Australian records for MPs, etc.

DEFINITION OF A MAJOR PARTY: ALP, Lib or equiv (including Prot and FT), Country/Nats, the first Lang Labor (1931-36)

Records for members of parliament

Age

Youngest

The youngest person ever elected to the House of Representatives is Wyatt Roy, who was 20 years, 91 days old when elected as the Liberal National Party member for Longman in 2010. The previous record-holder was Edwin Corboy, who won the 1918 Swan by-election for the Labor Party at the age of 22 years, 63 days.

Oldest

List of oldest sitting members

The oldest sitting member of either house of parliament was Billy Hughes, who was 90 years, 33 days old when he died in office in 1952.

Lifespans

One former member has reached the age of 100 years old: Bill Grayden (104 years, 108 days). After Grayden, the former member who attained the greatest age was Sir John Carrick, who was 99 years, 256 days old when he died in 2018. The oldest former Senator was George Hannan, who died in 2009 at the age of 98 years, 233 days. Four other former members have reached the age of 98: James Corbett (98 years, 229 days), Aubrey Luck (98 years, 207 days), Reg Turnbull (98 years, 146 days), Gough Whitlam (98 years, 102 days), and Sir John Cramer (98 years, 89 days). The longest-lived female former member was Florence Bjelke-Petersen, who was 97 years, 131 days old when she died in 2017.

The shortest lifespan of a member of the Australian Parliament was 33 years, 327 days, the age at which Charles Frazer died from pneumonia in 1913. The shortest-lived Senator was John Knight, who was 37 years, 104 days old when he died suddenly in 1981. The youngest ex-member to die was Frank Kirwan, who was the Labor MP for Forrest from 1969 to 1972, and was 39 years, 5 days old when he died in 1976.

Other living nonagenarian former members are Wylie Gibbs (102 years, 118 days), Tom Hughes (100 years, 361 days), Ron Elstob (99 years, 358 days), James Webster (99 years, 160 days), Tony Street (98 years, 287 days), Doug McClelland (98 years, 108 days), Colin Mason (98 years, 24 days), Bob Ellicott (97 years, 220 days) and Peter Nixon (96 years, 244 days).

Period of service

Longest

Billy Hughes (29 March 1901 (1901-03-29) – 28 October 1952 (1952-10-28); 51 years, 213 days)
Philip Ruddock (22 September 1973 (1973-09-22) – 9 May 2016 (2016-05-09); 42 years, 230 days)
Earle Page (13 December 1919 (1919-12-13) – 9 December 1961 (1961-12-09); 41 years, 361 days)
Senator George Pearce (29 March 1901 (1901-03-29) – 30 June 1938 (1938-06-30); 37 years, 93 days)
Senator Walter Cooper (17 November 1928 (1928-11-17) – 30 June 1932 (1932-06-30), 1 July 1935 (1935-07-01) – 30 June 1968 (1968-06-30); 36 years 225 days)

Shortest

Charles Howroyd (5 May 1917 (1917-05-05) – 10 May 1917 (1917-05-10); 5 days)
Senator Lionel Courtenay (1 July 1935 (1935-07-01) – 11 July 1935 (1935-07-11); 10 days)
John Clasby (19 December 1931 (1931-12-19) – 15 January 1932 (1932-01-15); 27 days)
Senator Charles Mackellar (8 October 1903 (1903-10-08) – 30 November 1903 (1903-11-30); 53 days)
Senator Jack Power (20 November 1924 (1924-11-20) – 13 January 1925 (1925-01-13); 54 days)

Members who never took their seats

Charles Howroyd (elected 5 May 1917; died 10 May 1917)
John Clasby (elected 19 December 1931; died 15 January 1932)

