Members of the Australian Senate, 1983–1985

This is a list of members of the Australian Senate from 1983 to 1985.^[1] It consisted of ten senators for each of the six states of Australia and two senators representing each of the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. All members were elected at the 1983 election following a double dissolution of both houses of parliament, rather than the normal case of only half of the state senators facing election.

Senate composition at 1 July 1983
Government (30)
  Labor (30) - (3 seat minority)

Opposition (28)
  Liberal (23)
  National Party (4)
  Country Liberal (1)

Crossbench (6)
  Democrats (5)
  Independent (Harradine) (1)
 

In accordance with section 13 of the Constitution, following a double dissolution of Parliament, the terms for senators commence on 1 July preceding the election – i.e., on 1 July 1982. The first five senators elected in each state were allocated the full six-year terms ending on 30 June 1988 while the other half were allocated three-year terms ending on 30 June 1985.^[2] Senators took their seats immediately following the election on 5 March 1983. The four territory senators were elected in March 1983 and their terms ended at the dissolution of the House of Representatives, which was December 1984.

Senator	Party		State	Term ending	Years in office
Brian Archer		Liberal	Tasmania	1985	1975–1994
Peter Baume		Liberal	New South Wales	1988	1974–1991
Florence Bjelke-Petersen		National	Queensland	1988	1980–1993
Nick Bolkus		Labor	South Australia	1985	1981–2005
Ron Boswell		National	Queensland	1985	1983–2014
John Button		Labor	Victoria	1988	1974–1993
Sir John Carrick		Liberal	New South Wales	1988	1970–1987
Fred Chaney		Liberal	Western Australia	1988	1974–1990
Bruce Childs		Labor	New South Wales	1985	1980–1997
Don Chipp		Democrats	Victoria	1988	1977–1986
John Coates		Labor	Tasmania	1985	1980–1996
Ruth Coleman		Labor	Western Australia	1988	1974–1987
Stan Collard		National	Queensland	1988	1975–1987
Mal Colston		Labor	Queensland	1988	1975–1999
Peter Cook		Labor	Western Australia	1985	1983–2005
Noel Crichton-Browne		Liberal	Western Australia	1985	1980–1996
Rosemary Crowley		Labor	South Australia	1985	1983–2002
Peter Durack		Liberal	Western Australia	1988	1970–1993
Ron Elstob		Labor	South Australia	1988	1977–1987
Gareth Evans		Labor	Victoria	1988	1977–1996
Jack Evans		Democrats	Western Australia	1985	1983–1985
Dominic Foreman		Labor	South Australia	1988	1980–1997
George Georges		Labor	Queensland	1988	1967–1987
Arthur Gietzelt		Labor	New South Wales	1988	1970–1989
Patricia Giles		Labor	Western Australia	1985	1980–1993
Don Grimes		Labor	Tasmania	1988	1974–1987
Dame Margaret Guilfoyle		Liberal	Victoria	1988	1970–1987
Janine Haines		Democrats	South Australia	1988	1977–1978, 1980–1990
David Hamer		Liberal	Victoria	1985	1977–1990
Brian Harradine		Independent	Tasmania	1988	1975–2005
Jean Hearn		Labor	Tasmania	1985	1980–1985
Robert Hill		Liberal	South Australia	1988	1981–2006
Don Jessop		Liberal	South Australia	1985	1970–1991
Gerry Jones		Labor	Queensland	1985	1980–1996
Bernie Kilgariff		Country Liberal	Northern Territory	1984, 1987 [a]	1975–1987
Misha Lajovic		Liberal	New South Wales	1985	1975–1985
Austin Lewis		Liberal	Victoria	1988	1976–1993
David MacGibbon		Liberal	Queensland	1985	1977–1999
Michael Macklin		Democrats	Queensland	1985	1980–1990
Graham Maguire		Labor	South Australia	1985	1983–1993
Kathy Martin [b]		Liberal	Queensland	1988	1974–1984
Colin Mason		Democrats	New South Wales	1985	1977–1987
Doug McClelland [c]		Labor	New South Wales	1988	1961–1987
Gordon McIntosh		Labor	Western Australia	1988	1974–1987
Tony Messner		Liberal	South Australia	1988	1975–1990
Alan Missen		Liberal	Victoria	1985	1974–1986
Warwick Parer [b]		Liberal	Queensland	1988	1984–1999
Cyril Primmer		Labor	Victoria	1985	1971–1985
Peter Rae		Liberal	Tasmania	1988	1967–1986
Robert Ray		Labor	Victoria	1985	1981–2008
Margaret Reid		Liberal	Australian Capital Territory	1984, 1987 [a]	1981–2003
Margaret Reynolds		Labor	Queensland	1985	1983–1999
Graham Richardson		Labor	New South Wales	1988	1983–1994
Ted Robertson		Labor	Northern Territory	1984, 1987 [a]	1975–1987
Susan Ryan		Labor	Australian Capital Territory	1984, 1987 [a]	1975–1988
Douglas Scott		National	New South Wales	1985	1970, 1974–1985
Kerry Sibraa		Labor	New South Wales	1985	1975–1978, 1978–1994
Michael Tate		Labor	Tasmania	1988	1977–1993
Baden Teague		Liberal	South Australia	1985	1977–1996
Michael Townley		Liberal	Tasmania	1985	1970–1987
Peter Walsh		Labor	Western Australia	1988	1974–1993
Shirley Walters		Liberal	Tasmania	1988	1975–1993
John Watson		Liberal	Tasmania	1985	1978–2008
Rt. Reg Withers		Liberal	Western Australia	1985	1966, 1967–1987
Olive Zakharov		Labor	Victoria	1985	1983–1995

Notes

1. The term of a territory senator ends at the dissolution of the House of Representatives, which was December 1984.
2. Queensland Liberal Senator Kathy Martin resigned on 5 November 1984. Warwick Parer was appointed as her replacement on 22 November for a term ending 30 June 1988.
3. Father of the Senate

References

1. "The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate 1983". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
2. Don Grimes (22 April 1983). "Rotation of Senators". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: Senate.