8 August 2022

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Lisa Richards
Politics and Public Administration Section

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this paper contains the names of people who have died.

This Quick Guide lists the name, party, chamber, state/electorate, dates in office, significant firsts and identity (where readily available) of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander parliamentarians in federal and state/territory parliaments in Australia.

For the purposes of this Quick Guide, I have included parliamentarians (MPs) who identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person or as having Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ancestry.

This information is compiled from a range of publicly available sources including the Parliamentary Handbook, the Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate, the websites of Australian state and territory parliaments, political websites and personal biographies. Additionally, I am grateful to the staff at each of the Australian state and territory parliamentary libraries for their assistance in compiling this Quick Guide.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this Quick Guide, it cannot be guaranteed to be exhaustive. Note also that all percentages are rounded.

Party and chamber abbreviations

AD        Australian Democrats	JLN       Jacqui Lambie Network
ALP       Australian Labor Party	LIB        Liberal Party of Australia
CLP       Country Liberal Party	LNP       Liberal National Party
GRN     Australian Greens	NP         National Party
IND       Independent	PUP      Palmer United Party
Chambers
HA        House of Assembly	LC          Legislative Council
LA         Legislative Assembly	Reps     House of Representatives

Current representation

There are an estimated 26 MPs in Australian parliaments who identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (3.1% of all federal, state and territory parliamentarians).

The Australian Parliament is the only jurisdiction in Australia that has more Indigenous parliamentarians than the proportion of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population (1.7% higher).

The NT Legislative Assembly has the highest proportion of Indigenous MPs of any Australian parliament (24.0%), which is perhaps unsurprising given the NT is home to the highest proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia (24.5% of the NT population).

Tasmania has the largest discrepancy (5.3%) between the portion of Indigenous parliamentarians relative to the population who identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, followed by the ACT (2.0%) and NSW (2.0%).

Table 1 lists the number and proportion of parliamentarians who identify as Indigenous or as having Indigenous identity, ordered by the ratio of Indigenous MPs to Indigenous population.

Table 1: Current number of Indigenous parliamentarians in Australia, by parliament

Parliament	Total MPs (no.)	Current Indigenous MPs (no.)	Current Indigenous MPs (%)	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: total population (%)
Federal	227	11	4.8%	3.2%
Australia (total)	837	26	3.1%	3.2%
Victoria	128	1	0.8%	1.0%
NT	25	6	24.0%	24.5%
SA	69	1	1.4%	2.4%
WA	95	2	2.1%	3.2%
Queensland	93	3	3.2%	4.5%
NSW	135	2	1.5%	3.4%
ACT	25	0	0.0%	2.0%
Tasmania	40	0	0.0%	5.3%

Source: Compiled by the Australian Parliamentary Library. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: Census and National, state and territory population (Canberra: ABS, 2021).
*Percentages are rounded.
^Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander population percentage is based out of the total population for each jurisdiction. Federal and Australia (total) jurisdictions include other territories.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander parliamentarians: significant firsts

First Member of parliament in Australia (Senate, Federal Parliament)

•      Neville Bonner (LIB; IND, Qld) appointed to the Senate in June 1971.

David Kennedy was first elected at a by-election as the ALP member for Bendigo in the House of Representatives in 1969. However, Kennedy’s Indigenous heritage was unknown when he entered parliament, nor did he self-identify as Indigenous at that time. For these reasons Neville Bonner is recorded as the first Indigenous parliamentarian.

First Member of a state/territory parliament

• Hyacinth Tungutalum (CLP), elected to the NT Legislative Assembly in October 1974.

First Member of the House of Representatives

• Ken Wyatt (LIB, Hasluck, WA), elected in August 2010.

First woman in any parliament in Australia (WA Legislative Assembly)

• Carol Martin (ALP), elected to the WA Legislative Assembly in February 2001.

First woman in Federal Parliament (Senate)

• Nova Peris (ALP, NT), elected to the Senate in 2013.

First woman to be elected to the House of Representatives

• Linda Burney (ALP, Barton NSW), elected in July 2016.

First Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander to hold a ministerial and Cabinet role

• Ernie Bridge (ALP; IND, WA Legislative Assembly): (Cabinet) Minister for Water Resources, the North-West and Aboriginal Affairs, appointed July 1986.

