List of people who have served in both Houses of the Australian Parliament

This is a list of Members of the Australian Parliament who have served in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Section 43 of the Constitution of Australia says: "A member of either House of the Parliament shall be incapable of being chosen or of sitting as a member of the other House".

Consequently, a member of one house who wishes to transfer to the other house must resign from the first house before the election or appointment to the other house. A person may simultaneously stand for election to both houses, and if successful in both bids, must choose which house he or she will be a member of. No person has ever successfully stood for election to both houses at the same time.

The following list comprises 41 men and 4 women. Of these:

The first person to have been a member of both Houses was James McColl (Victoria), on 1 January 1907. All the other states and territories are represented in the list, the first person from each being:

The first woman to have been a member of both Houses was Kathy Sullivan (Qld), on 1 December 1984.

Only 2 people have gone from one House to another and later returned to the first House:

No member of this list has yet served the Parliament for an aggregate period of 30 years or more. The longest-serving person who has been a member of both Houses was Grant Chapman, who was in the Senate for 20 years 356 days, and in the House of Representatives for 7 years 83 days, a total of 28 years 74 days. The shortest-serving was Thomas Marwick (1 year 65 days in the Senate; 2 years 244 days in the House of Representatives; a total of 3 years 309 days).

In the present Parliament, two senators (David Fawcett and Michael Ronaldson) were previously members of the House of Representatives, and one member of the House of Representatives (Bronwyn Bishop) was previously a senator.

No person has ever represented one state or territory in one House and a different state or territory in the other House, although various attempts have been made. Incidentally, no person has ever represented more than one state or territory in the Senate; but there are a number of members who represented different states or territories in the House of Representatives during their career.

