List of Australian Senate appointments

This is a list of appointments to the Australian Senate, filling casual vacancies, from the Senate's creation in 1901 until the present day.

State senators

Section 15 of the Australian Constitution requires the parliament of the relevant state to choose a replacement. This is done in a joint sitting of the upper and lower house (except for Queensland, which has a unicameral parliament). In the event that the state parliament is not in session, the Governor of the state (acting on the advice of the state's executive council) may appoint a replacement senator, but such an appointment lapses if it is not confirmed by a joint sitting of the parliament within 14 days.

Prior to 29 July 1977, it was an established convention that the state parliament choose (or the governor appoint) a replacement from the same political party as their predecessor. This is now a constitutional requirement.

Territory senators

Replacement senators for the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory are chosen by the relevant territory legislature, under s.44 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. Where the legislature is not in session, the choice is made by the Chief Minister of the ACT or the Administrator of the NT. Prior to the passage of this legislation, replacement territory senators were chosen by a joint sitting of both houses of the Federal Parliament, under s.9 of the Senate (Representation of Territories) Act 1973.

List of appointments to the Senate

Appointments marked with an asterisk (*) occurred after the election for that parliament but before the new Senate was sworn in. Party designations marked with a † indicate that the member was elected for a different party, but defected during their term. (The appointment is generally made to the original elected party or its equivalent.)

43rd Parliament (2011–2014)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
New South Wales 13 October 2011 Helen Coonan   Liberal Arthur Sinodinos   Liberal Resignation

42nd Parliament (2008–2011)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Western Australia 12 March 2009 Chris Ellison   Liberal Chris Back   Liberal Resignation

41st Parliament (2005–2008)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria* 8 May 2008 Robert Ray   Labor Jacinta Collins   Labor Resignation
Tasmania 30 August 2007 Paul Calvert   Liberal David Bushby   Liberal Resignation
Western Australia 19 June 2007 Ian Campbell   Liberal Mathias Cormann   Liberal Resignation
South Australia 6 June 2007 Amanda Vanstone   Liberal Mary Jo Fisher   Liberal Resignation
South Australia 3 May 2007 Jeannie Ferris   Liberal Simon Birmingham   Liberal Death (ovarian cancer)
Queensland 19 April 2007 Santo Santoro   Liberal Sue Boyce   Liberal Resignation
South Australia 4 May 2006 Robert Hill   Liberal Cory Bernardi   Liberal Resignation
Tasmania 25 August 2005 Sue Mackay   Labor Carol Brown   Labor Resignation

40th Parliament (2002–2005)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
New South Wales* 5 May 2005 John Tierney   Liberal Concetta Fierravanti-Wells   Liberal Resignation
Victoria 31 March 2004 Richard Alston   Liberal Mitch Fifield   Liberal Resignation
Australian Capital Territory 18 February 2003 Margaret Reid   Liberal Gary Humphries   Liberal Resignation
Queensland 29 October 2002 John Herron   Liberal Santo Santoro   Liberal Resignation

39th Parliament (1999–2002)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Tasmania* 26 February 2002 Brian Gibson   Liberal Guy Barnett   Liberal Resignation
Tasmania* 4 February 2002 Jocelyn Newman   Liberal Richard Colbeck   Liberal Resignation
Queensland 31 July 2001 John Woodley   Democrats John Cherry   Democrats Resignation
South Australia 14 September 2000 John Quirke   Labor Geoff Buckland   Labor Resignation
Queensland 16 May 2000 Warwick Parer   Liberal George Brandis   Liberal Resignation
New South Wales 4 May 2000 David Brownhill   National Sandy Macdonald   National Resignation

