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister, as permitted by s.28.
  3. This was a double dissolution, where both the House of Representatives and the Senate were dissolved.
  4. Web site: Special Gazette S136, 19 July 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20120114234058/http://www.ag.gov.au/portal/govgazonline.nsf/BDAB2EF3C2B1AC18CA25776500108B46/%24file/S%20136.pdf. dead. 14 January 2012.
  5. Web site: Parliament to sit on September 28. The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 September 2010.
  6. http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=CHAMBER;id=chamber%2Fhansardr%2Fd4d17c1a-fc1c-44c7-9f9c-811a074b90ec%2F0143;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansardr%2Fd4d17c1a-fc1c-44c7-9f9c-811a074b90ec%2F0000%22 House of Representatives, Hansard, 27 June 2013
  7. Web site: Events Search Result. Canberra. corporateName=Commonwealth Parliament; address=Parliament House. www.aph.gov.au.
  8. https://www.scribd.com/doc/305444624/Election-documentation 2016 Election Document
  9. https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=CHAMBER;id=chamber%2Fvotes%2F0ebae71a-303a-4414-a704-3d1eafd05d8d%2F0001;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fvotes%2F0ebae71a-303a-4414-a704-3d1eafd05d8d%2F0000%22 House of Representatives, Votes and Proceedings, 4 April 2019
  10. http://gg.gov.au/media-release/documents-relating-calling-election-18-may-2019 Documents relating to the calling of the election for 18 May 2019

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