Australian Timeline

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1959

This is a list of members of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1958 to 1961. At this time the Council was not directly elected, but was chosen by a joint sitting of the New South Wales Parliament.

Name Party Years in office
Harold Ahern Liberal 1949–1973
Alexander Armstrong Country 1952–1969
George Bassett Country 1932–1964
Colin Begg Liberal 1955–1964
Arthur Bridges Liberal 1946–1968
Harry Budd Country 1946–1978
Cedric Cahill ALP 1954–1973
Cyril Cahill ALP/Independent Labor 5 1949–1977
John Carter Country 1955–1968
Hector Clayton Independent 1937–1973
Donald Cochrane ALP/Independent Labor 5 1950–1964
Harry Cockerill 2 ALP 1959–1973
Col Colborne ALP 1949–1973
William Coulter ALP 1947–1978
Chris Dalton ALP 1943–1970
Robert Day ALP 1953–1967
William Dickson ALP 1925–1934, 1940–1966
Tom Dougherty ALP 1957–1961
Reg Downing ALP 1940–1972
Robert Erskine ALP 1949–1973
Stanley Eskell Liberal 1958–1978
Otway Falkiner Country 1946–1978
Herbert FitzSimons Liberal/Country 4 1955–1970
Harry Gardiner 7 Independent Labor 1960–1974
Thomas Gleeson ALP/Independent Labor 5 1946–1975
Patrick Grace ALP/Independent Labor 5 1952–1964
James Graves ALP 1934–1961
Charles Hackett ALP/Independent Labor 5 1943–1964
Herbert Henley Country 1937–1964
Frederick Hewitt Liberal 1955–1976
Reginald Jackson ALP 1950–1969
Asher Joel Independent/Country 4 1958–1978
Jim Kenny ALP 1948–1967
John Kenny ALP/Independent Labor 5 1955–1970
Robert King 6 ALP 1931–1960
Christopher Love ALP 1955–1970
Robert Mahony 8 ALP 1921–1961
Jim Maloney ALP 1941–1972
Gertrude Melville 3 ALP 1952–1959
William Murray ALP 1952–1976
George Neilly 1 ALP 1954–1959
Ernest O'Dea ALP 1943–1967
John Paterson Liberal 1958–1970
William Peters 1 ALP 1959–1978
Thomas Playfair Liberal 1927–1966
Graham Pratten Liberal/Country 4 1937–1976
Anne Press 3 ALP/Independent Labor 5 1959–1978
Michael Quinn 6 Independent Labor 1960–1965
Edna Roper ALP 1958–1978
Gerald Rygate 6 ALP/Independent Labor 5 1952–1960
Leicester Saddington Liberal 1952–1962
Robert Savage 2 ALP 1931–1934, 1943–1959
Leon Snider Liberal/Country 4 1943–1965
Lloyd Sommerlad Country 1955–1967
Frank Spicer Country 1925–1973
Thomas Steele Country 1934–1961
Gavin Sutherland ALP 1956–1970
Norman Thom ALP 1950–1978
Henry Thompson Liberal 1940–1964
William Walmsley Country 1952–1964
Sir Edward Warren Liberal 1955–1978
John Weir ALP 1949–1973
Samuel Williams ALP 1943–1962
Robert Wilson Country 1949–1961
Ernest Gerard Wright ALP 1943–1973
1 Labor MLC George Neilly resigned on 16 February 1959. Labor candidate William Peters was elected to replace him on 19 May 1959.
2 Labor MLC Robert Savage died on 2 July 1959. Labor candidate Harry Cockerill was elected to replace him on 10 September 1959.
3 Labor MLC Gertrude Melville died on 21 August 1959. Labor candidate Anne Press was elected to replace her on 22 October 1959.
4 On 30 September 1959, Liberal MLCs Herbert FitzSimons, Graham Pratten and Leon Snider, together with independent MLC Asher Joel, joined the Country Party, citing its uncompromising opposition to abolition of the Legislative Council.
5 In December 1959, Labor MLCs Cyril Cahill, Donald Cochrane, Thomas Gleeson, Patrick Grace, Charles Hackett, John Kenny, Anne Press and Gerald Rygatewere expelled from the party for voting against the abolition of the Legislative Council. They constituted themselves, at first informally, as the Independent Labor Group.
6 Labor MLC Robert King died on 27 February 1960. Labor candidate Michael Quinn was elected to replace him on 29 March 1960, whereupon he immediately resigned from the Labor Party to join the Independent Labor Group.
7 Independent Labor MLC Gerald Rygate died on 8 June 1960. Independent Labor candidate Harry Gardiner was elected to replace him on 15 September 1960.
8 Labor MLC Robert Mahony died on 8 February 1961. A by-election was not held this term, so the vacancy carried over to the next parliament.