Members of the Australian Senate, 1901–1903
Senate composition at March 1901
Protectionist (11)
Labour (8)
Free Trade (17)
This is a list of the members of the Australian Senate in the First Australian Parliament, which was elected on 29 March 1901.[1][2] 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,[3] 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.[a] The status of political parties varied, being national,[b] State based,[c] and informal.[d][i]
George Pearce, who died in 1952, was the last surviving member of the 1901-1903 Senate. Robert Best was the last surviving Protectionist member, and John Clemons was the last surviving Free Trade member.
Senators
Image | Member | Party | State | Term expiry | Term start | Term end | Portfolio | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sir Richard Baker (1842–1911) | Free Trade | South Australia | 31 December 1906 | 30 March 1901 | 31 December 1906 |
| Previously a member of the South Australian Legislative Council. Retired | ||
John Barrett (1858–1928) | Labour | Victoria | 31 December 1903 | 29 March 1901 | 1903 | Previously held the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Carlton South. Lost seat | |||
Protectionist | 1903 | 31 December 1903 | |||||||
Robert Best (1856–1946) | Protectionist | Victoria | 31 December 1903 | 29 March 1901 | 30 June 1910 |
| Previously held the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Fitzroy. Re-elected | ||
Cyril Cameron (1857–1941) | Protectionist | Tasmania | 31 December 1903 | 29 March 1901 | 31 December 1903 | Lost seat. Later re-elected to the Senate in 1906 | |||
David Charleston (1848–1934) | Free Trade | South Australia | 31 December 1903 | 30 March 1901 | 31 December 1903 | Previously a member of the South Australian Legislative Council. Lost seat | |||
John Clemons (1862–1944) | Free Trade | Tasmania | 31 December 1906 | 29 March 1901 | 5 September 1914 |
| Re-elected | ||
Anderson Dawson (1863–1910) | Labour | Queensland | 31 December 1906 | 30 March 1901 | 31 December 1906 | Previously held the Queensland Legislative Assembly seat of Charters Towers. Lost seat | |||
Hugh de Largie (1859–1947) | Labour | Western Australia | 31 December 1903 | 29 March 1901 | 30 June 1923 | Re-elected | |||
Henry Dobson (1841–1918) | Free Trade | Tasmania | 31 December 1903 | 29 March 1901 | 30 June 1910 | Previously held the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Brighton. Re-elected | |||
Sir John Downer (1843–1915) | Protectionist | South Australia | 31 December 1903 | 30 March 1901 | 31 December 1903 | Previously held the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Barossa. Retired. Later elected to the South Australian Legislative Council in 1905 | |||
James Drake (1850–1941) | Protectionist | Queensland | 31 December 1906 | 30 March 1901 | 31 December 1906 |
| Previously a member of the Queensland Legislative Council. Lost preselection and retired | ||
Norman Ewing (1870–1928) | Free Trade | Western Australia | 31 December 1903 | 29 March 1901 | 17 April 1903 [g] | Previously held the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Swan. Resigned to focus on legal practice. Later elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Franklin in 1909 | |||
John Ferguson (1830–1906) | Free Trade | Queensland | 31 December 1903 | 30 March 1901 | 6 October 1903 [j] | Simultaneously a member of the Queensland Legislative Council. Seat made vacant due to prolonged absence without permission. Oldest member of the 1901-1903 Senate | |||
Simon Fraser (1832–1919) | Protectionist | Victoria | 31 December 1906 | 29 March 1901 | 30 June 1913 | Previously a member of the Victorian Legislative Council. Re-elected | |||
Thomas Glassey (1844–1936) | Protectionist | Queensland | 31 December 1903 | 30 March 1901 | 31 December 1903 | Previously held the Queensland Legislative Assembly seat of Bundaberg. Lost seat | |||
Albert Gould (1847–1936) | Free Trade | New South Wales | 31 December 1906 | 29 March 1901 | 30 June 1917 | Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Singleton. Re-elected | |||
Edward Harney (1865–1929) | Free Trade | Western Australia | 31 December 1903 | 29 March 1901 | 31 December 1903 | Retired. Later elected to the British House of Commons seat of South Shields in 1922 | |||
William Higgs (1862–1951) | Labour | Queensland | 31 December 1906 | 30 March 1901 | 31 December 1906 | Previously held the Queensland Legislative Assembly seat of Fortitude Valley. Lost seat. Later elected to the Division of Capricornia in 1910 | |||
John Keating (1872–1940) | Protectionist | Tasmania | 31 December 1906 | 30 March 1901 | 30 June 1923 |
| Re-elected. Youngest member of the 1901-1903 Senate | ||
James Macfarlane (1844–1914) | Free Trade | Tasmania | 31 December 1903 | 29 March 1901 | 30 June 1910 | Re-elected | |||
Charles Mackellar (1844–1926) | Protectionist | New South Wales | 31 December 1903 | 8 October 1903 [h] [a] | 30 November 1903 | Previously a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. Resigned to return to the Legislative Council after deciding not to contest the 1903 federal election | |||
Alexander Matheson (1861–1929) | Free Trade | Western Australia | 31 December 1906 | 29 March 1901 | 31 December 1906 | Previously a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council. Retired | |||
