Members of the Australian Senate, 1959–1962

This is a list of members of the Australian Senate from 1959 to 1962.^[1] Half of its members were elected at the 10 December 1955 election and had terms starting on 1 July 1956 and finishing on 30 June 1962; the other half were elected at the 22 November 1958 election and had terms starting on 1 July 1959 and finishing on 30 June 1965. 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	Party		State	Term ending	Years in office
Stan Amour		Labor	New South Wales	1965	1938–1965
Ken Anderson		Liberal	New South Wales	1965	1953–1975
John Armstrong		Labor	New South Wales	1962	1938–1962
James Arnold		Labor	New South Wales	1965	1941–1965
Bill Aylett		Labor	Tasmania	1965	1938–1965
Archie Benn		Labor	Queensland	1962	1950–1968
George Branson		Liberal	Western Australia	1965	1958–1971
Gordon Brown [a]		Labor	Queensland	1965	1932–1965
Nancy Buttfield [b]		Liberal	South Australia	1962, 1965	1955–1965, 1968–1974
Don Cameron		Labor	Victoria	1962	1938–1962
Harry Cant		Labor	Western Australia	1965	1959–1974
George Cole		Democratic Labor	Tasmania	1965	1950–1965
Joe Cooke		Labor	Western Australia	1965	1947–1951, 1952–1965
Walter Cooper		Country	Queensland	1962	1928–1932, 1935–1968
Ben Courtice		Labor	Queensland	1962	1937–1962
Gordon Davidson [b]		Liberal	South Australia	1961,[c] 1962 [c]	1961, 1962, 1965–1981
Felix Dittmer		Labor	Queensland	1965	1959–1971
Tom Drake-Brockman		Country	Western Australia	1965	1958, 1959–1978
Arnold Drury		Labor	South Australia	1965	1959–1975
John Gorton		Liberal	Victoria	1965	1950–1968
Clive Hannaford		Liberal	South Australia	1962	1950–1967
George Hannan		Liberal	Victoria	1965	1956–1965, 1970–1974
Bert Hendrickson		Labor	Victoria	1965	1947–1971
Denham Henty		Liberal	Tasmania	1962	1950–1968
Roy Kendall		Liberal	Queensland	1965	1950–1965
Pat Kennelly		Labor	Victoria	1965	1953–1971
Keith Laught		Liberal	South Australia	1965	1951–1969
Elliot Lillico		Liberal	Tasmania	1965	1959–1974
Ted Maher		Country	Queensland	1965	1950–1965
John Marriott		Liberal	Tasmania	1965	1953–1975
Ted Mattner		Liberal	South Australia	1962	1944–1946, 1950–1968
John McCallum		Liberal	New South Wales	1962	1950–1962
Colin McKellar		Country	New South Wales	1962	1958–1970
Nick McKenna		Labor	Tasmania	1962	1944–1968
Frank McManus		Democratic Labor	Victoria	1962	1956–1962, 1965–1974
Alister McMullin		Liberal	New South Wales	1965	1951–1971
Theo Nicholls		Labor	South Australia	1962	1944–1968
Justin O'Byrne		Labor	Tasmania	1965	1947–1981
Sid O'Flaherty		Labor	South Australia	1962	1944–1962
James Ormonde		Labor	New South Wales	1965	1958, 1959–1970
Neil O'Sullivan		Liberal	Queensland	1962	1947–1962
Shane Paltridge		Liberal	Western Australia	1962	1951–1966
Rex Pearson [b]		Liberal	South Australia	1965	1951–1961
Bob Poke		Labor	Tasmania	1962	1956–1974
Dame Annabelle Rankin		Liberal	Queensland	1962	1947–1971
Albert Reid		Country	New South Wales	1962	1950–1962
Clem Ridley		Labor	South Australia	1965	1959–1971
Agnes Robertson		Country	Western Australia	1962	1950–1962
Charles Sandford		Labor	Victoria	1962	1947–1956, 1957–1966
Malcolm Scott		Liberal	Western Australia	1965	1950–1971
Jim Sheehan		Labor	Victoria	1962	1938–1940, 1944–1962
Bill Spooner		Liberal	New South Wales	1962	1950–1965
Dame Dorothy Tangney		Labor	Western Australia	1962	1943–1968
Jim Toohey		Labor	South Australia	1965	1953–1971
Seddon Vincent		Liberal	Western Australia	1962	1950–1964
Harrie Wade		Country	Victoria	1962	1956–1964
Robert Wardlaw		Liberal	Tasmania	1962	1953–1962
Dame Ivy Wedgwood		Liberal	Victoria	1965	1950–1971
Don Willesee		Labor	Western Australia	1962	1950–1975
Ian Wood		Liberal	Queensland	1965	1950–1978
Reg Wright		Liberal	Tasmania	1962	1950–1978

Senate composition at 1 July 1959
Government (32) - (1 seat majority)
  Liberal (25)
  Country Party (7)

Opposition (26)
  Labor (26)

Crossbench (2)
  DLP (2)

Notes

1. Father of the Senate
2. Liberal Senator Rex Pearson died on 11 September 1961; Liberal member Gordon Davidson was appointed to fill the ensuing vacancy on 28 September. He did not stand at the 9 December 1961 election and his position was won by Liberal candidate Nancy Buttfield. In order to take up the seat with a term finishing on 30 June 1965, Buttfield resigned her pre-existing seat won at the 1955 election and scheduled to expire on 30 June 1962; Davidson was appointed to that position on 8 February 1962.
3. 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]