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There have been 122 women in the Australian Senate since the establishment of the Parliament of Australia. Women have had the right to stand for federal parliament since 1902, and there were three female candidates for the Senate at the 1903 federal election ( Vida Goldstein, Nellie Martel, and Mary Moore-Bentley). However, it was not until Dorothy Tangney's victory at the 1943 federal election that a woman was elected. Since then, all states and territories have had multiple female senators – in chronological order: Western Australia (1943), Queensland (1947), Victoria (1950), South Australia (1955), Tasmania (1975), the Australian Capital Territory (1975), New South Wales (1987), and the Northern Territory (1998).

History

Dame Dorothy Tangney, the first woman in the Australian Senate

The passage of the Commonwealth Franchise Act allowed women to both vote and stand for election to the Parliament of Australia. [1] [2] Three women stood unsuccessfully as independents or as representatives of minor parties for election to the Senate for the 1903 election. Nellie Martel and Mary Ann Moore-Bentley of New South Wales ran, each earning around 18,000 votes, with the leading man winning roughly 190,000 votes. [3] Vida Goldstein, from Victoria, ran and gained 51,497 votes, which was roughly half the votes the winning man gained. [3] She then ran unsuccessfully again in 1910 and 1917 after a short stint attempting to breakthrough into the House of Representatives. [3] In 1919, Mary McMahon of NSW ran unsuccessfully, and was not followed by another woman candidate until 1934 saw Lillie Beirne (NSW) and Joanna Helbach (QLD) run. [3] Following this, Jeanne Young of Western Australia ran in 1937 and Adela Walsh (NSW) and Dorothy Tangney (WA) ran in 1940. [3] However, women were not successful in entering federal politics until World War II. The major parties did not endorse any female candidates for the Senate before the War.

The first woman to be elected to the Senate was Labor representative Dorothy Tangney in 1943; she represented Western Australia. [3] Following Tangney's entry into politics, the Senate has continuously had women members. However, despite the success, the number of women running continued to fluctuate drastically. Prior to 1981, the proportion of women running as candidates peaked at 20% in 1977 but had a low of only 1.3% in 1953. [4] Between the years 1943 and 1969, there were only five elections of women and Enid Lyons accounted for three of these in the House of Representatives. [5] Despite this, 41 women were elected into the Senate between 1943 and 1980. [4] The proportion of women in the Senate can be seen over a long time period to have drastically grown, with the 1948 Senate being composed of 5.6% women, 14.1% in 1980, 23.7% in 1990, 28.9% in 2002, and 53% in 2021. [6]

The second woman elected to the Senate, Annabelle Rankin, also achieved a number of firsts for women: she was the first female Whip, and she was the first woman with a federal portfolio when she became Minister for Housing in 1966. In 1975, Margaret Guilfoyle became the first female cabinet minister with a portfolio. In 1996 Margaret Reid was the first woman elected as President of the Senate.

Women in the Senate have made significant changes to Australian law which have benefited women. For example, a private member's bill written by Senator Susan Ryan was crucial to the development of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, the Affirmative Action (Equal Employment Opportunity for Women) Act 1986, the Public Service Reform Act 1984 and the Equal Employment Opportunity (Commonwealth Authorities) Act 1987.

With the appointment of Sarah Henderson to the Senate on 11 September 2019, the number of women in the chamber was equal to the number of men for the first time in history. [7] With the resignation of Richard Di Natale and the appointment of Lidia Thorpe on 4 September 2020, the number of women (39) exceeded the number of men (37) for the first time.

List of women in the Australian Senate

Names in bold type indicate Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries. Names in italics indicate appointments made under section 15 of the Constitution, or through disqualification. Names marked with an asterisk (*) also served in the House of Representatives. Where no closing date is shown, the Senator's term of service is unexpired.

