Father of the Australian Parliament
This is a list of Fathers of the Australian Parliament.
The Father of the Parliament is the more senior of the Father of the Senate and the Father of the House of Representatives. Joint Fathers are shown in small type.
The current Father of the Parliament is Philip Ruddock MP. He is also the longest-serving Father of the Parliament; his tenure commenced on 1 September 1998 and is now approaching 16 years. In late December 2012, he surpassed the previous record-holder, the inaugural Father Billy Hughes, who held the title for 14 years, 4 months (from 1 July 1938 until his death on 28 October 1952).
All Fathers of the Parliament have been members of the House of Representatives, except Senators Gordon Brown (1963–65) and Justin O'Byrne (1977–81).
The only Father of the Parliament with broken service but whose latter period of continuous service was sufficiently long to qualify was Eddie Ward.
From | To | Father of the Parliament |
Father of the Senate |
Continuous term started |
Father of the House of Representatives |
Continuous term started |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
29/30 March 1901 | 14 September 1923 | Nil | Nil | n/a | Nil | n/a |
15 September 1923 | 8 April 1935 | Nil | Sir George Pearce | 29 March 1901 | Nil | n/a |
9 April 1935 | 30 June 1938 | Nil[1] | Billy Hughes | 30 March 1901 | ||
1 July 1938 | 30 June 1947 | Billy Hughes MP | Thomas Crawford Harry Foll |
1 July 1917 | ||
1 July 1947 | 30 June 1950 | Gordon Brown Joe Collings |
1 July 1932 | |||
1 July 1950 | 28 October 1952 | Gordon Brown | ||||
29 October 1952 | 9 December 1961 | Sir Earle Page MP | Sir Earle Page | 13 December 1919 | ||
10 December 1961 | 31 July 1963 | Eddie Ward MP | Eddie Ward | 6 February 1932 | ||
1 August 1963 | 30 June 1965 | Senator Gordon Brown |
Joe Clark John McEwen Sir Robert Menzies |
15 September 1934 | ||
1 July 1965 | 16 February 1966 | Joe Clark MP John McEwen MP Sir Robert Menzies MP |
Sir Walter Cooper | 1 July 1935 | ||
17 February 1966 | 30 June 1968 | Joe Clark MP John McEwen MP |
Joe Clark John McEwen |
|||
1 July 1968 | 29 September 1969 | Bert Hendrickson Justin O'Byrne Dame Annabelle Rankin |
1 July 1947 | |||
30 September 1969 | 1 February 1971 | John McEwen MP | John McEwen | |||
2 February 1971 | 24 May 1971 | Arthur Calwell MP | Arthur Calwell | 21 September 1940 | ||
25 May 1971 | 30 June 1971 | Bert Hendrickson Justin O'Byrne |
||||
1 July 1971 | 2 November 1972 | Justin O'Byrne | ||||
3 November 1972 | 11 November 1975 | Fred Daly MP | Fred Daly | 21 August 1943 | ||
12 November 1975 | 10 November 1977 | Kim Beazley sr. MP | Kim Beazley sr. | 18 August 1945 | ||
11 November 1977 | 19 September 1980 | Senator Justin O'Byrne |
Clyde Cameron Sir William McMahon |
10 December 1949 | ||
20 September 1980 | 30 June 1981 | Sir William McMahon | ||||
1 July 1981 | 4 January 1982 | Sir William McMahon MP | Doug McClelland | 1 July 1962 | ||
5 January 1982 | 31 March 1983 | Malcolm Fraser MP Sir James Killen MP Sir Billy Snedden MP |
Malcolm Fraser Sir James Killen Sir Billy Snedden |
10 December 1955 | ||
1 April 1983 | 21 April 1983 | Sir James Killen MP Sir Billy Snedden MP |
Sir James Killen Sir Billy Snedden |
|||
22 April 1983 | 15 August 1983 | Sir James Killen MP | Sir James Killen | |||
16 August 1983 | 18 January 1984 | Doug Anthony MP | Doug Anthony | 14 September 1957 | ||
19 January 1984 | 23 January 1987 | Tom Uren MP | Tom Uren | 22 November 1958 | ||
24 January 1987 | 27 February 1989 | Arthur Gietzelt Peter Durack |
1 July 1971 | |||
28 February 1989 | 19 February 1990 | Peter Durack | ||||
20 February 1990 | 30 June 1993 | Ian Sinclair MP | Ian Sinclair | 30 November 1963 | ||
1 July 1993 | 31 August 1998 | Mal Colston Brian Harradine |
13 December 1975 | |||
1 September 1998 | 30 June 1999 | Philip Ruddock MP | Philip Ruddock | 22 September 1973 | ||
1 July 1999 | 30 June 2005 | Brian Harradine | ||||
1 July 2005 | 30 June 2008 | John Watson | 1 July 1978 | |||
1 July 2008 | 30 June 2014 | Ron Boswell | 5 March 1983 | |||
1 July 2014 | 6 February 2015 | John Faulkner | 4 April 1989 | |||
6 February 2015 | incumbent | Ian Macdonald | 1 July 1990 |
See also
- Father of the Australian Senate
- Father of the Australian House of Representatives
- Father of the House
- Members of the Australian Parliament who have served for at least 30 years
References
- ↑ Although Senator Sir George Pearce and Billy Hughes MP were elected on different dates (29 March and 30 March 1901 respectively), all members of the First Parliament were considered to be of equal seniority.