38th Parliament (1996–1999)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
New South Wales 14 October 1998 Belinda Neal   Labor Steve Hutchins   Labor Resignation
Northern Territory 16 June 1998 Bob Collins   Labor Trish Crossin   Labor Resignation
Queensland 30 October 1997 Cheryl Kernot   Democrats Andrew Bartlett   Democrats Resignation
South Australia 18 September 1997 Dominic Foreman   Labor John Quirke   Labor Resignation
New South Wales 17 September 1997 Bruce Childs   Labor George Campbell   Labor Resignation
Western Australia 19 May 1997 John Panizza   Liberal Ross Lightfoot   Liberal Death
Victoria 13 May 1997 Jim Short   Liberal Karen Synon   Liberal Resignation
New South Wales 9 April 1997 Bob Woods   Liberal Marise Payne   Liberal Resignation
New South Wales 18 September 1996 Michael Baume   Liberal Bill Heffernan   Liberal Resignation
Tasmania 5 September 1996 John Coates   Labor Kerry O'Brien   Labor Resignation
South Australia 24 July 1996 Jeannie Ferris   Liberal Jeannie Ferris   Liberal Resignation (eligibility)

37th Parliament (1993–1996)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria* 30 April 1996 Gareth Evans   Labor Stephen Conroy   Labor Resignation
Tasmania* 8 March 1996 John Devereux   Independent† Sue Mackay   Labor Resignation
Australian Capital Territory 2 March 1996 Bob McMullan   Labor Kate Lundy   Labor Resignation
South Australia 29 November 1995 John Coulter   Democrats Natasha Stott Despoja   Democrats Resignation
New South Wales 24 May 1995 Stephen Loosley   Labor Tom Wheelwright   Labor Resignation
Victoria 3 May 1995 Olive Zakharov   Labor Jacinta Collins   Labor Death (car accident)
New South Wales 10 May 1994 Graham Richardson   Labor Michael Forshaw   Labor Resignation
New South Wales 8 March 1994 Bronwyn Bishop   Liberal Bob Woods   Liberal Resignation
New South Wales 8 March 1994 Kerry Sibraa   Labor Belinda Neal   Labor Resignation
Tasmania 22 February 1994 Brian Archer   Liberal Eric Abetz   Liberal Resignation
Tasmania 24 August 1993 Michael Tate   Labor Kay Denman   Labor Resignation

36th Parliament (1990–1993)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria* 28 April 1993 John Button   Labor Kim Carr   Labor Resignation
South Australia 26 May 1992 John Olsen   Liberal Alan Ferguson   Liberal Resignation
Western Australia 12 March 1992 Jo Vallentine   Greens WA Christabel Chamarette   Greens WA Resignation
New South Wales 29 August 1991 Paul McLean   Democrats Karin Sowada   Democrats Resignation
New South Wales 11 February 1991 Peter Baume   Liberal John Tierney   Liberal Resignation

35th Parliament (1987–1990)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Western Australia* 16 May 1990 Fred Chaney   Liberal Ian Campbell   Liberal Resignation
Queensland* 8 May 1990 John Stone   National Bill O'Chee   National Resignation
South Australia* 7 May 1990 Tony Messner   Liberal John Olsen   Liberal Resignation
South Australia* 4 April 1990 Janine Haines   Democrats Meg Lees   Democrats Resignation
Tasmania 7 March 1990 Norm Sanders   Democrats Robert Bell   Democrats Resignation
New South Wales 4 April 1989 Arthur Gietzelt   Labor John Faulkner   Labor Resignation
New South Wales 21 July 1988 Robert Wood   NDP Irina Dunn   NDP Election declared void
Australian Capital Territory 16 February 1988 Susan Ryan   Labor Bob McMullan   Labor Resignation

34th Parliament (1985–1987)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
New South Wales 11 February 1987 Doug McClelland   Labor Sue West   Labor Resignation
Victoria 26 August 1986 Don Chipp   Democrats Janet Powell   Democrats Resignation
Victoria 7 May 1986 Alan Missen   Liberal Richard Alston   Liberal Death
Tasmania 13 March 1986 Peter Rae   Liberal Jocelyn Newman   Liberal Resignation

33rd Parliament (1983–1985)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Queensland 22 November 1984 Kathy Martin   Liberal Warwick Parer   Liberal Resignation

