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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

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