Members of the Australian Senate, 1901–1903

Senate composition at March 1901
Protectionist (11)

Labour (8)

Free Trade (17)

This is a list of the members of the Australian Senate in the First Australian Parliament, which was elected on 29 March 1901.^[1]^[2] There were 36 senators in this initial parliament. Terms were deemed to start on 1 January 1901. In accordance with section 13 of the Constitution,^[3] the Senate resolved that in each State the three senators who received the most votes would sit for a six-year term, finishing on 31 December 1906 while the other half would sit for a three-year term, finishing on 31 December 1903.^[4] The process for filing of casual vacancies was complex, with an initial appointment followed by an election.^[a] The status of political parties varied, being national,^[b] State based,^[c] and informal.^[d]^[i]

Senator		State	Term ending	Years in Office
Sir Richard Baker	Free Trade	South Australia	1906	1901–1906
John Barrett	Labour	Victoria	1903	1901–1903
Hon. Robert Best	Protectionist	Victoria	1903	1901–1910
Cyril Cameron	Protectionist	Tasmania	1903	1901–1903, 1907–1913
Hon. David Charleston	Free Trade	South Australia	1903	1901–1903
John Clemons	Free Trade	Tasmania	1906	1901–1914
Hon. Anderson Dawson	Labour	Queensland	1906	1901–1906
Hugh de Largie	Labour	Western Australia	1903	1901–1923
Hon. Henry Dobson	Free Trade	Tasmania	1903	1901–1910
Sir John Downer	Protectionist	South Australia	1903	1901–1903
Hon. James Drake	Protectionist	Queensland	1906	1901–1906
Norman Ewing ^[g]	Free Trade	Western Australia	1903	1901–1903
John Ferguson	Free Trade	Queensland	1903	1901–1903
Hon. Simon Fraser	Protectionist	Victoria	1906	1901–1913
Thomas Glassey	Protectionist	Queensland	1903	1901–1903
Hon. Albert Gould	Free Trade	New South Wales	1906	1901–1917
Edward Harney	Free Trade	Western Australia	1903	1901–1903
William Higgs	Labour	Queensland	1906	1901–1906
John Keating	Protectionist	Tasmania	1906	1901–1923
James Macfarlane	Free Trade	Tasmania	1903	1901–1910
Dr Charles Mackellar ^[h]	Protectionist	New South Wales	1903 ^[a]	1903
Alexander Matheson	Free Trade	Western Australia	1906	1901–1906
Gregor McGregor	Protectionist/Labour ^[e]	South Australia	1903	1901–1914
Edward Millen	Free Trade	New South Wales	1906	1901–1923
John Neild	Free Trade	New South Wales	1903	1901–1910
Hon. Richard O'Connor ^[h]	Protectionist	New South Wales	1903	1901–1903
David O'Keefe	Protectionist/Labour ^[e]	Tasmania	1906	1901–1906, 1910–1920
George Pearce	Labour	Western Australia	1906	1901–1938
Hon. Thomas Playford	Protectionist	South Australia	1906	1901–1906
Edward Pulsford	Free Trade	New South Wales	1903	1901–1910
Robert Reid ^[f]	Free Trade	Victoria	1903 ^[a]	1903
Hon. Sir Frederick Sargood ^[f]	Free Trade	Victoria	1903	1901–1903
Henry Saunders ^[g]	Free Trade	Western Australia	1903 ^[a]	1903
Staniforth Smith	Free Trade	Western Australia	1906	1901–1906
James Stewart	Labour	Queensland	1903	1901–1917
James Styles	Protectionist	Victoria	1906	1901–1906
Hon. Sir Josiah Symon	Free Trade	South Australia	1906	1901–1913
James Walker	Free Trade	New South Wales	1906	1901–1913
Hon. Sir William Zeal	Protectionist	Victoria	1906	1901–1906

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Appointments to a casual vacancy only held office until the earlier of the next election for the House of Representatives or the Senate.^[5]
^ The Free Trade Party, then known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, was the only national political party at the 1901 election.
^ There was no national Labour Party organisation at the time of the 1901 election. Members categorised as "Labour" were endorsed by their various state Labour parties.
^ There was no national Protectionist party organisation at the time of the 1901 election. Members categorised as "Protectionist" were those who accepted the leadership of Edmund Barton.
^ ^a ^b ^c Joined the Labour Caucus immediately after the election.^[2]
^ ^a ^b ^c Victorian Free Trade Senator Frederick Sargood died on 2 January 1903. Robert Reid was appointed as his replacement on 21 January.
^ ^a ^b ^c Western Australian Free Trade Senator Norman Ewing resigned on 17 April 1903. Henry Saunders was appointed as his replacement on 20 May.
^ ^a ^b ^c New South Wales Protectionist Senator Richard O'Connor resigned on 27 September 1903, to take up a position as a Justice of the new High Court of Australia. Dr Charles Mackellar was appointed as his replacement on 8 October.
^ Changes to the Senate in chronological order were McGregor & O'Keefe joined the Labour caucus,^[e] Sargood died,^[f] Ewing resigned,^[g] and O'Connor resigned.^[h]