# Name Party State Period of service How ended
1 (Dame) Dorothy Tangney Labor WA 21 August 1943 – 30 June 1968 defeated
2 (Dame) Annabelle Rankin Liberal Qld 1 July 1947 – 24 April 1971 resigned
3 Agnes Robertson Liberal / Country WA 22 February 1950 – 30 June 1962 retired
(Dame) Ivy Wedgwood Liberal Vic 22 February 1950 – 30 June 1971 retired
5 (Dame) Nancy Buttfield Liberal SA 11 October 1955 – 30 June 1965
1 July 1968 – 11 April 1974 		defeated
retired
6 Marie Breen Liberal Vic 1 July 1962 – 30 June 1968 retired
7 (Dame) Margaret Guilfoyle Liberal Vic 1 July 1971 – 5 June 1987 retired
8 Ruth Coleman Labor WA 18 May 1974 – 5 June 1987 retired
Jean Melzer Labor Vic 18 May 1974 – 30 June 1981 defeated
Kathy Sullivan* Liberal Qld 18 May 1974 – 5 November 1984 resigned
11 Susan Ryan Labor ACT 13 December 1975 – 29 January 1988 resigned
Shirley Walters Liberal Tas 13 December 1975 – 30 June 1993 retired
13 Janine Haines Democrats SA 14 December 1977 – 30 June 1978
1 July 1981 – 1 March 1990 		retired
resigned
14 Jean Hearn Labor Tas 15 October 1980 – 30 June 1985 retired
15 Florence Bjelke-Petersen NCP / National Qld 12 March 1981 – 30 June 1993 retired
16 Margaret Reid Liberal ACT 5 May 1981 – 14 February 2003 resigned
17 Patricia Giles Labor WA 1 July 1981 – 30 June 1993 retired
18 Rosemary Crowley Labor SA 5 March 1983 – 30 June 2002 retired
Margaret Reynolds Labor Qld 5 March 1983 – 30 June 1999 retired
Olive Zakharov Labor Vic 5 March 1983 – 6 March 1995 died
21 Sue Knowles Liberal WA 1 December 1984 – 30 June 2005 retired
Amanda Vanstone Liberal SA 1 December 1984 – 26 April 2007 resigned
23 Jo Vallentine NDP / Ind. / Greens WA WA 1 July 1985 – 31 January 1992 resigned
24 Jocelyn Newman Liberal Tas 13 March 1986 – 1 February 2002 resigned
25 Janet Powell Democrats / Ind. Vic 26 August 1986 – 30 June 1993 defeated
26 Sue West Labor NSW 11 February 1987 – 5 June 1987
1 July 1990 – 30 June 2002 		defeated
retired
27 Bronwyn Bishop* Liberal NSW 11 July 1987 – 24 February 1994 resigned
Jean Jenkins Democrats WA 11 July 1987 – 30 June 1990 defeated
Kay Patterson Liberal Vic 11 July 1987 – 30 June 2008 retired
30 Irina Dunn NDP / Ind. NSW 21 July 1988 – 30 June 1990 defeated
31 Meg Lees Democrats / APA SA 4 April 1990 – 30 June 2005 defeated
32 Vicki Bourne Democrats NSW 1 July 1990 – 30 June 2002 defeated
Cheryl Kernot* Democrats Qld 1 July 1990 – 15 October 1997 resigned
34 Karin Sowada Democrats NSW 29 August 1991 – 30 June 1993 defeated
35 Christabel Chamarette Greens WA WA 12 March 1992 – 30 June 1996 defeated
36 Dee Margetts Greens WA WA 1 July 1993 – 30 June 1999 defeated
Judith Troeth Liberal Vic 1 July 1993 – 30 June 2011 retired
38 Kay Denman Labor Tas 24 August 1993 – 30 June 2005 retired
39 Belinda Neal* Labor NSW 8 March 1994 – 3 September 1998 resigned
40 Jacinta Collins Labor Vic 3 May 1995 – 30 June 2005
8 May 2008 – 15 February 2019 		defeated
resigned
41 Natasha Stott Despoja Democrats SA 29 November 1995 – 30 June 2008 retired
42 Kate Lundy Labor ACT 2 March 1996 – 24 March 2015 resigned
43 Sue Mackay Labor Tas 8 March 1996 – 27 June 2005 resigned
44 Lyn Allison Democrats Vic 1 July 1996 – 30 June 2008 defeated
Helen Coonan Liberal NSW 1 July 1996 – 22 August 2011 resigned
Jeannie Ferris Liberal SA 1 July 1996 – 2 April 2007 died
Brenda Gibbs Labor Qld 1 July 1996 – 30 June 2002 defeated
48 Marise Payne Liberal NSW 9 April 1997 – 30 September 2023 resigned
49 Karen Synon Liberal Vic 13 May 1997 – 30 June 1999 defeated
50 Trish Crossin Labor NT 16 June 1998 – 6 September 2013 retired
51 Jan McLucas Labor Qld 1 July 1999 – 9 May 2016 retired
52 Linda Kirk Labor SA 1 July 2002 – 30 June 2008 retired
Claire Moore Labor Qld 1 July 2002 – 30 June 2019 retired