First (Cabinet) minister in Federal Parliament

• Ken Wyatt (LIB, Hasluck WA):
• Assistant Minister for Health, appointed 30 September 2015
• Minister for Aged Care, appointed 24 January 2017
• (Cabinet) Minister for Indigenous Australians, appointed 29 May 2019

First woman to hold a (Cabinet) ministerial role (NT Legislative Assembly)

• Marion Scrymgour (ALP; IND; ALP, NT Legislative Assembly): (Cabinet) Minister for Family and Community Services, and Environment and Heritage, appointed December 2003.

First woman to hold a (Cabinet) ministerial role in Federal Parliament

• Linda Burney (ALP, Barton NSW): (Cabinet) Minister for Indigenous Australians, appointed 1 June 2022.

First deputy and head of government

• Marion Scrymgour (ALP; IND; ALP, NT Legislative Assembly) was appointed Deputy Chief Minister of the NT on 26 November 2007 and served until 8 February 2009 (p. 2). In January 2008, Scrymgour also served as Acting Chief Minister.
• Adam Giles (CLP, NT Legislative Assembly) served as Chief Minister of the NT from 14 March 2013 to 26 August 2016 (p. 2).

Presiding Officers

• Chansey Paech (ALP, NT Legislative Assembly) appointed as Speaker in June 2020, shortly before the NT election.
• Ngaree Ah Kit (ALP, NT Legislative Assembly) is the first Aboriginal woman and the first Torres Strait Islander to become a presiding officer, appointed as Speaker in October 2020.

Language

• Aden Ridgeway (AD, NSW) was the first Aboriginal MP to use an Indigenous language (Gumbaynggirr) in federal parliament. In his first speech to the Senate delivered on 25 August 1999, he stated:

On this special occasion, I make my presence known as an Aborigine and to this chamber I say, perhaps for the first time: Nyandi baaliga Jaingatti. Nyandi mimiga Gumbayynggir. Nya jawgar yaam Gumbayynggir. Translated, it means: My father is Dhunghutti. My mother is Gumbayynggir. And, therefore, I am Gumbayynggir.

• On 8 May 2019 (pp. 6081–2), Yingiya Mark Guyula (IND, NT Legislative Assembly) spoke in Djambarrpuyngu, which was interpreted in real-time by the Aboriginal Interpreter Service. It was the first time a pre-prepared speech delivered in an Indigenous language was interpreted live in the Chamber in an Australian parliament.

Political party

• The first registered political party dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples was the Australia's Indigenous Peoples Party (1993–1999).
• The Indigenous - Aboriginal Party of Australia is the only current registered political party run by Indigenous people and focused on Indigenous issues. It was registered in November 2021.

Australian federal parliament

Table 1: List of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander federal parliamentarians

Name	Party	Chamber	Division/State	Dates in office^	Identity[1]
Andrew (David) Kennedy	ALP	Reps	Bendigo (Vic)	*7.6.1969–2.12.1972 defeated
Neville Bonner	LIB, IND	Senate	Qld	*11.6.1971–4.2.1983 defeated	Jagera
Aden Ridgeway	AD	Senate	NSW	1.7.1999–30.6.2005 defeated	Gumbaynggirr
Kenneth (Ken) Wyatt	LIB	Reps	Hasluck (WA)	21.8.2010–21.5.2022 defeated	Noongar, Yamatji, and Wongi
Nova Peris	ALP	Senate	NT	7.9.2013–9.5.2016 resigned	Gija, Yawuru, and Iwatja
Jacquiline (Jacqui) Lambie	PUP, IND, JLN	Senate	Tas	1.7.2014–14.11.2017 resigned# 1.7.2019–current	Palawa
Joanna Lindgren	LIB	Senate	Qld	*21.5.2015–9.5.2016 defeated	Mununjali and Jagera
Patrick (Pat) Dodson	ALP	Senate	WA	*28.4.2016–current	Yawuru
Linda Burney	ALP	Reps	Barton (NSW)	2.7.2016–current	Wiradjuri
Malarndirri McCarthy	ALP	Senate	NT	2.7.2016–current	Yanyuwa and Garrawa
Lidia Thorpe	GRN	Senate	Vic	*4.9.2020–current	Djab Wurrung, Gunnai, and Gunditjmara
Dorinda Cox	GRN	Senate	WA	*14.9.2021–current	Noongar, Bibbulmen, and Yamatji (clans of the Kaneyang, Yued, Amangu and Wajarri peoples)
Jana Stewart	ALP	Senate	Vic	*6.4.2022–current	Mutthi Mutthi and Wamba Wamba
Kerrynne Liddle	LIB	Senate	SA	1.7.2022–current	Arrente
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price	CLP [LIB]	Senate	NT	21.5.2022–current	Warlpiri
Gordon Reid	ALP	Reps	Robertson (NSW)	21.5.2022–current	Wiradjuri
Marion Scrymgour	ALP	Reps	Lingiari (NT)	21.5.2022–current	Tiwi Islander, Miyartuwi (pandanus) yiminga (skin group), and links to Central Australia

Source: Compiled by the Parliamentary Library.