32nd Parliament (1981–1983)
No appointments made

31st Parliament (1978–1981)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Australian Capital Territory 5 May 1981 John Knight   Liberal Margaret Reid   Liberal Death
Queensland* 12 March 1981 Glen Sheil   NCP Florence Bjelke-Petersen   NCP Resignation
Western Australia* 11 March 1981 Allan Rocher   Liberal John Martyr   Liberal Resignation
Tasmania 15 October 1980 Ken Wriedt   Labor Jean Hearn   Labor Resignation
Victoria 11 March 1980 James Webster   NCP Laurence Neal   NCP Resignation
New South Wales 9 August 1978 Jim McClelland   Labor Kerry Sibraa   Labor Resignation
New South Wales 26 July 1978 Bob Cotton   Liberal Chris Puplick   Liberal Resignation

30th Parliament (1975–1978)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia* 14 December 1977 Steele Hall   Liberal† Janine Haines   Democrats Resignation
Victoria 7 December 1976 Ivor Greenwood   Liberal Austin Lewis   Liberal Death

29th Parliament (1974–1975)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Queensland 3 September 1975 Bertie Milliner   Labor Albert Field   Independent Death
New South Wales 27 February 1975 Lionel Murphy   Labor Cleaver Bunton   Independent Resignation

27th/28th Parliament (1971–1974)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Western Australia 16 January 1974 Edgar Prowse   Country David Reid   Country Resignation

26th Parliament (1968–1971)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Queensland* 11 June 1971 Annabelle Rankin   Liberal Neville Bonner   Liberal Resignation
New South Wales* 16 March 1971 James Ormonde   Labor Jim McClelland   Labor Death
New South Wales 6 August 1970 Colin McKellar   Country Douglas Scott   Country Death
Victoria 19 November 1969 Sam Cohen   Labor Bill Brown   Labor Death
South Australia 23 May 1969 Keith Laught   Liberal Martin Cameron   Liberal Death

25th Parliament (1965–1968)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria* 21 February 1968 John Gorton   Liberal Ivor Greenwood   Liberal Resignation
South Australia 2 November 1967 Clive Hannaford   Independent† Condor Laucke   Liberal Death
Victoria 26 October 1966 Charles Sandford   Labor Arthur Poyser   Labor Death
Queensland 14 April 1966 Bob Sherrington   Liberal Bill Heatley   Liberal Death
Western Australia 17 February 1966 Shane Paltridge   Liberal Reg Withers   Liberal Death
New South Wales 4 August 1965 Bill Spooner   Liberal Bob Cotton   Liberal Resignation

24th Parliament (1962–1965)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria* 9 December 1964 Harrie Wade   Country James Webster   Country Death
Western Australia 26 November 1964 Seddon Vincent   Liberal Peter Sim   Liberal Death
Queensland 9 October 1962 Max Poulter   Labor George Whiteside   Labor Death

23rd Parliament (1959–1962)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia* 8 February 1962 Nancy Buttfield   Liberal Gordon Davidson   Liberal Resignation
South Australia 28 September 1961 Rex Pearson   Liberal Gordon Davidson   Liberal Death

22nd Parliament (1956–1959)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Western Australia 12 August 1958 Harrie Seward   Country Tom Drake-Brockman   Country Death
New South Wales 30 July 1958 Bill Ashley   Labor James Ormonde   Labor Death
Victoria 6 June 1957 Jack Devlin   Labor Charles Sandford   Labor Death
Victoria 28 August 1956 John Spicer   Liberal George Hannan   Liberal Resignation

21st Parliament (1953–1956)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia 11 October 1955 George McLeay   Liberal Nancy Buttfield   Liberal Death

20th Parliament (1951–1953)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Tasmania 3 March 1953 Jack Chamberlain   Liberal John Marriott   Liberal Death
Western Australia 30 September 1952 Edmund Piesse   Country Bill Robinson   Country Death (suicide)
Western Australia 7 February 1952 Richard Nash   Labor Joe Cooke   Labor Death

19th Parliament (1950–1951)
No appointments made

18th Parliament (1947–1950)
No appointments made

17th Parliament (1944–1947)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria 15 May 1946 Richard Keane   Labor Alexander Fraser   Country Death
South Australia 10 October 1944 Oliver Uppill   United Australia Ted Mattner   United Australia Resignation

