Members of the Australian Senate, 1938–1941

Senate composition at 1 July 1938
Government (20) - (2 seat majority)
United Australia Party (16)
Country Party (3)
Independent Country (1) ^[i]

Opposition (16)
Labor (16) ^[ii]

Changes in composition

^ Senator William Gibson had been expelled by the Country Party in September 1935. He was listed as an "Independent Country" member and continued to support the government.

^ At the September 1940 election Labor Senator Jim Sheehan was defeated for a casual vacancy by UAP candidate John Spicer.

This is a list of members of the Australian Senate from 1938 to 1941.^[1] Half of its members were elected at the 15 September 1934 election and had terms starting on 1 July 1935 and finishing on 30 June 1941; the other half were elected at the 23 October 1937 election and had terms starting on 1 July 1938 and finishing on 30 June 1944. The process for filling casual vacancies was complex. While senators were elected for a six-year term, people appointed to a casual vacancy only held office until the earlier of the next election for the House of Representatives or the Senate.^[2]

Senator		State	Term ending	Years in office
Mac Abbott	Country	New South Wales	1941	1935–1941
Stan Amour	Labor / Non-Comm. Labor ^[a]	New South Wales	1944	1938–1965
John Armstrong	Labor / Non-Comm. Labor ^[a]	New South Wales	1944	1938–1962
Tom Arthur	Labor	New South Wales	1944	1938–1944
Bill Ashley	Labor	New South Wales	1941	1938–1962
Bill Aylett	Labor	Tasmania	1944	1938–1965
John Barnes ^[b]	Labor	Victoria	1944	1913–20, 1923–35
Charles Brand	United Australia	Victoria	1941	1935–1947
Gordon Brown	Labor	Queensland	1944	1932–1965
Don Cameron	Labor	Victoria	1944	1938–1962
Robert Clothier	Labor	Western Australia	1944	1938–1950
Herbert Collett	United Australia	Western Australia	1941	1933–1947
Joe Collings	Labor	Queensland	1944	1932–1950
Walter Cooper	Country	Queensland	1941	1928–1932, 1935–1968
Ben Courtice	Labor	Queensland	1944	1937–1962
Thomas Crawford ^[c]	United Australia	Queensland	1941	1917–1947
James Cunningham	Labor	Western Australia	1944	1937–1943
Richard Darcey	Labor	Tasmania	1944	1938–1944
Dick Dein	United Australia	New South Wales	1941	1935–1941
Harry Foll ^[c]	United Australia	Queensland	1941	1917–1947
James Fraser	Labor	Western Australia	1944	1938–1959
William Gibson	Independent / Country ^[d]	Victoria	1941	1935–1947
Charles Grant	United Australia	Tasmania	1941	1925, 1932–1941
John Hayes	United Australia	Tasmania	1941	1923–1947
Herbert Hays	United Australia	Tasmania	1941	1923–1947
Bertie Johnston	Country	Western Australia	1941	1929–1942
Richard Keane	Labor	Victoria	1944	1938–1946
Charles Lamp	Labor	Tasmania	1944	1938–1950
John Leckie	United Australia	Victoria	1941	1935–1947
Allan MacDonald	United Australia	Western Australia	1941	1935–1947
Philip McBride	United Australia	South Australia	1944	1937–1944
Alexander McLachlan	United Australia	South Australia	1944	1926–1944
James McLachlan	United Australia	South Australia	1941	1935–1947
George McLeay	United Australia	South Australia	1941	1935–1947, 1950–1955
Jim Sheehan ^[b]	Labor	Victoria	1940 ^[e]	1938–1940, 1944–1962
John Spicer ^[b]	United Australia	Victoria	1944	1940–1944, 1950–1956
Oliver Uppill	United Australia	South Australia	1941	1935–1944
Keith Wilson	United Australia	South Australia	1944	1938–1944

Notes[edit]