*Selected under Section 15 of the Australian Constitution in the Senate or at a by-election in the House of Representatives.

^{^}Dates in office for state Senators reflect when their term began, not when they were elected, e.g. Aden Ridgeway was elected to the Senate 3.10.1998, his term began 1.7.1999.

^#Jacqui Lambie resigned on 14.11.2017 and was subsequently disqualified by the High Court on 8.12.2017, pursuant to section 44(i) of the Constitution

State/territory parliaments

The information in Table 2 is derived from state/territory parliament websites, as such the data has not been standardised. Parliamentarians are listed under each state/territory in order of date first elected.

Table 2: List of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander state/territory parliamentarians

Northern Territory[2] (23 parliamentarians)
Name	Party	Chamber (Division)	Dates in office	Identity
Hyacinth Tungutalum	CLP	LA (Tiwi)	19.10.1974–13.8.1977 resigned
Neville Perkins	ALP	LA (Macdonnell)	13.8.1977–6.3.1981 resigned
Wesley Lanhupuy	ALP	LA (Arnhem)	3.12.1983–25.8.1995 resigned
Stanley Tipiloura	ALP	LA (Arafura)	7.3.1987–20.9.1992 died in office
Maurice Rioli	ALP	LA (Arafura)	*7.11.1992–17.8.2001 resigned
John (Jack) Ah Kit	ALP	LA (Arnhem)	*7.10.1995–17.6.2005 resigned	Jawoyn
Marion Scrymgour	ALP, IND, ALP	LA (Arafura)	18.08.2001–24.8.2012 resigned
Elliot McAdam	ALP	LA (Barkly)	18.8.2001–8.8.2008 resigned
Matthew Bonson	ALP	LA (Millner)	18.8.2001–8.8.2008 defeated
Malarndirri McCarthy	ALP	LA (Arnhem)	18.6.2005–24.8.2012 defeated	Yanyuwa and Garrawa
Alison Anderson	ALP, IND, CLP, PUP, IND	LA (Macdonnell) LA (Namatjira)	18.6.2005–24.8.2012 25.8.2012–26.8.2016 resigned
Karl Hampton	ALP	LA (Stuart)	*23.9.2006–24.8.2012 defeated
Adam Giles	CLP	LA (Braitling)	9.8.2008–26.8.2016 defeated	Gamilaroi
Francis Kurrupuwu	CLP, PUP, CLP	LA (Arafura)	25.8.2012–26.8.2016 defeated
Kenneth (Ken) Vowles	ALP	LA (Johnston)	25.8.2012–31.1.2020 resigned
Larisa Lee	CLP, PUP, IND	LA (Arnhem)	25.8.2012–26.8.2016 defeated
Bess Price	CLP	LA (Stuart)	25.8.2012–26.8.2016 defeated	Walpiri
Lawrence Costa	ALP	LA (Arafura)	27.8.2016–current
Selena Uibo	ALP	LA (Arnhem)	27.8.2016–current	Nunggubuyu
Ngaree Ah Kit	ALP	LA (Karama)	27.8.2016–current
Chanston (Chansey) Paech	ALP	LA (Namatjira) LA (Gwoja)	27.8.2016–21.8.2020 22.8.2020–current	Eastern Arrente and Gurindji
Yingiya Mark Guyula	IND	LA (Mulka)	27.8.2016–current	Yolŋu man of the Djambarrpuyŋu clan and the Liya-Dhalinymirr people
Dheran Young	ALP	LA (Daly)	*11.9.2021–current	Yaegl
Queensland (5 parliamentarians)
Name	Party	Chamber (Division)	Dates in office	Identity
Eric Deeral	NP	LA (Cook)	7.12.1974–12.11.1977 defeated	Elder of the Gamay clan of the Guugu Yimithirr nation
Leeanne Enoch	ALP	LA (Algester)	31.1.2015–current	Nunukul/Nughi woman of the Quandamooka nation
William (Billy) Gordon	ALP, IND	LA (Cook)	31.1.2015–24.11.2017 resigned	Barbarrum
Cynthia Lui	ALP	LA (Cook)	25.11.2017–current	Iamalaig woman from the Kulkalgau Clan of Iama (Yam Island) and the Kulkalgal Tribe of the Torres Strait
Lance McCallum	ALP	LA (Bundamba)	28.3.2020–current	Gubbi Gubbi
Victoria (4 parliamentarians)
Name	Party	Chamber (Division)	Dates in office	Identity
