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This is a list of Indigenous Australians who have been members of Australian legislatures—federal, state or territory. This list does not cover those elected to local councils (including mayors), Governors/Governors-General, leaders of political parties (outside of parliament), Indigenous Australians actively involved in political institutions and those who have run unsuccessfully for office.
Contents
- Federal Parliament
- Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
- Parliament of New South Wales
- Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
- Parliament of Queensland
- Parliament of Tasmania
- Parliament of Victoria
- Parliament of Western Australia
- References
There have been 38 Indigenous members of the ten Australian legislatures, beginning when Neville Bonner entered the Australian Senate on 15 August 1971. Of these, 22 have been elected to the Northern Territory assembly, eight to the Australian Federal Parliament, four to the parliament of Western Australia, three to the parliament of Queensland and one each to the parliaments of Tasmania and New South Wales and one to the Australian Capital Territory assembly.
Out of the 38 Indigenous Australians elected to any Australian Parliament, 14 have been women.
Nobody of acknowledged Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ancestry has been a member of the parliaments of South Australia or Victoria or of the Norfolk Island assembly.
Note: There is considerable debate surrounding the complexity of Indigenous identity. Therefore, this list only includes those who identify themselves as Indigenous Australian. Also note that "origin" or "ancestry" refers to the Indigenous groups, communities, countries, place names or languages which that person identifies with. Some individuals do not have any specific Indigenous group identity and some have multiple identities.
Federal Parliament
Eight Indigenous Australian people have been members of the Parliament of Australia (the Federal Parliament), six in the Senate and two in the House of Representatives.
At least three other members of the Federal Parliament have had acknowledged Indigenous ancestry, but are or were not generally regarded as Indigenous themselves.
Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
One Indigenous Australian person has been a member of the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly.
Parliament of New South Wales
One Indigenous Australian person has been a member of the Parliament of New South Wales.
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Twenty Indigenous Australian people have been members of the unicameral Parliament of the Northern Territory.
Parliament of Queensland
Three Indigenous Australian people have been members of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland.
Parliament of Tasmania
One Indigenous Australian person has been a member of the Parliament of Tasmania.
At least one other member of the Parliament of Tasmania has acknowledged Indigenous ancestry, but is not generally regarded as Indigenous themself.
Parliament of Victoria
No Indigenous Australians have been a member of the Parliament of Victoria. However, at least two members have had acknowledged Indigenous ancestry, but were not generally regarded as Indigenous themselves.
Parliament of Western Australia
Four Indigenous Australian people have been members of the Parliament of Western Australia, all of whom were elected to the Legislative Assembly (the lower house).