Members of the Australian Senate, 1978–1981

This is a list of members of the Australian Senate from 1 July 1978 to 30 June 1981.^[1] Half of the state senators were elected at the December 1975 election and had terms due to finish on 30 June 1981; the other half of the state senators were elected at the December 1977 election and had terms due to finish on 30 June 1984. The territory senators were elected at the December 1977 election and their terms ended at the dissolution of the House of Representatives, which was October 1980.

Senator	Party		State	Term ending	Years in office
Brian Archer		Liberal	Tasmania	1984	1975–1994
Peter Baume		Liberal	New South Wales	1984	1974–1991
Reg Bishop		Labor	South Australia	1981	1961–1981
Florence Bjelke-Petersen [a]		National Country	Queensland	1981	1981–1993
Neville Bonner		Liberal	Queensland	1981	1971–1983
John Button		Labor	Victoria	1984	1974–1993
John Carrick		Liberal	New South Wales	1981	1970–1987
Jim Cavanagh		Labor	South Australia	1981	1961–1981
Fred Chaney		Liberal	Western Australia	1984	1974–1990
Don Chipp		Democrats	Victoria	1984	1977–1986
Ruth Coleman		Labor	Western Australia	1984	1974–1987
Stan Collard		National Country	Queensland	1984	1975–1987
Mal Colston		Labor	Queensland	1984	1975–1999
Bob Cotton [b]		Liberal	New South Wales	1981	1965–1978
Gordon Davidson		Liberal	South Australia	1981	1961, 1962, 1965–1981
Peter Durack		Liberal	Western Australia	1981	1970–1993
Ron Elstob		Labor	South Australia	1984	1978–1987
Gareth Evans		Labor	Victoria	1984	1977–1996
George Georges		Labor	Queensland	1984	1967–1987
Arthur Gietzelt		Labor	New South Wales	1984	1970–1989
Don Grimes		Labor	Tasmania	1984	1974–1987
Margaret Guilfoyle		Liberal	Victoria	1981	1970–1987
David Hamer		Liberal	Victoria	1984	1978–1990
Brian Harradine		Independent	Tasmania	1981	1975–2005
Jean Hearn [c]		Labor	Tasmania	1981	1980–1985
Don Jessop		Liberal	South Australia	1981	1970–1991
Jim Keeffe		Labor	Queensland	1981	1964–1983
Bernie Kilgariff		Country Liberal	Northern Territory	1980, 1983 [d]	1975–1987
John Knight [e]		Liberal	Australian Capital Territory	1980 [d]	1975–1981
Misha Lajovic		Liberal	New South Wales	1984	1975–1985
Sir Condor Laucke		Liberal	South Australia	1981	1967–1981
Austin Lewis		Liberal	Victoria	1981	1976–1993
David MacGibbon		Liberal	Queensland	1984	1978–1999
Kathy Martin		Liberal	Queensland	1984	1974–1984
John Martyr [f]		Liberal	Western Australia	1984	1981–1983
Colin Mason		Democrats	New South Wales	1984	1978–1987
Ron Maunsell		National Country	Queensland	1981	1967–1981
Ron McAuliffe		Labor	Queensland	1981	1970–1981
Doug McClelland		Labor	New South Wales	1981	1961–1987
Jim McClelland [g]		Labor	New South Wales	1981	1970–1978
Gordon McIntosh		Labor	Western Australia	1981	1974–1987
Geoff McLaren		Labor	South Australia	1984	1970–1983
Jean Melzer		Labor	Victoria	1981	1974–1981
Tony Messner		Liberal	South Australia	1984	1975–1990
Alan Missen		Liberal	Victoria	1984	1974–1986
Tony Mulvihill		Labor	New South Wales	1984	1964–1983
Laurence Neal [h]		National Country	Victoria	1981	1980–1981
Justin O'Byrne [i]		Labor	Tasmania	1981	1947–1981
Cyril Primmer		Labor	Victoria	1981	1971–1985
Chris Puplick [b]		Liberal	New South Wales	1981	1978–1981, 1984–1990
Peter Rae		Liberal	Tasmania	1981	1967–1986
Margaret Reid [e]		Liberal	Australian Capital Territory	1980, 1983 [d]	1981–2003
Ted Robertson		Labor	Northern Territory	1980, 1983 [d]	1975–1987
Allan Rocher [f]		Liberal	Western Australia	1984	1978–1981
Susan Ryan		Labor	Australian Capital Territory	1980, 1983 [d]	1975–1988
Douglas Scott		National Country	New South Wales	1981	1970, 1974–1985
Glen Sheil [a]		National Country	Queensland	1981	1974–1981
Kerry Sibraa [g]		Labor	New South Wales	1981	1975–1978, 1978–1994
Peter Sim		Liberal	Western Australia	1981	1964–1981
Michael Tate		Labor	Tasmania	1984	1977–1993
Baden Teague		Liberal	South Australia	1984	1977–1996
Andrew Thomas		Liberal	Western Australia	1984	1975–1983
Michael Townley		Liberal	Tasmania	1981	1970–1987
Peter Walsh		Labor	Western Australia	1984	1974–1993
Shirley Walters		Liberal	Tasmania	1984	1975–1993
John Watson		Liberal	Tasmania	1984	1978–2008
James Webster [h]		National Country	Victoria	1981	1964–1980
John Wheeldon		Labor	Western Australia	1981	1964–1981
Rt. Reg Withers		Liberal	Western Australia	1981	1966, 1967–1987
Ken Wriedt [c]		Labor	Tasmania	1981	1964–1980
Harold Young		Liberal	South Australia	1984	1968–1981

Senate composition at 1 July 1978
Government (34) – (1 seat majority)
Coalition
  Liberal (27)
  Country Party (6)
  Country Liberal (1)

Opposition (27)
  Labor (27)

Crossbench (3)
  Democrats (2)
  Independent (1)
 

Notes

1. Queensland NCP Senator Glen Sheil resigned in early 1981. Florence Bjelke-Petersen was appointed as his replacement on 12 March for a term ending 30 June 1981.
2. New South Wales Liberal Senator Bob Cotton resigned on 13 July 1978. Chris Puplick was appointed as his replacement on 26 July for a term ending 30 June 1981.
3. Tasmanian Labor Senator Ken Wriedt resigned on 25 September 1980 in order to contest the Australian House of Representatives seat of Denison at the 1980 election. Jean Hearn was appointed as his replacement on 15 October for a term ending 30 June 1981.
4. The term of a territory senator ends at the dissolution of the House of Representatives, which was October 1980.
5. Australian Capital Territory Liberal Senator John Knight died on 4 March 1981. Margaret Reid was appointed as his replacement on 5 May for a term ending at the October 1980 election.
6. Western Australian Liberal Senator Allan Rocher resigned in early 1981 to contest the 1981 Curtin by-election. John Martyr was appointed as his replacement on 11 March for a term ending 30 June 1984.
7. New South Wales Labor Senator Jim McClelland resigned on 21 July 1978. Kerry Sibraa was appointed as his replacement on 9 August for a term ending 30 June 1981.
8. Victorian National Party Senator James Webster resigned on 21 January 1980. Laurence Neal was appointed as his replacement on 11 March for a term ending 30 June 1981.
9. Father of the Senate

References

1. "The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate 1978". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 25 March 2017.