List of people who have served in both Houses of the Australian Parliament
This is a list of Members of the Australian Parliament who have served in both the Senate and the House of Representatives .
Section 43 of the Constitution of Australia says: "A member of either House of the Parliament shall be incapable of being chosen or of sitting as a member of the other House".
Consequently, a member of one house who wishes to transfer to the other house must resign from the first house before the election or appointment to the other house. A person may simultaneously stand for election to both houses, and if successful in both bids, must choose which house he or she will be a member of. No person has ever successfully stood for election to both houses at the same time.
The following list comprises 53 people (46 men and 7 women). Of these:
31 people were members of the House of Representatives before joining the Senate
22 people were members of the Senate before joining the House of Representatives.
The first person to have been a member of both houses was James McColl (Victoria), on 1 January 1907. All the other states and territories are represented in the list, the first person from each being:
The first woman to have been a member of both houses was Kathy Sullivan (Qld), on 1 December 1984.
In the 47th Parliament :
Only two people have gone from one house to another and later returned to the first house:
Jack Duncan-Hughes , House of Representatives 1922–28, Senate 1931–38, House of Representatives 1940–43
Sir Philip McBride , House of Representatives 1931–37, Senate 1937–44, House of Representatives 1946–58
No member of this list has yet served the Parliament for an aggregate period of 30 years or more . The longest-serving person who has been a member of both houses was Bronwyn Bishop , who was in the Senate for 6 years 229 days, and in the House of Representatives for 22 years 44 days, a total of 28 years 274 days. The shortest-serving person was Thomas Marwick (1 year 65 days in the Senate; 2 years 244 days in the House of Representatives; a total of 3 years 309 days).
There are a number of members who represented different states or territories in the House of Representatives during their career. No person has ever represented more than one state or territory in the Senate. The only person who has ever represented one state or territory in one House and a different state or territory in the other House is Barnaby Joyce (Senate, Queensland, 2005–13; House of Representatives, Division of New England, New South Wales, 2013–17, 2017-).[1]
List of people who have served in both houses
The list is in chronological order based on the date on which the person began their term in the second chamber (in bold ).
Name
Senate
House of Representatives
Total parliamentary service
State/ Territory
From
To
Service
Electorate
From
To
Service
James McColl
VIC
1 January 1907
5 September 1914 [2] [3]
7 years, 248 days
Echuca, Vic
29 March 1901
5 November 1906 [4]
5 years, 222 days
13 years, 105 days
William Higgs
QLD
30 March 1901
31 December 1906[2]
5 years, 277 days
Capricornia, Qld
13 April 1910
16 December 1922 [2]
12 years, 248 days
18 years, 160 days
Sir Robert Best
VIC
29 March 1901 [2]
30 June 1910
9 years, 94 days
Kooyong, Vic
24 August 1910 [5]
16 December 1922 [2]
12 years, 115 days
21 years, 209 days
William Story
SA
1 January 1904
3 April 1917[6]
13 years, 93 days
Boothby, SA
5 May 1917
16 December 1922 [2]
5 years, 226 days
18 years, 319 days
George Fairbairn
VIC
1 July 1917
30 June 1923[4]
6 years, 0 days
Fawkner, Vic
12 December 1906
31 May 1913 [2]
6 years, 157 days
12 years, 157 days
Josiah Thomas
NSW
1 July 1917
30 June 1923[2]
6 years, 0 days
Barrier, NSW
29 March 1901
26 March 1917 [4]
15 years, 363 days
25 years, 227 days
14 November 1925
30 June 1929[2]
3 years, 229 days
Herbert Pratten
NSW
1 July 1917
23 November 1921[6]
4 years, 146 days
Parramatta, NSW
10 December 1921 [5]