Gregor McGregor (1848–1914) | Labour [e] | South Australia | 31 December 1903 | 30 March 1901 | 13 August 1914 |
| Previously a member of the South Australian Legislative Council. Re-elected | ||
Edward Millen (1860–1923) | Free Trade | New South Wales | 31 December 1906 | 29 March 1901 | 14 September 1923 | Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Bourke. Re-elected | |||
John Neild (1846–1911) | Free Trade | New South Wales | 31 December 1903 | 29 March 1901 | 30 June 1910 | Previously held the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Paddington. Re-elected | |||
Richard O'Connor (1851–1912) | Protectionist | New South Wales | 31 December 1903 | 29 March 1901 | 27 September 1903 [h] |
| Previously a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. Resigned in order to become a Justice of the High Court | ||
David O'Keefe (1864–1943) | Protectionist [e] | Tasmania | 31 December 1906 | 29 March 1901 | May 1901 | Lost seat. Later re-elected to the Senate in 1910 | |||
Labour | May 1901 | 31 December 1906 | |||||||
George Pearce (1870–1952) | Labour | Western Australia | 31 December 1906 | 29 March 1901 | 30 June 1938 | Re-elected. Last surviving member of the 1901-1903 Senate | |||
Thomas Playford II (1837–1915) | Protectionist | South Australia | 31 December 1906 | 30 March 1901 | 31 December 1906 |
| Previously held the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Gumeracha. Lost seat | ||
Edward Pulsford (1844–1919) | Free Trade | New South Wales | 31 December 1903 | 29 March 1901 | 30 June 1910 | Previously a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. Re-elected | |||
Robert Reid (1842–1904) | Free Trade | Victoria | 31 December 1903 | 21 January 1903 [f] [a] | 31 December 1903 | Previously a member of the Victorian Legislative Council. Retired | |||
Sir Frederick Sargood (1834–1903) | Free Trade | Victoria | 31 December 1903 | 29 March 1901 | 2 January 1903 [f] | Previously a member of the Victorian Legislative Council. Died in office | |||
Henry Saunders (1855–1919) | Free Trade | Western Australia | 31 December 1903 | 20 May 1903 [g] [a] | 31 December 1903 | Previously a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council. Lost seat. Later elected to the Legislative Council in 1918 | |||
Staniforth Smith (1869–1934) | Free Trade | Western Australia | 31 December 1906 | 29 March 1901 | 31 December 1906 | Retired | |||
James Stewart (1850–1931) | Labour | Queensland | 31 December 1903 | 30 March 1901 | 30 June 1917 |
| Previously held the Queensland Legislative Assembly seat of Rockhampton North. Re-elected | ||
James Styles (1841–1913) | Protectionist | Victoria | 31 December 1903 | 29 March 1901 | 31 December 1906 | Previously held the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Williamstown. Lost seat | |||
Sir Josiah Symon (1846–1934) | Free Trade | South Australia | 31 December 1906 | 29 March 1901 | 30 June 1913 |
| Previously held the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Sturt. Re-elected | ||
James Walker (1841–1923) | Free Trade | New South Wales | 31 December 1906 | 29 March 1901 | 30 June 1913 | Re-elected | |||
Sir William Zeal (1830–1912) | Protectionist | Victoria | 31 December 1906 | 29 March 1901 | 31 December 1906 | Previously a member of the Victorian Legislative Council. Retired |
Notes
- ^ a b c d Appointments to a casual vacancy only held office until the earlier of the next election for the House of Representatives or the Senate.[5]
- ^ The Free Trade Party, then known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, was the only national political party at the 1901 election.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c Also received Protectonist endorsement; joined the Labour Caucus immediately after the election.[2]
- ^ a b c Victorian Free Trade Senator Frederick Sargood died on 2 January 1903. Robert Reid was appointed as his replacement on 21 January.
- ^ a b c Western Australian Free Trade Senator Norman Ewing resigned on 17 April 1903. Henry Saunders was appointed as his replacement on 20 May.
- ^ a b c 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. Charles Mackellar was appointed as his replacement on 8 October.
- ^ Changes to the Senate in chronological order were McGregor & O'Keefe joined the Labour caucus,[e] Sargood died,[f] Ewing resigned,[g] and O'Connor resigned.[h]
- ^ Queensland Free Trade Senator John Ferguson was removed from the Senate on 6 October 1903 due to prolonged absence without permission. His vacancy was not filled due to its proximity from the upcoming federal election
References
- ^ "The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate 1901". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- ^ a b Psephos Adam Carr's Election Archive, Senate 1903 National summary NSW, Vic, Qld, WA, SA, Tas and appointments. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- ^ Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (Imp) Part II the Senate.
- ^ "Rotation of Senators" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: Senate. 4 July 1901. pp. 2012–2017.
- ^ Evans, H. "Filling Casual Vacancies before 1977" (PDF). Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- Journals of the Senate. Parliament of Australia. 1903.
- "Members of the Senate since 1901". Parliamentary Handbook. Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
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