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,Handbook of the 42nd Parliament: Members who have served in both chambers 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.
Name Party Chamber(s) Start of service End of service Period of service Hughes, BillyBilly Hughes Labor/NLP/Nationalist/Independent/Australian/UAP/Liberal House of Reps † Ruddock, PhilipPhilip Ruddock Liberal House of Reps Page, EarleSir Earle Page Country House of Reps Pearce, GeorgeSir George Pearce Labor/Nationalist/UAP Senate Cooper, WalterSir Walter Cooper Country Senate Maloney, WilliamWilliam Maloney Labor House of Reps † McEwen, JohnSir John McEwen Country House of Reps Makin, NormanNorman Makin Labor House of Reps Brennan, FrankFrank Brennan Labor House of Reps Clark, JoeJoe Clark Labor House of Reps Sinclair, IanIan Sinclair National House of Reps Watkins, DavidDavid Watkins Labor House of Reps † O'Byrne, JustinJustin O'Byrne Labor Senate Katter, BobBob Katter National/Independent/KAP House of Reps present Howard, JohnJohn Howard Liberal House of Reps Cadman, AlanAlan Cadman Liberal House of Reps Brown, GordonGordon Brown Labor Senate Groom, LittletonSir Littleton Groom Protectionist/Liberal/Nationalist/UAP House of Reps † Francis, JosiahSir Josiah Francis Nationalist/UAP/Liberal House of Reps Holt, HaroldHarold Holt UAP/Liberal House of Reps † Ward, EddieEddie Ward Labor/Lang Labor House of Reps † Beazley, KimKim Beazley Sr. Labor House of Reps Daly, FredFred Daly Labor House of Reps Snowdon, WarrenWarren Snowdon Labor House of Reps Warren Snowdon also served as a member of parliament from 11 July 1987 to 2 March 1996 Calwell, ArthurArthur Calwell Labor House of Reps McMahon, WilliamSir William McMahon Liberal House of Reps Lynch, PatrickPatrick Lynch Labor/Nationalist/UAP Senate Menzies, RobertSir Robert Menzies UAP/Liberal House of Reps Boswell, RonRon Boswell National Senate Uren, TomTom Uren Labor House of Reps Andrews, KevinKevin Andrews Liberal House of Reps Scullin, JamesJames Scullin Labor House of Reps Cameron, ClydeClyde Cameron Labor House of Reps Albanese, AnthonyAnthony Albanese Labor House of Reps present Jull, DavidDavid Jull Liberal House of Reps Lazzarini, HubertBert Lazzarini Labor House of Reps † Crawford, ThomasThomas Crawford Nationalist/UAP/Independent Senate Foll, HarryHarry Foll Nationalist/UAP/Liberal Senate Watson, JohnJohn Watson Liberal Senate
†= Died in office
Longest service by women 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. At the end of her term at the 2 July 2016 double dissolution, Bishop had served for 28 years and 274 days.
Name Party Chamber(s) Start of service End of service Period of service Liberal Senate House of Reps Labor House of Reps present Liberal Senate House of Reps Liberal Senate Labor House of Reps present Labor Senate Liberal House of Reps Labor Senate present Liberal Senate Labor House of Reps Labor House of Reps Liberal Senate Labor House of Reps present Liberal Senate Liberal Senate Labor Senate present Labor Senate present Liberal Senate Labor Senate Liberal Senate Liberal House of Reps Liberal House of Reps Liberal House of Reps
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".
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". Since then, the title was assumed by Marise Payne, the longest serving female senator in Australia's history. After Payne's resignation took effect, Penny Wong, also a woman, became the longest serving incumbent senator. The term "Mother of the Senate" has been used to refer to Dame Annabelle Rankin, who was jointly the longest-serving senator with Bert Hendrickson and Justin O'Byrne.
From To Overall Senate Continuousterm started House Continuousterm 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 HughesDavid Watkins n/a 9 April 1935 30 June 1938 NilAlthough 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. Billy Hughes 30 March 1901 1 July 1938 30 June 1947 Billy Hughes MP Thomas CrawfordHarry Foll 1 July 1917 1 July 1947 30 June 1950 Gordon BrownJoe 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 SenatorGordon Brown Joe ClarkJohn McEwenSir Robert Menzies 15 September 1934 1 July 1965 16 February 1966 Joe Clark MPJohn McEwen MPSir Robert Menzies MP Sir Walter Cooper 1 July 1935 17 February 1966 30 June 1968 Joe Clark MPJohn McEwen MP Joe ClarkJohn McEwen 1 July 1968 29 September 1969 Bert HendricksonJustin O'ByrneDame 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 HendricksonJustin 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 SenatorJustin O'Byrne Clyde CameronSir 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 MPSir James Killen MPSir Billy Snedden MP Malcolm FraserSir James KillenSir Billy Snedden 10 December 1955 1 April 1983 21 April 1983 Sir James Killen MPSir Billy Snedden MP Sir James KillenSir 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 GietzeltPeter 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 ColstonBrian 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 9 May 2016 30 June 2019 Senator Ian Macdonald Kevin Andrews 11 May 1991 1 July 2019 11 April 2022 Kevin Andrews MP Kim Carr 28 April 1993 11 April 2022 1 July 2022 Bob Katter MP Bob Katter 13 March 1993 1 July 2022 30 September 2023 Marise Payne 9 April 1997 30 September 2023 Penny Wong 1 July 2002
Longest-serving members by state and territory State / Territory Longest-serving members Upper house Overall Lower house Margaret Reid1981–2003 Bob McMullan1988–1996 (S), 1996–2010 (H) Jim Fraser1951–1970 Stan Amour1938–1965 Billy Hughes1901–1917, 1922–1952 Nigel Scullion2001–2019 Warren Snowdon1987–1996, 1998–2022 Walter Cooper1928–1932, 1935–1968 Bob Katter1993– Robert Hill1981–2006 Norman Makin1919–1946, 1955–1963 Justin O'Byrne1947–1981 Gil Duthie1946–1975 Kim Carr1993–2022 William Maloney1904–1940 George Pearce1901–1938 Kim Beazley Sr.1945–1977
See also Longest-serving members of the Parliament of Victoria List of Australian heads of government by time in office List of prime ministers of Australia by time in office
List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service List of historical longest-serving members of the United States Congress List of longest-serving members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Members of the Malaysian Parliament who have served for at least 30 years Records of members of the Oireachtas (Ireland) Records of members of parliament of the United Kingdom
References