References

^ "The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate 1901". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
^ ^a ^b Psephos Adam Carr's Election Archive, Senate 1903 National summary NSW, Vic, Qld, WA, SA, Tas and appointments. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
^ Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (Imp) Part II the Senate.
^ "Rotation of Senators" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: Senate. 4 July 1901. pp. 2012–2017.
^ Evans, H. "Filling Casual Vacancies before 1977" (PDF). Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2017.

Journals of the Senate. Parliament of Australia. 1903.
"Members of the Senate since 1901". Parliamentary Handbook. Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2008.

[Appointment-6] Appointments to a casual vacancy only held office until the earlier of the next election for the House of Representatives or the Senate.^[5]

[Free_Trade-7] The Free Trade Party, then known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, was the only national political party at the 1901 election.

[Labour-8] There was no national Labour Party organisation at the time of the 1901 election. Members categorised as "Labour" were endorsed by their various state Labour parties.

[Protectionist-9] There was no national Protectionist party organisation at the time of the 1901 election. Members categorised as "Protectionist" were those who accepted the leadership of Edmund Barton.

[Pro->Lab-10] Joined the Labour Caucus immediately after the election.^[2]

[Sargood-11] Victorian Free Trade Senator Frederick Sargood died on 2 January 1903. Robert Reid was appointed as his replacement on 21 January.

[Ewing-12] Western Australian Free Trade Senator Norman Ewing resigned on 17 April 1903. Henry Saunders was appointed as his replacement on 20 May.

[Mackellar-13] New South Wales Protectionist Senator Richard O'Connor resigned on 27 September 1903, to take up a position as a Justice of the new High Court of Australia. Dr Charles Mackellar was appointed as his replacement on 8 October.

[14] Changes to the Senate in chronological order were McGregor & O'Keefe joined the Labour caucus,^[e] Sargood died,^[f] Ewing resigned,^[g] and O'Connor resigned.^[h]

[1] "The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate 1901". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2017.

[Psephos_1901-2] Psephos Adam Carr's Election Archive, Senate 1903 National summary NSW, Vic, Qld, WA, SA, Tas and appointments. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

[Part_II_the_Senate-3] Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (Imp) Part II the Senate.

[Rotation-4] "Rotation of Senators" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: Senate. 4 July 1901. pp. 2012–2017.

[Evans-5] Evans, H. "Filling Casual Vacancies before 1977" (PDF). Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2017.

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v t e Members of the Parliament of Australia by parliamentary terms
House of Representatives	1901–1903 1903–1906 1906–1910 1910–1913 1913–1914 1914–1917 1917–1919 1919–1922 1922–1925 1925–1928 1928–1929 1929–1931 1931–1934 1934–1937 1937–1940 1940–1943 1943–1946 1946–1949 1949–1951 1951–1954 1954–1955 1955–1958 1958–1961 1961–1963 1963–1966 1966–1969 1969–1972 1972–1974 1974–1975 1975–1977 1977–1980 1980–1983 1983–1984 1984–1987 1987–1990 1990–1993 1993–1996 1996–1998 1998–2001 2001–2004 2004–2007 2007–2010 2010–2013 2013–2016 2016–2019 2019–2022 2022–2025
Senate	1901–1903 1904–1906 1907–1910 1910–1913 1913–1914 1914–1917 1917–1920 1920–1923 1923–1926 1926–1929 1929–1932 1932–1935 1935–1938 1938–1941 1941–1944 1944–1947 1947–1950 1950–1951 1951–1953 1953–1956 1956–1959 1959–1962 1962–1965 1965–1968 1968–1971 1971–1974 1974–1975 1975–1978 1978–1981 1981–1983 1983–1985 1985–1987 1987–1990 1990–1993 1993–1996 1996–1999 1999–2002 2002–2005 2005–2008 2008–2011 2011–2014 2014–2016 2016–2019 2019–2022 2022–2025
Served in both houses Represented multiple states Longest-serving members Members of multiple Australian legislatures

See also

Notes

References