Australian Timeline

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1901

This is a list of the members of the Australian Senate in the First Australian Parliament, which was elected on 29 March 1901. There were 36 senators in this initial parliament. Terms were deemed to start on 1 January 1901. In accordance with section 13 of the Constitution, the Senate resolved that in each State the three senators who received the most votes would sit for a six-year term, finishing on 31 December 1906 while the other half would sit for a three-year term, finishing on 31 December 1903.[4] The process for filing of casual vacancies was complex, with an initial appointment followed by an election. The status of political parties varied, being national, State based, and informal.

Senator Party State Term ending Years in Office
Sir Richard Baker   Free Trade South Australia 1906 1901–1906
John Barrett   Labour Victoria 1903 1901–1903
Hon. Robert Best   Protectionist Victoria 1903 1901–1910
Cyril Cameron   Protectionist Tasmania 1903 1901–1903, 1907–1913
Hon. David Charleston   Free Trade South Australia 1903 1901–1903
John Clemons   Free Trade Tasmania 1906 1901–1914
Hon. Anderson Dawson   Labour Queensland 1906 1901–1906
Hugh de Largie   Labour Western Australia 1903 1901–1923
Hon. Henry Dobson   Free Trade Tasmania 1903 1901–1910
Sir John Downer   Protectionist South Australia 1903 1901–1903
Hon. James Drake   Protectionist Queensland 1906 1901–1906
Norman Ewing [e]   Free Trade Western Australia 1903 1901–1903
John Ferguson   Free Trade Queensland 1903 1901–1903
Hon. Simon Fraser   Protectionist Victoria 1906 1901–1913
Thomas Glassey   Protectionist Queensland 1903 1901–1903
Hon. Albert Gould   Free Trade New South Wales 1906 1901–1917
Edward Harney   Free Trade Western Australia 1903 1901–1903
William Higgs   Labour Queensland 1906 1901–1906
John Keating   Protectionist Tasmania 1906 1901–1923
James Macfarlane   Free Trade Tasmania 1903 1901–1910
Gregor McGregor   Protectionist/Labour [f] South Australia 1903 1901–1914
Dr Charles Mackellar [g]   Protectionist New South Wales 1903 [a] 1903
Sir Alexander Matheson   Free Trade Western Australia 1906 1901–1906
Edward Millen   Free Trade New South Wales 1906 1901–1923
John Neild   Free Trade New South Wales 1903 1901–1910
Hon. Richard O'Connor [g]   Protectionist New South Wales 1903 1901–1903
David O'Keefe   Protectionist/Labour [f] Tasmania 1906 1901–1906, 1910–1920
George Pearce   Labour Western Australia 1906 1901–1938
Hon. Thomas Playford   Protectionist South Australia 1906 1901–1906
Edward Pulsford   Free Trade New South Wales 1903 1901–1910
Robert Reid [h]   Free Trade Victoria 1903 [a] 1903
Hon. Sir Frederick Sargood [h]   Free Trade Victoria 1903 1901–1903
Henry Saunders [e]   Free Trade Western Australia 1903 [a] 1903
Staniforth Smith   Free Trade Western Australia 1906 1901–1906
James Stewart   Labour Queensland 1903 1901–1917
James Styles   Protectionist Victoria 1906 1901–1906
Hon. Sir Josiah Symon   Free Trade South Australia 1906 1901–1913
James Walker   Free Trade New South Wales 1906 1901–1913
Hon. Sir William Zeal   Protectionist Victoria 1906 1901–1906

  1.  Appointments to a casual vacancy only held office until the earlier of the next election for the House of Representatives or the Senate.[5]
  2. Jump up^ The Free Trade Party, then known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, was the only national political party at the 1901 election.
  3. Jump up^ There was no national Labour Party organisation at the time of the 1901 election. Members categorised as "Labour" were endorsed by their various state Labour parties.
  4. Jump up^ There was no national Protectionist party organisation at the time of the 1901 election. Members categorised as "Protectionist" were those who accepted the leadership of Edmund Barton.
  5. ^ Jump up to:a b Western Australian Free Trade Senator Norman Ewing resigned on 17 April 1903. Henry Saunders was appointed as his replacement on 20 May.
  6. ^ Jump up to:a b Joined the Labour Caucus immediately after the election.[2]
  7. ^ Jump up to:a b New South Wales Protectionist Senator Richard O'Connor resigned on 27 September 1903, to take up a position as a Justice of the new High Court of Australia. Dr Charles Mackellar was appointed as his replacement on 8 October.
  8. ^ Jump up to:a b Victorian Free Trade Senator Frederick Sargood died on 2 January 1903. Robert Reid was appointed as his replacement on 21 January.