List of longest-serving members of the Parliament of Australia

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This article lists the longest-serving members of the Parliament of Australia.

Longest total service[]

This section lists members of parliament who have served for a cumulative total of at least 30 years.

All these periods of service were spent in one House exclusively. A number of people have served in both the Senate and the House of Representatives,[1] but none of them to date has had an aggregate length of service to the Parliament reaching 30 years.

No woman yet appears on this list. Bronwyn Bishop served in the Australian parliament longer than any other woman, in October 2014 outstripping the record of 27 years and 119 days previously held by Kathy Sullivan.[2] At the end of her term at the 2 July 2016 double dissolution, Bishop had served for 28 years and 274 days.

Name Chamber Start of service End of service Period of service
Hughes, BillyBilly Hughes House of Reps 29 March 1901 28 October 1952 51 years, 213 days
Ruddock, PhilipPhilip Ruddock House of Reps 22 September 1973 9 May 2016 42 years, 229 days
Page, EarleSir Earle Page House of Reps 13 December 1919 9 December 1961 41 years, 362 days
Pearce, GeorgeSir George Pearce Senate 29 March 1901 30 June 1938 37 years, 94 days
Cooper, WalterSir Walter Cooper Senate 17 November 1928
1 July 1935
30 June 1932
30 June 1968
36 years, 227 days
Maloney, WilliamWilliam Maloney House of Reps 30 March 1904 27 August 1940 36 years, 151 days
McEwen, JohnSir John McEwen House of Reps 15 September 1934 1 February 1971 36 years, 139 days
Makin, NormanNorman Makin House of Reps 13 December 1919
29 May 1954
14 August 1946
1 November 1963
36 years, 37 days
Brennan, FrankFrank Brennan House of Reps 8 February 1911
15 September 1934
19 December 1931
31 October 1949
35 years, 362 days
Clark, JoeJoe Clark House of Reps 15 September 1934 29 September 1969 35 years, 15 days
Sinclair, IanIan Sinclair House of Reps 30 November 1963 31 August 1998 34 years, 275 days
Watkins, DavidDavid Watkins House of Reps 29 March 1901 8 April 1935 34 years, 11 days
O'Byrne, JustinJustin O'Byrne Senate 1 July 1947 30 June 1981 34 years, 0 days
Howard, JohnJohn Howard House of Reps 18 May 1974 24 November 2007 33 years, 191 days
Cadman, AlanAlan Cadman House of Reps 18 May 1974 17 October 2007 33 years, 152 days
Brown, GordonGordon Brown Senate 1 July 1932 30 June 1965 33 years, 0 days
Groom, LittletonSir Littleton Groom House of Reps 14 September 1901
19 December 1931
12 October 1929
6 November 1936
32 years, 353 days
Francis, JosiahSir Josiah Francis House of Reps 16 December 1922 4 November 1955 32 years, 324 days
Holt, HaroldHarold Holt House of Reps 17 August 1935 17 December 1967 32 years, 123 days
Ward, EddieEddie Ward House of Reps 7 March 1931
6 February 1932
19 December 1931
31 July 1963
32 years, 99 days
Beazley, KimKim Beazley Sr. House of Reps 18 August 1945 10 November 1977 32 years, 85 days
Daly, FredFred Daly House of Reps 21 August 1943 11 November 1975 32 years, 83 days
Calwell, ArthurArthur Calwell House of Reps 21 September 1940 2 November 1972 32 years, 43 days
McMahon, WilliamSir William McMahon House of Reps 10 December 1949 4 January 1982 32 years, 26 days
Snowdon, WarrenWarren Snowdon House of Reps 11 July 1987
3 October 1998
2 March 1996
present
31 years, 350 days
Lynch, PatrickPatrick Lynch Senate 1 January 1907 30 June 1938 31 years, 181 days
Menzies, RobertSir Robert Menzies House of Reps 15 September 1934 17 February 1966 31 years, 156 days
Boswell, RonRon Boswell Senate 5 March 1983 30 June 2014 31 years, 117 days
Uren, TomTom Uren House of Reps 22 November 1958 19 February 1990 31 years, 90 days
Scullin, JamesJames Scullin House of Reps 13 April 1910
18 February 1922
31 May 1913
31 October 1949
30 years, 304 days
Cameron, ClydeClyde Cameron House of Reps 10 December 1949 19 September 1980 30 years, 285 days
Andrews, KevinKevin Andrews House of Reps 11 May 1991 present 30 years, 260 days
Jull, DavidDavid Jull House of Reps 13 December 1975
1 December 1984
5 March 1983
17 October 2007
30 years, 39 days
Lazzarini, HubertBert Lazzarini House of Reps 13 December 1919
15 September 1934
19 December 1931
1 October 1952
30 years, 24 days
Crawford, ThomasThomas Crawford Senate 1 July 1917 30 June 1947 30 years, 0 days
Foll, HarryHarry Foll Senate 1 July 1917 30 June 1947 30 years, 0 days
Watson, JohnJohn Watson Senate 1 July 1978 30 June 2008 30 years, 0 days