16 December 1922[7]
6 years, 150 days
10 years, 296 days
Martin, NSW
16 December 1922
7 May 1928[8]
David O'Keefe
TAS
29 March 1901
31 December 1906[2]
5 years, 278 days
Denison, Tas
16 December 1922
14 November 1925 [2]
2 years, 334 days
18 years, 247 days
1 July 1910
30 June 1920[2]
10 years, 0 days
Sir Walter Massy-Greene
NSW
17 October 1923 [9]
13 November 1925 [10]
2 years, 28 days
Richmond, NSW
13 April 1910
16 December 1922 [2]
12 years, 248 days
26 years, 276 days
1 July 1926
30 June 1938[4]
12 years, 0 days
Joseph Hannan
VIC
22 July 1924 [9]
13 November 1925 [2]
1 year, 115 days
Fawkner, Vic
31 May 1913
5 May 1917 [2]
3 years, 340 days
5 years, 90 days
Percy Abbott
NSW
14 November 1925
30 June 1929[2]
3 years, 229 days
New England, NSW
31 May 1913
3 November 1919 [4]
6 years, 157 days
10 years, 21 days
Jack Duncan-Hughes
SA
19 December 1931
30 June 1938[4]
6 years, 194 days
Boothby, SA
16 December 1922
17 November 1928 [2]
5 years, 338 days
15 years, 137 days
Wakefield, SA
21 September 1940
21 August 1943 [2]
2 years, 335 days
Dick Dein
NSW
1 July 1935
30 June 1941[2]
6 years, 0 days
Lang, NSW
19 December 1931
7 August 1934 [4]
2 years, 232 days
8 years, 232 days
William Gibson
VIC
1 July 1935
30 June 1947[4]
12 years, 0 days
Corangamite, Vic
14 December 1918 [5]
12 October 1929 [2]
10 years, 303 days
25 years, 170 days
19 December 1931
7 August 1934 [4]
2 years, 232 days
John Leckie
VIC
1 July 1935
30 June 1947[2]
12 years, 0 days
Indi, Vic
5 May 1917
13 December 1919 [2]
2 years, 241 days
14 years, 241 days
Sir Philip McBride
SA
21 October 1937 [9]
30 June 1944[2]
6 years, 254 days
Grey, SA
19 December 1931
21 September 1937 [4]
5 years, 277 days
24 years, 183 days
Wakefield, SA
28 September 1946
14 October 1958 [4]
12 years, 17 days
Oliver Badman
SA
1 July 1932
30 September 1937[6]
5 years, 92 days
Grey, SA
23 October 1937
21 August 1943 [2]
5 years, 303 days
11 years, 30 days
Richard Keane
VIC
1 July 1938
26 April 1946[8]
7 years, 300 days
Bendigo, Vic
12 October 1929
19 December 1931 [2]
2 years, 69 days
10 years, 4 days
Thomas Marwick
WA
19 August 1936[9]
22 October 1937 [2]
1 year, 65 days
Swan, WA
21 December 1940 [5]
21 August 1943 [2]
2 years, 244 days
3 years, 309 days
Sir Keith Wilson
SA
1 July 1938
30 June 1944[2]
6 years, 0 days
Sturt, SA
10 December 1949
29 May 1954 [2]
4 years, 171 days
21 years, 132 days
10 December 1955
31 October 1966 [4]
10 years, 326 days
Allan Guy
TAS
22 February 1950
30 June 1956[2]
6 years, 130 days
Bass, Tas
12 October 1929
15 September 1934 [2]
4 years, 339 days
17 years, 112 days
Wilmot, Tas
21 September 1940
28 September 1946 [2]
6 years, 8 days
George Rankin
VIC
22 February 1950
30 June 1956[4]
6 years, 130 days
Bendigo, Vic
23 October 1937
31 October 1949 [4]
12 years, 9 days
18 years, 139 days
Joe Fitzgerald
NSW
1 July 1962
11 April 1974[3] [4]
11 years, 285 days
Phillip, NSW
10 December 1949
10 December 1955 [2]
6 years, 1 day
17 years, 286 days
John Gorton
VIC
22 February 1950
1 February 1968[6]
17 years, 345 days
Higgins, Vic
24 February 1968 [5]
11 November 1975 [4]
7 years, 261 days
25 years, 241 days
Don Jessop
SA
1 July 1971
5 June 1987 [2]
15 years, 340 days
Grey, SA
26 November 1966
25 October 1969 [2]
2 years, 334 days
18 years, 309 days
Don Chipp
VIC
1 July 1978
18 August 1986[6]
8 years, 49 days
Higinbotham, Vic
10 December 1960 [5]
25 October 1969[7]
16 years, 336 days
25 years, 20 days
Hotham, Vic
25 October 1969
10 November 1977 [4]
David Hamer
VIC
1 July 1978
30 June 1990[4]
12 years, 0 days
Isaacs, Vic
25 October 1969
18 May 1974 [2]
4 years, 206 days
18 years, 174 days
13 December 1975
10 November 1977 [4]
1 year, 333 days
Allan Rocher
WA
1 July 1978
10 February 1981[6]
2 years, 225 days
Curtin, WA
21 February 1981 [5]
3 October 1998 [2]
17 years, 225 days
20 years, 85 days
Steele Hall
SA
18 May 1974
16 November 1977[6]
3 years, 183 days
Boothby, SA
21 February 1981 [5]
29 January 1996 [4]