Kerry Nettle Greens NSW 1 July 2002 – 30 June 2008 defeated
Ursula Stephens Labor NSW 1 July 2002 – 30 June 2014 defeated
Ruth Webber Labor WA 1 July 2002 – 30 June 2008 defeated
Penny Wong Labor SA 1 July 2002 –
58 Concetta Fierravanti-Wells Liberal NSW 5 May 2005 – 30 June 2022 retired
59 Judith Adams Liberal WA 1 July 2005 – 31 March 2012 died
Annette Hurley Labor SA 1 July 2005 – 30 June 2011 retired
Anne McEwen Labor SA 1 July 2005 – 2 July 2016 defeated
Christine Milne Greens Tas 1 July 2005 – 10 August 2015 resigned
Fiona Nash National NSW 1 July 2005 – 27 October 2017 election voided
Helen Polley Labor Tas. 1 July 2005 –
Rachel Siewert Greens WA 1 July 2005 – 6 September 2021 resigned
Dana Wortley Labor SA 1 July 2005 – 30 June 2011 defeated
67 Carol Brown Labor Tas. 25 August 2005 –
68 Sue Boyce Liberal Qld 19 April 2007 – 30 June 2014 retired
69 Mary Jo Fisher Liberal SA 6 June 2007 – 14 August 2012 resigned
70 Catryna Bilyk Labor Tas. 1 July 2008 –
Michaelia Cash Liberal WA 1 July 2008 –
Sarah Hanson-Young Greens SA 1 July 2008 –
Helen Kroger Liberal Vic. 1 July 2008 – 30 June 2014 defeated
Louise Pratt Labor WA 1 July 2008 – 30 June 2014
2 July 2016 – 		defeated
incumbent
75 Bridget McKenzie National Vic. 1 July 2011 –
Lee Rhiannon Greens NSW 1 July 2011 – 15 August 2018 resigned
Lisa Singh Labor Tas. 1 July 2011 – 30 June 2019 defeated
Anne Urquhart Labor Tas. 1 July 2011 –
Larissa Waters Greens Qld 1 July 2011 – 18 July 2017
6 September 2018 – 		resigned
incumbent
Penny Wright Greens SA 1 July 2011 – 9 September 2015 resigned
81 Lin Thorp Labor Tas 20 June 2012 – 30 June 2014 defeated
82 Anne Ruston Liberal SA 5 September 2012 –
83 Sue Lines Labor WA 15 May 2013 –
84 Nova Peris Labor NT 7 September 2013 – 9 May 2016 retired
85 Deborah O'Neill* Labor NSW 13 November 2013 –
86 Jacqui Lambie PUP / Ind. / JLN Tas 1 July 2014 – 14 November 2017
1 July 2019 – 		resigned
incumbent
Linda Reynolds Liberal WA 1 July 2014 –
Janet Rice Greens Vic 1 July 2014 –
89 Katy Gallagher Labor ACT 26 March 2015 – 9 May 2018
18 May 2019 – 		resigned
incumbent
90 Jenny McAllister Labor NSW 6 May 2015 –
91 Joanna Lindgren Liberal (LNP) Qld 21 May 2015 – 2 July 2016 defeated
92 Pauline Hanson* One Nation Qld 2 July 2016 –
Jane Hume Liberal Vic. 2 July 2016 –
Skye Kakoschke-Moore NXT SA 2 July 2016 – 22 November 2017 resigned
Malarndirri McCarthy Labor NT 2 July 2016 –
96 Kimberley Kitching Labor Vic 25 October 2016 – 10 March 2022 died
97 Lucy Gichuhi Family First / Ind. / Liberal SA 19 April 2017 – 30 June 2019 defeated
98 Kristina Keneally Labor NSW 14 February 2018 – 13 April 2022 resigned
99 Amanda Stoker Liberal (LNP) Qld 21 March 2018 – 30 June 2022 defeated
100 Mehreen Faruqi Greens NSW 15 August 2018 –
101 Wendy Askew Liberal Tas 6 March 2019 –
102 Sam McMahon National (CLP) NT 18 May 2019 – 21 May 2022 defeated
103 Claire Chandler Liberal Tas 1 July 2019 –
Perin Davey National NSW 1 July 2019 –
Nita Green Labor Qld 1 July 2019 –
Hollie Hughes Liberal NSW 1 July 2019 –
Susan McDonald National (LNP) Qld 1 July 2019 –
Marielle Smith Labor SA 1 July 2019 –
Jess Walsh Labor Vic 1 July 2019 –
110 Sarah Henderson* Liberal Vic 11 September 2019 –
111 Lidia Thorpe Greens / Ind. Vic 4 September 2020 –
112 Dorinda Cox Greens WA 14 September 2021 –
113 Karen Grogan Labor SA 21 September 2021 –
114 Jana Stewart Labor Vic 6 April 2022 –
115 Jacinta Nampijinpa Price National (CLP) NT 21 May 2022 –
116 Penny Allman-Payne Greens Qld 1 July 2022 –
Kerrynne Liddle Liberal SA 1 July 2022 –
Fatima Payman Labor WA 1 July 2022 –
Barbara Pocock Greens SA 1 July 2022 –
Tammy Tyrrell Lambie Tas 1 July 2022 –
Linda White Labor Vic 1 July 2022 – 29 February 2024 died
122 Maria Kovacic Liberal NSW 31 May 2023 –