List of people who have served in both houses

Name Senate House of Representatives
From To State/
Territory		 From To Electorate
Percy Abbott 14 November 1925 30 June 1929[1] NSW 31 May 1913 3 November 1919[2] New England, NSW
Oliver Badman 1 July 1932 30 September 1937[3] SA 23 October 1937 21 August 1943[1] Grey, SA
Michael Baume 1 July 1985 9 September 1996[3] NSW 13 December 1975 5 March 1983[1] Macarthur, NSW
Sir Robert Best 29 March 1901[1] 30 June 1910 VIC 24 August 1910[4] 16 December 1922[1] Kooyong, Vic
Bronwyn Bishop 11 July 1987 24 February 1994[3] NSW 26 March 1994[4] currently serving Mackellar, NSW
Fred Chaney 18 May 1974 27 February 1990[3] WA 24 March 1990 8 February 1993[2] Pearce, WA
Grant Chapman 11 July 1987 30 June 2008[1] SA 13 December 1975 5 March 1983[1] Kingston, SA
Don Chipp 1 July 1978 18 August 1986[3] VIC 10 December 1960[4]
25 October 1969		 24 October 1969[5]
10 November 1977[2]		 Higinbotham, Vic
Hotham, Vic
John Coates 1 July 1981 20 August 1996[3] TAS 2 December 1972 13 December 1975[1] Denison, Tas
Adam Dein 1 July 1935 30 June 1941[1] NSW 19 December 1931 7 August 1934[2] Lang, NSW
Jack Duncan-Hughes 19 December 1931 30 June 1938[2] SA 16 December 1922
21 September 1940		 17 November 1928[1]
21 August 1943[1]		 Boothby, SA
Wakefield, SA
Gareth Evans 1 July 1978 6 February 1996[3] VIC 2 March 1996 30 September 1999[3] Holt, Vic
George Fairbairn 1 July 1917 30 June 1923[2] VIC 12 December 1906 31 May 1913[1] Fawkner, Vic
David Fawcett 1 July 2011 currently serving SA 9 October 2004 24 November 2007[1] Wakefield, SA
Joe Fitzgerald 1 July 1962 11 April 1974[2][6] NSW 10 December 1949 10 December 1955[1] Phillip, NSW
William Gibson 1 July 1935 30 June 1947[2] VIC 14 December 1918[4]
19 December 1931		 12 October 1929[1]
7 August 1934[2]		 Corangamite, Vic
John Gorton 22 February 1950 1 February 1968[3] VIC 24 February 1968[4] 11 November 1975[2] Higgins, Vic
Allan Guy 22 February 1950 30 June 1956[1] TAS 12 October 1929
21 September 1940		 15 September 1934[1]
28 September 1946[1]		 Bass, Tas
Wilmot, Tas
Steele Hall 18 May 1974 16 November 1977[3] SA 21 February 1981[4] 29 January 1996[2] Boothby, SA
David Hamer 1 July 1978 30 June 1990[2] VIC 25 October 1969
13 December 1975		 18 May 1974[1]
10 November 1977[2]		 Isaacs, Vic
Joseph Hannan 22 July 1924[7] 13 November 1925[1] VIC 31 May 1913 5 May 1917[1] Fawkner, Vic
William Higgs 30 March 1901 31 December 1906[1] QLD 13 April 1910 16 December 1922[1] Capricornia, Qld
Don Jessop 1 July 1971 5 June 1987[1] SA 26 November 1966 25 October 1969[1] Grey, SA
Richard Keane 1 July 1938 26 April 1946[8] VIC 12 October 1929 19 December 1931[1] Bendigo, Vic
Cheryl Kernot 1 July 1990 15 October 1997[3] QLD 3 October 1998 10 November 2001[1] Dickson, Qld
John Leckie 1 July 1935 30 June 1947[1] VIC 5 May 1917 13 December 1919[1] Indi, Vic
Sir Philip McBride 21 October 1937[7] 30 June 1944[1] SA 19 December 1931
28 September 1946		 21 September 1937[2]
14 October 1958[2]		 Grey, SA
Wakefield, SA
James McColl 1 January 1907 5 September 1914[1][6] VIC 29 March 1901 5 November 1906[2] Echuca, Vic
Bob McMullan 16 February 1988[7] 6 February 1996[3] ACT 2 March 1996 2 October 1998[5] Canberra, ACT
3 October 1998 19 July 2010[2] Fraser, ACT
John Martyr 11 March 1981[7] 4 February 1983[1] WA 13 December 1975 18 October 1980[1] Swan, WA
Thomas Marwick 19 August 1936[7] 22 October 1937[1] WA 21 December 1940[4] 21 August 1943[1] Swan, WA
Sir Walter Massy-Greene 17 October 1923[7]
1 July 1926		 13 November 1925[9]
30 June 1938[2]		 NSW 13 April 1910 16 December 1922[1] Richmond, NSW
Belinda Neal 8 March 1994[7] 3 September 1998[3] NSW 24 November 2007 19 July 2010[2] Robertson, NSW
David O'Keefe 29 March 1901
1 July 1910		 31 December 1906[1]
30 June 1920[1]		 TAS 16 December 1922 14 November 1925[1] Denison, Tas
Herbert Pratten 1 July 1917 23 November 1921[3] NSW 10 December 1921[4]
16 December 1922		 15 December 1922[5]
7 May 1928[8]		 Martin, NSW
Parramatta, NSW
George Rankin 22 February 1950 30 June 1956[2] VIC 23 October 1937 31 October 1949[2] Bendigo, Vic
Allan Rocher 1 July 1978 10 February 1981[3] WA 21 February 1981[4] 3 October 1998[1] Curtin, WA
Michael Ronaldson 1 July 2005 currently serving VIC 24 March 1990 8 October 2001[2] Ballarat, Vic
Jim Short 1 December 1984 12 May 1997[3] VIC 13 December 1975 18 October 1980[1] Ballarat, Vic
William Story 1 January 1904 3 April 1917[3] SA 5 May 1917 16 December 1922[1] Boothby, SA
Kathy Sullivan[10] 18 May 1974 5 November 1984[3] QLD 1 December 1984 8 October 2001[2] Moncrieff, Qld
Grant Tambling 11 July 1987 9 November 2001[2] NT 18 October 1980 5 March 1983[1] Northern Territory, NT
Josiah Thomas 1 July 1917
14 November 1925		 30 June 1923[1]
30 June 1929[1]		 NSW 29 March 1901 26 March 1917[2] Barrier, NSW
Sir Keith Wilson 1 July 1938 30 June 1944[1] SA 10 December 1949
10 December 1955		 29 May 1954[1]
31 October 1966[2]		 Sturt, SA
Bob Woods 8 March 1994[7] 7 March 1997[3] NSW 11 July 1987 13 March 1993[1] Lowe, NSW

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av Defeated
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Retired
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Resigned
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i By-election
  5. ^ a b c Changed seats
  6. ^ a b Double dissolution
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Appointed to fill a casual vacancy
  8. ^ a b Died
  9. ^ Term expired
  10. ^ Initially known as Kathy Martin, then as Kathy Martin Sullivan, later as Kathy Sullivan.

Sources