Members of the Australian Senate, 1975–1978 explained

This is a list of members of the Australian Senate from 1975 to 1978.^[1] 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 up for election. Malcolm Fraser had been commissioned as prime minister following the dismissal of Gough Whitlam's 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 caretaker government. The election resulted in the Coalition securing government with a 30-seat swing away from Labor in the House of Representatives.

In accordance with section 13 of the Constitution, following a double dissolution of Parliament, the terms for state senators commence on 1 July preceding the election, i.e., on 1 July 1975. The first five senators elected in each State were allocated full six-year terms ending on 30 June 1981 while the other half were allocated three-year terms ending on 30 June 1978.^[2]

There were two significant changes that affected the composition of the Senate.

• The Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory were to be represented in the Senate for the first time.^[3] The terms of senators representing the territories commenced on the date of the election and ended at the dissolution of the House of Representatives, in this case the December 1977 election.
• A person appointed to a casual vacancy must be from the same political party as the original senator and is appointed until the end of the original term.

Austin Lewis had been appointed under the former system, however his term was extended to the end of the original term of 30 June 1981 as a result of the 1977 referendum. The first vacancy occurring under the new process was caused by the resignation of Steele Hall, who had been a member of the Liberal Movement but had joined the Liberal party in 1976 on the break-up of the Liberal Movement. Janine Haines was appointed to replace Hall, having been third on the Liberal Movement ticket in 1975,^[4] however she was no longer a member of the Liberal Movement, having joined the .^[5]

Senator	Party		State	Term ending	Years in office
					1978	1975–1994
					1978	1974–1991
					1981	1961–1981
					1981	1971–1983
					1978	1969–1970, 1971–1978
				Victoria	1978	1974–1993
				South Australia	1978	1969–1978
				New South Wales	1981	1970–1987
				South Australia	1981	1961–1981
					1978	1974–1990
				Western Australia	1978	1974–1987
				Queensland	1978	1975–1987
				Queensland	1978	1975–1999
				Victoria	1978	1951–1953, 1962–1978
				New South Wales	1981	1965–1978
				South Australia	1981	1961, 1962, 1965–1981
				Tasmania	1978	1965–1978
				Western Australia	1978	1958, 1959–1978
				Western Australia	1981	1970–1993
				Queensland	1978	1967–1987
				New South Wales	1978	1970–1989
				Victoria	1981	1968–1976
				Tasmania	1978	1974–1987
				Victoria	1981	1970–1987
				South Australia	1978	1977–1978, 1980–1990
			Liberal Movement/	South Australia	1978	1974–1977
				Tasmania	1981	1975–2005
				South Australia	1981	1970–1991
				Queensland	1981	1964–1983
					1977, 1980	1975–1987
					1977, 1980	1975–1981
				New South Wales	1978	1975–1985
				South Australia	1981	1967–1981
				Victoria	1977, 1981	1976–1993
				Queensland	1978	1974–1984
				Queensland	1981	1967–1981
				Queensland	1981	1970–1981
				New South Wales	1981	1961–1987
				New South Wales	1981	1970–1978
				Western Australia	1981	1974–1987
				South Australia	1978	1970–1983
				Victoria	1981	1974–1981
				South Australia	1978	1975–1990
				Victoria	1978	1974–1986
				New South Wales	1978	1964–1983
				Tasmania	1981	1947–1981
				Victoria	1981	1971–1985
				Tasmania	1981	1967–1986
				Northern Territory	1977, 1980	1975–1987
				Australian Capital Territory	1977, 1980	1975–1988
				New South Wales	1981	1970, 1974–1985
				Queensland	1981	1974–1981
				New South Wales	1978	1975–1978, 1978–1994
				Western Australia	1981	1964–1981
				Victoria	1978	1975–1978
				Western Australia	1978	1975–1983
				Tasmania	1981	1970–1987
				Western Australia	1978	1974–1993
				Tasmania	1978	1975–1993
				Victoria	1981	1964–1981
				Western Australia	1981	1964–1981
Rt				Western Australia	1981	1966, 1967–1987
				Queensland	1978	1950–1978
				Tasmania	1981	1964–1980
				Tasmania	1978	1950–1978
				South Australia	1978	1968–1981

References

• Book: Journal of the Senate. Parliament of Australia. 1978.
• Web site: Members of the Senate since 1901 . Parliamentary Handbook . . 20 November 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080725081044/http://www.aph.gov.au/library/handbook/historical/senate/index.htm . 25 July 2008 . dead .

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate 1975 . . 21 March 2017.
2. Commonwealth of Australia . Senate . Rotation of Senators . 18 February 1976 . Reg Withers.
3. https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2004A00098 Senate (Representation of Territories) Act 1973 (Cth)
4. Web site: 1975 Senate election: South Australia . Psephos: Adam Carr's Election Archive.
5. Web site: Haines, Janine (1945–2004) . The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate . Parliament of Australia.