Timeline

Jan McLucas Trish Crossin Karen Synon Marise Payne Brenda Gibbs Jeannie Ferris Helen Coonan Lyn Allison Sue Mackay Kate Lundy Natasha Stott Despoja Jacinta Collins Belinda Neal Kay Denman Judith Troeth Dee Margetts Christabel Chamarette Karin Sowada Cheryl Kernot Vicki Bourne Meg Lees Irina Dunn Kay Patterson Jean Jenkins (politician) Bronwyn Bishop Sue West Janet Powell Jocelyn Newman Jo Vallentine Amanda Vanstone Susan Knowles Olive Zakharov Margaret Reynolds Rosemary Crowley Patricia Giles Margaret Reid (politician) Flo Bjelke-Petersen Jean Hearn Janine Haines Shirley Walters Susan Ryan Kathy Sullivan (Australian politician) Jean Melzer Ruth Coleman Margaret Guilfoyle Marie Breen Nancy Buttfield Ivy Wedgwood Agnes Robertson Annabelle Rankin Dorothy Tangney

Proportion of women in the Senate

Numbers and proportions are as they were directly after the beginning of Senate terms and do not take into account deaths, resignations, appointments, defections or other changes in membership. As senators typically serve six-year terms, in the absence of a double dissolution, the numbers of female senators overlap two "terms". State-based Coalition parties that caucus with one of the major parties ( Liberal National Party, Country Liberal Party) have been included in the Liberals' or Nationals' totals.