16th Parliament (1941–1944)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Western Australia 8 October 1942 Bertie Johnston   Country Charles Latham   Country Death (suicide)

15th Parliament (1938–1941)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria 12 July 1938 John Barnes   Labor Jim Sheehan   Labor Death

14th Parliament (1935–1938)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia 21 October 1937 Oliver Badman   Country Philip McBride   UAP Resignation
Queensland 2 September 1937 John MacDonald   Labor Ben Courtice   Labor Death
Western Australia 19 August 1936 William Carroll   Country Thomas Marwick   Country Death
New South Wales 26 September 1935 Lionel Courtenay   UAP James Arkins   UAP Death

13th Parliament (1932–1935)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Western Australia 6 April 1933 Hal Colebatch   UAP Herbert Collett   UAP Resignation

11th/12th Parliament (1929–1932)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Tasmania* 3 March 1932 James Ogden   UAP Charles Grant   UAP Death
New South Wales* 23 December 1931 Walter Duncan   UAP Patrick Mooney   Labor (NSW) Resignation
Victoria 12 May 1931 Harold Elliott   UAP Tom Brennan   UAP Death (suicide)
South Australia 1 April 1931 John Chapman   Country Harry Kneebone   Labor Death

10th Parliament (1926–1929)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria* 18 December 1928 David Andrew   Country Richard Abbott   Country Death
Queensland 1 August 1928 Thomas Givens   Nationalist John MacDonald   Labor Death
New South Wales 5 June 1928 John Grant   Labor Albert Gardiner   Labor Death
South Australia 18 April 1928 Henry Barwell   Nationalist Albert Robinson   Nationalist Resignation
South Australia 30 August 1927 Charles McHugh   Labor John Verran   Nationalist Death

9th Parliament (1923–1926)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia* 24 February 1926 Benjamin Benny   Nationalist Alexander McLachlan   Nationalist Resignation
South Australia* 18 December 1925 James O'Loghlin   Labor Henry Barwell   Nationalist Death
Victoria 25 August 1925 Edward Russell   Nationalist William Plain   Nationalist Death
Tasmania 29 July 1925 George Foster   Nationalist Charles Grant   Nationalist Resignation
New South Wales 1 April 1925 Jack Power   Labor William Gibbs   Labor Death
New South Wales 20 November 1924 Allan McDougall   Labor Jack Power   Labor Death
Victoria 22 July 1924 Stephen Barker   Labor Joseph Hannan   Labor Death
New South Wales 17 October 1923 Edward Millen   Nationalist Walter Massy-Greene   Nationalist Death
Tasmania 12 September 1923 Thomas Bakhap   Nationalist John Hayes   Nationalist Death

8th Parliament (1920–1923)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Queensland 26 May 1922 John Adamson   Nationalist John MacDonald   Labor Death
New South Wales 15 December 1921 Herbert Pratten   Nationalist Henry Garling   Nationalist Resignation
South Australia 16 February 1921 Robert Guthrie   Nationalist Edward Vardon   Nationalist Death

7th Parliament (1917–1920)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Tasmania 15 January 1919 James Long   Labor Edward Mulcahy   Nationalist Resignation

6th Parliament (1914–1917)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia* 24 May 1917 William Story   Nationalist James Rowell   Nationalist Resignation
Tasmania 1 March 1917 Rudolph Ready   Labor John Earle   Nationalist Resignation

5th Parliament (1913–1914)
No appointments made

4th Parliament (1910–1913)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia 31 July 1912 William Russell   Labor John Shannon   Liberal Death

3rd Parliament (1907–1910)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia 11 July 1907 Joseph Vardon   Anti-Socialist James O'Loghlin   Labor Election declared void

2nd Parliament (1904–1906)
No appointments made

1st Parliament (1901–1903)
State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
New South Wales 8 October 1903 Richard O'Connor   Protectionist Charles Mackellar   Protectionist Resignation
Western Australia 20 May 1903 Norman Ewing   Free Trade Henry Saunders   Free Trade Resignation
Victoria 21 January 1903 Frederick Sargood   Free Trade Robert Reid   Free Trade Death

References

See also