†= Died in office

Chronological list[]

This section lists the members of parliament (and of each chamber) with the longest continuous service at any given time. The longest-serving MPs in each chamber are sometimes referred to as the "Father of the House" and "Father of the Senate", and very rarely the overall longest-serving MP is called the "Father of the Parliament".

House of Representatives Practice describes the title "Father of the House" as a "completely informal designation" with "no functions attached to it".[3]

Odgers' Australian Senate Practice notes that the title "Father of the Senate" is "now seldom referred to or used". It further notes that "as no woman senator has ever been in this situation, it is not clear what the title would be in that circumstance".[4]

From To Overall Senate Continuous
term started
House Continuous
term started
29/30 March 1901 14 September 1923 Nil Nil n/a Nil n/a
15 September 1923 8 April 1935 Nil Sir George Pearce 29 March 1901 Billy Hughes
David Watkins
n/a
9 April 1935 30 June 1938 Nil[5] Billy Hughes 30 March 1901
1 July 1938 30 June 1947 Billy Hughes MP Thomas Crawford
Harry Foll
1 July 1917
1 July 1947 30 June 1950 Gordon Brown
Joe Collings
1 July 1932
1 July 1950 28 October 1952 Gordon Brown
29 October 1952 9 December 1961 Sir Earle Page MP Sir Earle Page 13 December 1919
10 December 1961 31 July 1963 Eddie Ward MP Eddie Ward 6 February 1932
1 August 1963 30 June 1965 Senator
Gordon Brown
Joe Clark
John McEwen
Sir Robert Menzies
15 September 1934
1 July 1965 16 February 1966 Joe Clark MP
John McEwen MP
Sir Robert Menzies MP
Sir Walter Cooper 1 July 1935
17 February 1966 30 June 1968 Joe Clark MP
John McEwen MP
Joe Clark
John McEwen
1 July 1968 29 September 1969 Bert Hendrickson
Justin O'Byrne
Dame Annabelle Rankin
1 July 1947
30 September 1969 1 February 1971 John McEwen MP John McEwen
2 February 1971 24 May 1971 Arthur Calwell MP Arthur Calwell 21 September 1940
25 May 1971 30 June 1971 Bert Hendrickson
Justin O'Byrne
1 July 1971 2 November 1972 Justin O'Byrne
3 November 1972 11 November 1975 Fred Daly MP Fred Daly 21 August 1943
12 November 1975 10 November 1977 Kim Beazley Sr. MP Kim Beazley Sr. 18 August 1945
11 November 1977 19 September 1980 Senator
Justin O'Byrne
Clyde Cameron
Sir William McMahon
10 December 1949
20 September 1980 30 June 1981 Sir William McMahon
1 July 1981 4 January 1982 Sir William McMahon MP Doug McClelland 1 July 1962
5 January 1982 31 March 1983 Malcolm Fraser MP
Sir James Killen MP
Sir Billy Snedden MP
Malcolm Fraser
Sir James Killen
Sir Billy Snedden
10 December 1955
1 April 1983 21 April 1983 Sir James Killen MP
Sir Billy Snedden MP
Sir James Killen
Sir Billy Snedden
22 April 1983 15 August 1983 Sir James Killen MP Sir James Killen
16 August 1983 18 January 1984 Doug Anthony MP Doug Anthony 14 September 1957
19 January 1984 23 January 1987 Tom Uren MP Tom Uren 22 November 1958
24 January 1987 27 February 1989 Arthur Gietzelt
Peter Durack
1 July 1971
28 February 1989 19 February 1990 Peter Durack
20 February 1990 30 June 1993 Ian Sinclair MP Ian Sinclair 30 November 1963
1 July 1993 31 August 1998 Mal Colston
Brian Harradine
13 December 1975
1 September 1998 30 June 1999 Philip Ruddock MP Philip Ruddock 22 September 1973
1 July 1999 30 June 2005 Brian Harradine
1 July 2005 30 June 2008 John Watson 1 July 1978
1 July 2008 30 June 2014 Ron Boswell 5 March 1983
1 July 2014 6 February 2015 John Faulkner 4 April 1989
6 February 2015 9 May 2016 Ian Macdonald 1 July 1990
10 May 2016 1 July 2019 Senator
Ian Macdonald
Kevin Andrews 11 May 1991
1 July 2019 Incumbent Kevin Andrews MP Kim Carr 28 April 1993