Senators who never won an election

Robert Reid (appointed 12 January 1903; retired 31 December 1903)
Henry Saunders (appointed 20 May 1903; defeated 31 December 1903)
Charles Mackellar (appointed 8 October 1903; retired 30 November 1903)
Edward Vardon (appointed 16 February 1921; re-appointed 9 August 1921; defeated 15 December 1922)
Henry Garling (appointed 15 December 1921; defeated 15 December 1922)
Joseph Hannan (appointed 22 July 1924; defeated 13 November 1925 – won a House election for Fawkner in 1913)
Jack Power (appointed 20 November 1924; died 13 January 1925)
William Gibbs (appointed 1 April 1925; retired 13 November 1925)
Henry Barwell (appointed 18 December 1925; resigned 22 March 1928 – won several elections as an SA state MP)
John Verran (appointed 30 August 1927; defeated 16 November 1928)
Albert Robinson (appointed 18 April 1928; defeated 16 November 1928)
Richard Abbott (appointed 18 December 1928; retired 30 June 1929)
Harry Kneebone (appointed 1 April 1931; defeated 18 December 1931)
Patrick Mooney (appointed 23 December 1931; defeated 30 June 1932)
Guy Arkins (appointed 26 September 1935; defeated 22 October 1937 – won several elections as a NSW state MP)
Thomas Marwick (appointed 19 August 1936; defeated 22 October 1937 – won a House election for Swan in 1940)
Charles Latham (appointed 8 October 1942; defeated 20 August 1943)
Alexander Fraser (appointed 15 May 1946; defeated 27 September 1946)
Bill Robinson (appointed 30 September 1952; defeated 8 May 1953)
George Whiteside (appointed 9 October 1962; defeated 29 November 1963)
Bill Heatley (appointed 14 April 1966; defeated 30 June 1968)
Martin Cameron (appointed 23 May 1969; defeated 24 October 1969)
David Reid (appointed 16 January 1974; defeated 11 April 1974)
Cleaver Bunton (appointed 27 February 1975; retired 11 November 1975)
Pat Field (appointed 3 September 1975; defeated 11 November 1975)
Laurence Neal (appointed 1 March 1980; defeated 30 June 1981)
John Martyr (appointed 11 March 1981; defeated 4 February 1983)
John Olsen (appointed 7 May 1990; resigned 4 May 1992)
Karin Sowada (appointed 29 August 1991; defeated 30 June 1993)
Christabel Chamarette (appointed 12 March 1992; defeated 30 June 1996)
Belinda Neal (appointed 8 March 1994; resigned 3 September 1998 – won a House election for Robertson in 2007)
Bob Woods (appointed 8 March 1994; resigned 7 March 1997)
Tom Wheelwright (appointed 24 May 1995; defeated 30 June 1996)
Karen Synon (appointed 13 May 1997; defeated 30 June 1999)
Geoff Buckland (appointed 12 October 2000; retired 30 June 2005)
John Cherry (appointed 31 July 2001; defeated 30 June 2005)
Santo Santoro (appointed 29 October 2002; resigned 11 April 2007)
Lin Thorp (appointed 20 June 2012; defeated 30 June 2014 – won an election as a Tasmanian state MLC in 1999)
Mehmet Tillem (appointed 21 August 2013; defeated 30 June 2014)
Joanna Lindgren (appointed 21 May 2015; defeated 2 July 2016)
Robert Simms (appointed 22 September 2015; defeated 2 July 2016)

Members who have sat for three or more different constituencies

The Senate is considered a constituency for the purposes of this list. Only one member, Billy Hughes, has ever represented four constituencies (see below).