Term Labor Liberal National Democrats Greens Others Total
Women Total % Women Total % Women Total % Women Total % Women Total % Women Total % Women Total %
1944–1947 1 22 4.5% 0 12 0.0% 0 2 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 36 2.8%
1947–1950 1 33 3.0% 1 2 50.0% 0 1 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 2 36 5.6%
1950–1951 1 34 2.9% 3 21 14.3% 0 5 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 4 60 6.7%
1951–1953 1 28 3.6% 3 26 11.5% 0 6 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 4 60 6.7%
1953–1956 1 29 3.4% 3 26 11.5% 0 5 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 4 60 6.7%
1956–1959 1 28 3.6% 3 24 12.5% 1 6 16.7% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 2 0.0% 5 60 8.3%
1959–1962 1 26 3.8% 3 25 12.0% 1 7 14.3% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 2 0.0% 5 60 8.3%
1962–1965 1 28 3.6% 4 24 16.7% 0 6 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 2 0.0% 5 60 8.3%
1965–1968 1 27 3.7% 3 23 13.0% 0 7 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 3 0.0% 4 60 6.7%
1968–1971 0 27 0.0% 3 21 14.2% 0 7 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 5 0.0% 3 60 5.0%
1971–1974 0 26 0.0% 2 21 9.5% 0 5 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 8 0.0% 2 60 3.3%
1974–1975 2 29 6.9% 2 23 8.7% 0 6 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 2 0.0% 4 60 6.7%
1975–1978 3 27 11.1% 3 27 11.1% 0 8 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 2 0.0% 6 64 9.4%
1978–1981 3 27 11.1% 3 28 10.7% 0 6 0.0% 0 2 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 1 0.0% 6 64 9.4%
1981–1983 4 27 14.8% 4 28 14.3% 1 3 33.3% 1 5 20.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 1 0.0% 10 64 15.6%
1983–1984 7 30 23.3% 4 24 16.7% 1 4 25.0% 1 5 20.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 1 0.0% 13 64 20.3%
1984–1987 6 34 17.6% 5 28 17.9% 1 5 20.0% 1 7 14.3% 0 0 0.0% 1 2 50.0% 14 76 18.4%
1987–1990 5 32 15.6% 7 24 29.2% 1 5 20.0% 3 7 42.9% 0 0 0.0% 1 3 33.3% 17 76 22.4%
1990–1993 5 32 15.6% 7 29 24.1% 1 5 20.0% 4 8 50.0% 1 1 100.0% 0 1 0.0% 18 76 23.7%
1993–1996 4 30 13.3% 7 30 23.3% 0 6 0.0% 3 7 42.9% 2 2 100.0% 0 1 0.0% 16 76 21.1%
1996–1999 9 29 31.0% 8 32 25.0% 0 5 0.0% 5 7 71.4% 1 2 50.0% 0 1 0.0% 23 76 30.3%
1999–2002 9 29 31.0% 9 32 28.1% 0 3 0.0% 4 9 44.4% 0 1 0.0% 0 2 0.0% 22 76 28.9%
2002–2005 10 28 35.7% 8 31 25.8% 0 4 0.0% 4 8 50.0% 1 2 50.0% 0 3 0.0% 23 76 30.3%
2005–2008 12 28 42.9% 8 33 24.2% 1 6 16.7% 2 4 50.0% 3 4 75.0% 0 1 0.0% 26 76 34.2%
2008–2011 14 32 43.8% 9 32 28.1% 1 5 20.0% 0 0 0.0% 3 5 60.0% 0 2 0.0% 27 76 35.5%
2011–2014 14 31 45.2% 8 28 28.6% 2 6 33.3% 0 0 0.0% 6 9 66.7% 0 2 0.0% 30 76 39.5%
2014–2016 14 25 56.0% 5 27 18.5% 2 6 33.3% 0 0 0.0% 7 10 70.0% 1 8 12.5% 29 76 38.2%
2016–2019 14 26 53.8% 6 24 25.0% 2 6 33.3% 0 0 0.0% 5 9 55.6% 3 11 27.3% 30 76 39.5%
2019–2022 16 26 61.5% 10 30 33.3% 4 5 80.0% 0 0 0.0% 5 9 55.6% 2 6 33.3% 37 76 48.7%
2022– 16 26 61.5% 10 26 38.5% 4 6 66.7% 0 0 0.0% 8 12 66.7% 3 6 50.0% 41 76 53.9%

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Women in South and Western Australia voted in the 1901 election.
  2. ^ Indigenous Australian women did not achieve federal franchise in all jurisdictions until 1962, and were not required by law to enrol to vote until 1983.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Sherrard, Kathleen (1943). "The Political History of Women in Australia". The Australian Quarterly. 15 (4): 36–51. doi: 10.2307/20631140. JSTOR  20631140.
  4. ^ a b van Tassell, G. Lane (1981). "Recruitment of Women in Australian National Politics: A Research Note". The Australian Quarterly. 53 (3): 334–342. doi: 10.2307/20635131. ISSN  0005-0091. JSTOR  20635131.
  5. ^ Cass, Deborah; Rubenstein, Kim (2021), Rubenstein, Kim (ed.), "Representation/s of Women in the Australian Constitutional System", Traversing the Divide, Honouring Deborah Cass's Contributions to Public and International Law (1 ed.), ANU Press, pp. 179–226, doi: 10.2307/j.ctv1j9mjhx.16, JSTOR  j.ctv1j9mjhx.16, S2CID  241304498, retrieved 18 December 2021
  6. ^ Uhr, John (2002). "Explicating the Australian Senate". The Journal of Legislative Studies. 8 (3): 3–26. doi: 10.1080/714003923. ISSN  1357-2334. S2CID  145705033.
  7. ^ Macmillan, Jade (10 September 2019). "Gender equality set to be achieved in the Senate for the first time". Australia: ABC News. Retrieved 14 September 2019.

References

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