Longest-serving members by state and territory[]

State / Territory Longest-serving members
House of Reps Senate Overall
 Australian Capital Territory Jim Fraser
18 years, 338 days
1951–1970
Margaret Reid
21 years, 285 days
1981–2003
Bob McMullan
22 years, 86 days
1988–1996 (S), 1996–2010 (H)
 New South Wales Billy Hughes
45 years, 354 days
1901–1917, 1922–1952
Stan Amour
26 years, 364 days
1938–1965
Billy Hughes
45 years, 354 days
1901–1917, 1922–1952
 Northern Territory Warren Snowdon
31 years, 350 days
1987–1996, 1998–present
Nigel Scullion
17 years, 232 days
2001–2019
Warren Snowdon
31 years, 350 days
1987–1996, 1998–present
 Queensland Littleton Groom
32 years, 353 days
1901–1929, 1931–1936
Walter Cooper
36 years, 227 days
1928–1932, 1935–1968
Walter Cooper
36 years, 227 days
1928–1932, 1935–1968
 South Australia Norman Makin
36 years, 37 days
1919–1946, 1955–1963
Robert Hill
24 years, 257 days
1981–2006
Norman Makin
36 years, 37 days
1919–1946, 1955–1963
 Tasmania Gil Duthie
29 years, 76 days
1946–1975
Justin O'Byrne
34 years, 0 days
1947–1981
Justin O'Byrne
34 years, 0 days
1947–1981
 Victoria William Maloney
36 years, 151 days
1904–1940
Kim Carr
28 years, 273 days
1993–present
William Maloney
36 years, 151 days
1904–1940
 Western Australia Kim Beazley Sr.
32 years, 145 days
1945–1977
George Pearce
37 years, 93 days
1901–1938
George Pearce
37 years, 93 days
1901–1938

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Handbook of the 42nd Parliament: Members who have served in both chambers
  2. ^ Wilson, Janet, & McCann, Dr Joy (9 July 2014). "Representation of women in Australian parliaments 2014". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Titles accorded to members". House of Representatives Practice (6th edition). Parliament of Australia. 2012.
  4. ^ "Seniority of senators". Odgers' Australian Senate Practice (14th edition). Parliament of Australia. 2016.
  5. ^ Although Senator Sir George Pearce and Billy Hughes MP were elected on different dates (29 March and 30 March 1901 respectively), all members of the First Parliament were considered to be of equal seniority.
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