Ken Aldred was the member for Henty (1975–80), Bruce (1983–90) and Deakin (1990–96).
Russell Broadbent was the member for Corinella (1990–93), McMillan (1996–98; 2004–19), and is the current member for Monash (2019– )
Don Cameron was the member for Griffith (1966–77), Fadden (1977–83) and Moreton (1983–90).
Don Chipp was the member for Higinbotham (1960–69) and Hotham (1969–77) and a Senator for Victoria (1978–86).
Jim Cope was the member for Cook (1955), Watson (1955–69) and Sydney (1969–75).
Jack Duncan-Hughes was the member for Boothby (1922–28), a Senator for Victoria (1931–38) and the member for Wakefield (1940–43).
Allan Guy was the member for Bass (1929–34) and Wilmot (1940–46) and a Senator for Tasmania (1950–56).
Billy Hughes was the member for West Sydney (1901–17), Bendigo (1917–22), North Sydney (1922–49) and Bradfield (1949–52).
Norman Makin was the member for Hindmarsh (1919–46), Sturt (1954–55) and Bonython (1955–63).
Philip McBride was the member for Grey (1931–37), a Senator for South Australia (1937–44) and the member for Wakefield (1946–58).
John McEwen was the member for Echuca (1934–37), Indi (1937–49) and Murray (1949–71).
Bob McMullan was a Senator for the ACT (1988–96) and the member for Canberra (1996–98) and Fraser (1998–2010).
William O'Connor was the member for West Sydney (1946–49), Martin (1949–55) and Dalley (1955–69).
Herbert Pratten was a Senator for NSW (1917–21) and the member for Parramatta (1921–22) and Martin (1922–28).
Philip Ruddock was the member for Parramatta (1973–77), Dundas (1977–93) and Berowra (1993–2016).

Members who have served in another nation's parliament

Edward Harney was a Senator for Western Australia (1901–03) and member of the House of Commons for South Shields (1922–24)
George Reid was a member of the House of Representatives for East Sydney (1901–06) and member of the House of Commons for St George's, Hanover Square (1916–18)
William Yates was a member of the House of Commons for The Wrekin (1955–66) and member of the House of Representatives for Holt (1975–80)

Members who have made more than one comeback

No member has ever made more than two comebacks.

John Barnes, Labor Senator for Victoria (1910–20), was re-elected to the Senate in 1922. Following his second defeat in 1934, he was re-elected again in 1937, but died before taking his seat.
Russell Broadbent, Liberal member for Corinella (1990–93), was elected as the member for McMillan in 1996. Following a second defeat in 1998, he was again re-elected as the member for McMillan in 2004.
Neil Brown, Liberal member for Diamond Valley (1969–72), was re-elected as the member for Diamond Valley in 1975. Following a second defeat in 1983, he was elected as the member for Menzies in 1984.
Jack Duncan-Hughes, Liberal/Nationalist member for Boothby (1922–28), was elected as a UAP Senator for South Australia in 1931. After his defeat in 1937, he was elected as the member for Wakefield in 1940.
Arthur Fuller, Labor member for Hume (1943–49), was re-elected as the member for Hume in 1951. After his second defeat in 1955, he was re-elected as the member for Hume in 1961.
Bill Graham, Liberal member for St George (1949–54), was re-elected as the member for St George in 1955. Following his second defeat in 1958, he was elected as the member for North Sydney in 1966.
Allan Guy, Labor/UAP member for Bass (1929–34), was elected as the member for Wilmot in 1940. After his second defeat in 1946, he was elected to the Senate (Tas) in 1949.
David O'Keefe, Labor Senator for Tasmania (1901–06), was re-elected to the Senate in 1910. Following his second defeat in 1919, he was elected as the member for Denison in 1922.
James O'Loghlin, Labor Senator for South Australia (1907), was re-elected to the Senate in 1913. Following his defeat in 1919, he was re-elected again in 1922.
Keith Wilson, UAP Senator for South Australia (1938–44), was elected as the Liberal member for Sturt in 1949. Following his defeat in 1954, he was re-elected as the member for Sturt in 1955.