Cyril Kennedy	ALP	LC (Waverley)	5.5.1979–2.10.1992 defeated
David Kennedy	ALP	LA (Bendigo) LA (Bendigo West)	3.4.1982–1.3.1985 2.3.1985–2.10.1992 defeated
Lidia Thorpe	GRN	LA (Northcote)	18.11.2017–19.12.2018 defeated	Djab Wurrung, Gunnai, and Gunditjmara
Sheena Watt	ALP	LC (Northern Metropolitan)	13.10.2020–current	Yorta Yorta
Western Australia (7 parliamentarians)
Name	Party	Chamber (Division)	Dates in office	Identity
Ernest (Ernie) Bridge	ALP, IND	LA (Kimberley)	23.2.1980–10.2.2001 resigned	Gidja
Carol Martin	ALP	LA (Kimberley)	10.2.2001–9.3.2013 resigned	Yamatji and Noongar
Benjamin (Ben) Wyatt	ALP	LA (Victoria Park)	*11.3.2006–13.3.2021 resigned	Yamatji
Josephine (Josie) Farrer	ALP	LA (Kimberley)	9.3.2013–13.3.2021 resigned	Gidja
Zak Kirkup	LIB	LA (Dawesville)	11.3.2017–13.3.2021 defeated	Yamatji
Divina D’Anna	ALP	LA (Kimberley)	13.3.2021–current	Yawuru with Bardi, Nimanburru and Kija connections
Rosetta Shahanna	ALP	LC (Mining and Pastoral)	22.5.2021–current	Ngarinyin and Bardi Jawi, connected to the Kitja and Gooniyandi tribes in the Kimberley and the Yamatji in the south.
Tasmania (3 parliamentarians)
Name	Party	Chamber (Division)	Dates in office	Identity
Andrew (Paul) Harriss	IND, LIB	LC (Huon) HA (Franklin)	25.5.1996–24.2.2014 30.3.2014–18.2.2016 resigned
Kathryn Hay	ALP	HA (Bass)	20.7.2002–18.3.2006 resigned
Jennifer Houston	ALP	HA (Bass)	3.3.2018–1.5.2021 defeated
New South Wales (4 parliamentarians)
Name	Party	Chamber (Division)	Dates in office	Identity
Linda Burney	ALP	LA (Canterbury)	22.3.2003–6.5.2016 resigned	Wiradjuri
Lynda Voltz	ALP	LC LA (Auburn)	24.3.2007–28.2.2019 23.3.2019–current
Jai Rowell	LIB	LA (Wollondilly)	26.3.2011–17.12.2018 resigned
Gregory (Greg) Warren	ALP	LA (Campbelltown)	28.3.2015–current
Australian Capital Territory (1 parliamentarian)
Name	Party	Chamber (Division)	Dates in office	Identity
Christopher (Chris) Bourke	ALP	LA (Ginninderra)	*2.6.2011–14.10.2016 defeated	Gamillaroi
South Australia (1 parliamentarian)
Name	Party	Chamber (Division)	Dates in office	Identity
Kyam Maher	ALP	LC	17.10.2012–current

Source: Compiled by the Parliamentary Library with assistance from the Australian state and territory libraries.
*By-election or selected to fill a casual vacancy, including via a recount/countback.
Note 1: retired parliamentarians are listed as ‘resigned’.
Note 2: The ACT, NT and Queensland are unicameral parliaments.

 

See also

• Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), Electoral milestones for Indigenous Australians, AEC website, 12 November 2020.
• Michelle Evans and Duncan McDonnell, ‘More partisans than parachutes, more successful than not: Indigenous candidates of the major Australian parties’, Australian Journal of Political Science, 28 April 2022.

 

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[1] The spelling is sourced from Hansard records or the linked source. The AIATSIS Austlang thesaurus provides alternative spellings.

[2].    Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory, Members of the Legislative Assembly: 1^st Assembly 1974 to 13^th Assembly, updated 21 August 2020.

 

For copyright reasons some linked items are only available to members of Parliament.

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