^ ^a ^b In April 1940, Amour and Armstrong joined five MHRs in forming the Non-Communist Labor Party, a Lang Labor breakaway led by Jack Beasley. They rejoined the ALP in March 1941.
^ ^a ^b ^c Labor Senator John Barnes was elected at the October 1937 election to a term starting on 1 July 1938, but died on 31 January 1938; Labor member Jim Sheehan was appointed to replace him on 12 July, with his term expiring at the September 1940 election, when he was defeated by UAP candidate John Spicer to fill the remainder of the vacancy, expiring on 30 June 1944.
^ ^a ^b Father of the Senate
^ Gibson was expelled from the Country Party on 23 September 1935 for disloyalty.^[3] He continued to support the government as an independent, but was not re-admitted to the party until 21 November 1939.^[4]
^ Appointed to a casual vacancy and only held office until the earlier of the next election for the House of Representatives or the Senate.^[2]

References[edit]

^ "The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate 1938". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
^ ^a ^b Evans, H. "Filling Casual Vacancies before 1977" (PDF). The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate, Volume 3. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
^ "Senator Gibson expelled by the Country Party". The Advocate. 24 September 1935.
^ "Senator Gibson rejoins Country Party". The Canberra Times. 22 November 1939.

Journals of the Senate. Parliament of Australia. 1940.
"Members of the Senate since 1901". Parliamentary Handbook. Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2008.

[1] Senator William Gibson had been expelled by the Country Party in September 1935. He was listed as an "Independent Country" member and continued to support the government.

[2] At the September 1940 election Labor Senator Jim Sheehan was defeated for a casual vacancy by UAP candidate John Spicer.

[Lang-5] In April 1940, Amour and Armstrong joined five MHRs in forming the Non-Communist Labor Party, a Lang Labor breakaway led by Jack Beasley. They rejoined the ALP in March 1941.

[Barnes-6] Labor Senator John Barnes was elected at the October 1937 election to a term starting on 1 July 1938, but died on 31 January 1938; Labor member Jim Sheehan was appointed to replace him on 12 July, with his term expiring at the September 1940 election, when he was defeated by UAP candidate John Spicer to fill the remainder of the vacancy, expiring on 30 June 1944.

[Father-7] Father of the Senate

[Gibson-10] Gibson was expelled from the Country Party on 23 September 1935 for disloyalty.^[3] He continued to support the government as an independent, but was not re-admitted to the party until 21 November 1939.^[4]

[Appointment-11] Appointed to a casual vacancy and only held office until the earlier of the next election for the House of Representatives or the Senate.^[2]

[3] "The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate 1938". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 19 March 2017.

[Evans_vacancy-4] Evans, H. "Filling Casual Vacancies before 1977" (PDF). The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate, Volume 3. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2017.

[8] "Senator Gibson expelled by the Country Party". The Advocate. 24 September 1935.

[9] "Senator Gibson rejoins Country Party". The Canberra Times. 22 November 1939.

[i]

[ii]

[1]

[2]

[a]

[b]

[c]

[d]

[e]

[3]

[4]

v t e Members of the Parliament of Australia by parliamentary terms
House of Representatives	1901–1903 1903–1906 1906–1910 1910–1913 1913–1914 1914–1917 1917–1919 1919–1922 1922–1925 1925–1928 1928–1929 1929–1931 1931–1934 1934–1937 1937–1940 1940–1943 1943–1946 1946–1949 1949–1951 1951–1954 1954–1955 1955–1958 1958–1961 1961–1963 1963–1966 1966–1969 1969–1972 1972–1974 1974–1975 1975–1977 1977–1980 1980–1983 1983–1984 1984–1987 1987–1990 1990–1993 1993–1996 1996–1998 1998–2001 2001–2004 2004–2007 2007–2010 2010–2013 2013–2016 2016–2019 2019–2022 2022–2025
Senate	1901–1903 1904–1906 1907–1910 1910–1913 1913–1914 1914–1917 1917–1920 1920–1923 1923–1926 1926–1929 1929–1932 1932–1935 1935–1938 1938–1941 1941–1944 1944–1947 1947–1950 1950–1951 1951–1953 1953–1956 1956–1959 1959–1962 1962–1965 1965–1968 1968–1971 1971–1974 1974–1975 1975–1978 1978–1981 1981–1983 1983–1985 1985–1987 1987–1990 1990–1993 1993–1996 1996–1999 1999–2002 2002–2005 2005–2008 2008–2011 2011–2014 2014–2016 2016–2019 2019–2022 2022–2025
Served in both houses Represented multiple states Longest-serving members Members of multiple Australian legislatures