Family sets

Members succeeded by their own children

William Henry Groom succeeded as Member for Darling Downs by his son, Littleton Groom, on 14 September 1901.
Edward Corser succeeded as Member for Wide Bay by his son, Bernard Corser, on 3 September 1928.
David Watkins succeeded as Member for Newcastle by his son, David Oliver Watkins on 1 June 1935.
Larry Anthony succeeded as Member for Richmond by his son, Doug Anthony on 14 September 1957.
John McLeay, Sr. succeeded as Member for Boothby by his son, John McLeay Jr., on 26 November 1966.
Keith Wilson succeeded as Member for Sturt by his son, Ian Wilson, on 26 November 1966.
Sir Charles Adermann succeeded as Member for Fisher by his son, Evan Adermann, on 2 December 1972.
Harry Jenkins, Sr. succeeded as Member for Scullin by his son, Harry Jenkins, on 8 February 1986.
Eric Fitzgibbon succeeded as Member for Hunter by his son, Joel Fitzgibbon, on 2 March 1996.
Bob Brown succeeded as Member for Charlton by his daughter, Kelly Hoare, on 3 October 1998.

Married couples in parliament

Joseph Lyons (Wilmot, 1929–39) and Enid Lyons (Darwin, 1932–39)
Kevin Newman (Bass, 1975–84) and Jocelyn Newman (Senator for Tasmania, 1986–2002)
Maurice Blackburn (Bourke, 1934–43) and Doris Blackburn (Bourke, 1946–49)
Michael Cobb (Parkes, 1984–98) and Trish Worth (Adelaide, 1993–2004)
Sophie Mirabella (Indi, 2001–13) and Greg Mirabella (Senator for Victoria, 2021–present)

Women

Ethnic minorities

There have been ten Aboriginal members of the federal parliament: Senator Neville Bonner (Liberal/Independent, 1971–83), Senator Aden Ridgeway (Democrats, NSW, 1996–2005), Ken Wyatt (Liberal, Hasluck, 2010– ), Senator Nova Peris (Labor, NT, 2013–16), Senator Joanna Lindgren (LNP, Qld, 2015–16), Senator Pat Dodson (Labor, WA, 2016– ), Linda Burney (Labor, Barton, 2016– ), Senator Malarndirri McCarthy (Labor, NT, 2016– ), Senator Lidia Thorpe (Greens, Vic, 2020– ), and Senator Dorinda Cox (Greens, WA, 2021– ).

There have been three Asian Australian members of the House: Michael Johnson (Liberal/Independent, Ryan, 2001–10), Ian Goodenough (Liberal, Moore, 2013– ), and Gladys Liu (Liberal, Chisholm, 2019– ); and four Senators, Bill O'Chee (National, Qld, 1990–99), Tsebin Tchen (Liberal, Vic, 1999–2005), Penny Wong (Labor, SA, 2002– ) and Dio Wang (PUP, WA, 2014–2016), although Senator Thomas Bakhap (Liberal/Nationalist, Tas, 1913–23) claimed Asian ancestry through his adoptive Chinese father.

Physical attributes

Disabled members

Not complete

Roland Green (Country, Richmond, 1922–1937) lost a leg during World War I.
George Maxwell (Nationalist/Independent/UAP, Fawkner, 1917–1935) lost his sight in 1929.
John Hyde (Liberal, Moore, 1974–1983) lost his right arm in a farming accident.
Graham Edwards (Labor, Cowan, 1998–2007) lost both his legs in 1970 during the Vietnam War and is confined to a wheelchair.
Senator Alan Eggleston (Liberal, WA, 1996–2014) suffers from achondroplasia.
Senator Jordon Steele-John (Greens, WA, 2017– ) uses a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy.

Wartime service

Two former members of the Australian parliament have been killed during active service: William Johnson, the Labor MP for Robertson from 1910 to 1913 who was killed in action on 30 July 1916; and Arnold Wienholt, the Nationalist MP for Moreton from 1919 to 1922 who was killed in action on 10 September 1940.