14 years, 343 days
18 years, 161 days
John Martyr
WA
11 March 1981 [9]
4 February 1983 [2]
1 year, 331 days
Swan, WA
13 December 1975
18 October 1980 [2]
4 years, 311 days
6 years, 277 days
John Coates
TAS
1 July 1981
20 August 1996[6]
15 years, 51 days
Denison, Tas
2 December 1972
13 December 1975 [2]
3 years, 12 days
18 years, 63 days
Jim Short
VIC
1 December 1984
12 May 1997[6]
12 years, 163 days
Ballarat, Vic
13 December 1975
18 October 1980 [2]
4 years, 311 days
17 years, 109 days
Kathy Sullivan [11]
QLD
18 May 1974
5 November 1984[6]
10 years, 172 days
Moncrieff, Qld
1 December 1984
8 October 2001 [4]
16 years, 312 days
27 years, 119 days
Michael Baume
NSW
1 July 1985
9 September 1996[6]
11 years, 71 days
Macarthur, NSW
13 December 1975
5 March 1983 [2]
7 years, 83 days
18 years, 154 days
Grant Chapman
SA
11 July 1987
30 June 2008 [2]
20 years, 356 days
Kingston, SA
13 December 1975
5 March 1983 [2]
7 years, 83 days
28 years, 74 days
Grant Tambling
NT
11 July 1987
9 November 2001 [4]
14 years, 122 days
Northern Territory, NT
18 October 1980
5 March 1983 [2]
2 years, 139 days
16 years, 261 days
Fred Chaney
WA
18 May 1974
27 February 1990[6]
15 years, 286 days
Pearce, WA
24 March 1990
8 February 1993 [4]
2 years, 322 days
18 years, 243 days
Bob Woods
NSW
8 March 1994 [9]
7 March 1997[6]
3 years, 0 days
Lowe, NSW
11 July 1987
13 March 1993 [2]
5 years, 246 days
8 years, 246 days
Bronwyn Bishop
NSW
11 July 1987
24 February 1994[6]
6 years, 229 days
Mackellar, NSW
26 March 1994 [5]
9 May 2016 [4]
22 years, 44 days
28 years, 274 days
Gareth Evans
VIC
1 July 1978
6 February 1996[6]
17 years, 221 days
Holt, Vic
2 March 1996
30 September 1999[6]
3 years, 213 days
21 years, 69 days
Bob McMullan
ACT
16 February 1988[9]
6 February 1996[6]
7 years, 356 days
Canberra, ACT
2 March 1996
3 October 1998[7]
14 years, 140 days
22 years, 86 days
Fraser, ACT
3 October 1998
19 July 2010 [4]
Cheryl Kernot
QLD
1 July 1990
15 October 1997[6]
7 years, 107 days
Dickson, Qld
3 October 1998
10 November 2001 [2]
3 years, 39 days
10 years, 146 days
Michael Ronaldson
VIC
1 July 2005
28 February 2016
10 years, 242 days
Ballarat, Vic
24 March 1990
8 October 2001 [4]
11 years, 199 days
22 years, 76 days
Belinda Neal
NSW
8 March 1994[9]
3 September 1998[6]
4 years, 180 days
Robertson, NSW
24 November 2007
19 July 2010 [4]
2 years, 238 days
7 years, 53 days
David Fawcett
SA
1 July 2011
currently serving
13 years, 32 days
Wakefield, SA
9 October 2004
24 November 2007 [2]
3 years, 47 days
16 years, 79 days
David Feeney
VIC
1 July 2008
12 August 2013[6]
5 years, 43 days
Batman, VIC
7 September 2013
1 February 2018[6]
4 years, 147 days
9 years, 190 days
Barnaby Joyce
QLD
1 July 2005
8 August 2013[6]
8 years, 39 days
New England, NSW
7 September 2013
27 October 2017
4 years, 51 days
18 years, 334 days
2 December 2017 [5]
currently serving
6 years, 244 days
Matt Thistlethwaite
NSW
1 July 2011
9 August 2013[6]
2 years, 40 days
Kingsford Smith, NSW
7 September 2013
currently serving
10 years, 330 days
13 years, 4 days
Deborah O'Neill
NSW
13 November 2013 [9]
currently serving
10 years, 263 days
Robertson, NSW
25 August 2010
7 September 2013 [2]
3 years, 13 days
13 years, 276 days
Pauline Hanson
QLD
2 July 2016
currently serving
8 years, 31 days
Oxley, Qld
2 March 1996
3 October 1998 [2]
2 years, 215 days
10 years, 246 days
David Smith
ACT
23 May 2018[9]
11 April 2019[6]
323 days
Bean, ACT
18 May 2019
currently serving
5 years, 76 days
6 years, 34 days
Sarah Henderson
VIC
11 September 2019 [9]
currently serving
4 years, 326 days
Corangamite, Vic
7 September 2013
18 May 2019 [2]
5 years, 253 days
10 years, 214 days
Dave Sharma
NSW
30 November 2023 [9]
currently serving
246 days
Wentworth, NSW
18 May 2019
21 May 2022 [2]
3 years, 3 days
3 years, 249 days
References
Sources
Components Parliamentary officers
Senate House of Representatives
Members Senate House of Representatives
Parliaments Procedure Elections Locations See also