Deaths

Members who committed suicide

Not necessarily comprehensive

Senator John Adamson (Labor, Qld) was killed by a train on 2 May 1922—it was suggested that his death was a suicide.
Senator Harold Elliott (Nationalist, WA, 1920–31) committed suicide on 23 March 1931.
Senator Bertie Johnston (Country, WA, 1929–42) committed suicide on 6 September 1942.
Moses Gabb (Labor/UAP, Angas, 1919–25, 1929–34) committed suicide on 6 March 1951.
Senator Edmund Piesse (Country, WA, 1950–52) committed suicide on 25 April 1952.
Former Prime Minister John McEwen (Country, Echuca/Indi/Murray, 1934–1971) died on 20 November 1980 from self-imposed starvation.
Senator Pat Field (Independent, Queensland, 1975) committed suicide on 1 July 1990.
Greg Wilton (Labor, Isaacs, 1996–2000) committed suicide on 14 June 2000.
Senator Bob Collins (Labor, NT, 1987–98) committed suicide on 21 September 2007.

Senator Nick Sherry (Labor, Tas) attempted suicide in October 1997.

Members who were killed in office

Not complete

Senator Robert Guthrie (Labor/Nationalist, SA) died on 20 January 1921 after being hit by a tram.
Senator John Adamson (Labor, Qld) died on 2 May 1922 after being hit by a train at Hendra railway station.
Charles Hawker (UAP, Wakefield) died in a plane crash on 25 October 1938.
Frank Baker (Labor, Oxley/Griffith) died in a car accident on 28 March 1939.
Three Menzies Government ministers were killed in the Canberra air disaster on 13 August 1940:
- Geoffrey Street (UAP, Corangamite), Minister for the Army and Repatriation;
- James Fairbairn (UAP, Flinders), Minister for Air and Civil Aviation;
- Sir Henry Gullett (UAP, Henty), Vice-President of the Executive Council and Minister for Scientific and Industrial Research.
Senator Olive Zakharov (Labor, Vic) was killed in a car accident on 6 March 1995. She was also the first female member of the Australian parliament to die in office.

Members who have been murdered

Frederick McDonald is believed to be the only member ever to have been murdered; he disappeared in 1926 and is generally believed to have been killed by the man who defeated him in the previous year's election, Thomas Ley.

Other notable deaths

Sir Frederick Holder, the House of Representaives, collapsed and died on the floor of the House on 28 August 1909.
Sir John Forrest, a long-serving minister, died at sea on 26 October 1918 on his way to become Australia's first peer.
The sudden death of former Speaker Charles McDonald on 13 November 1925, just before the 1925 federal election, resulted in his seat being given to the Nationalist candidate unopposed; this prompted a change in the law to cancel elections should a candidate die between the close of nominations and election day.
Joseph Lyons was the first Prime Minister to die in office, suffering to a heart attack on 27 May 1939.
John Curtin became the second Prime Minister to die in office on 18 August 1945.
Harold Holt became the third Prime Minister to die in office on 24 February 1968, when he disappeared into the surf on a Victorian beach and was presumed drowned.

Members and former members imprisoned

Not even close to complete

Senator Benjamin Benny (Nationalist, SA, 1920–1926) was convicted of fraud and sentenced to three years jail in 1926.
Senator Donald Grant (Labor, NSW, 1944–1959) was one of the Sydney Twelve convicted of arson, conspiracy and sedition in 1916. A Royal Commission found Grant had been wrongly convicted and he was released in 1920.
Keith Wright (Labor/Independent, Capricornia, 1984–93) was convicted of rape in 1993. He was jailed for more than five years.
Andrew Theophanous (Labor/Independent, Burke/Calwell, 1980–2001) was convicted of fraud in 2002 and served two years of a six year sentence, successfully appealing part of his sentence.
Pauline Hanson (Independent/One Nation, Oxley, 1996–98) was convicted of electoral fraud on 20 August 2003 and sentenced to three years in prison. She served two and a half months before her conviction was overturned on 6 November 2003.