Members of the Australian Senate, 1981–1983

This is a list of members of the Australian Senate from 1 July 1981 to 5 February 1983.^[1] Half of the state senators were elected at the December 1977 election and had terms due to finish on 30 June 1984; the other half of the state senators were elected at the October 1980 election and had terms due to finish on 30 June 1987. The territory senators were elected at the October 1980 election and their terms ended at the dissolution of the House of Representatives, which was March 1983. However, in fact, the Senate was dissolved on 4 February 1983 for a double dissolution election.

Senator	Party		State	Term ending	Years in office
Brian Archer		Liberal	Tasmania	1984	1975–1994
Peter Baume		Liberal	New South Wales	1984	1974–1991
Florence Bjelke-Petersen		National [a]	Queensland	1987	1981–1993
Nick Bolkus		Labor	South Australia	1987	1981–2005
Neville Bonner		Liberal	Queensland	1987	1971–1983
John Button		Labor	Victoria	1984	1974–1993
John Carrick		Liberal	New South Wales	1987	1970–1987
Fred Chaney		Liberal	Western Australia	1984	1974–1990
Bruce Childs		Labor	New South Wales	1987	1981–1997
Don Chipp		Democrats	Victoria	1984	1977–1986
John Coates		Labor	Tasmania	1987	1981–1996
Ruth Coleman		Labor	Western Australia	1984	1974–1987
Stan Collard		National	Queensland	1984	1975–1987
Mal Colston		Labor	Queensland	1984	1975–1999
Noel Crichton-Browne		Liberal	Western Australia	1987	1981–1996
Peter Durack		Liberal	Western Australia	1987	1970–1993
Ron Elstob		Labor	South Australia	1984	1977–1987
Gareth Evans		Labor	Victoria	1984	1977–1996
Dominic Foreman		Labor	South Australia	1987	1981–1997
George Georges		Labor	Queensland	1984	1967–1987
Arthur Gietzelt		Labor	New South Wales	1984	1970–1989
Patricia Giles		Labor	Western Australia	1987	1981–1993
Don Grimes		Labor	Tasmania	1984	1974–1987
Dame Margaret Guilfoyle		Liberal	Victoria	1987	1970–1987
Janine Haines		Democrats	South Australia	1987	1977–1978, 1980–1990
David Hamer		Liberal	Victoria	1984	1977–1990
Brian Harradine		Independent	Tasmania	1987	1975–2005
Jean Hearn		Labor	Tasmania	1987	1981–1985
Robert Hill		Liberal	South Australia	1987	1981–2006
Don Jessop		Liberal	South Australia	1987	1970–1991
Gerry Jones		Labor	Queensland	1987	1981–1996
Jim Keeffe		Labor	Queensland	1987	1964–1983
Bernie Kilgariff		Country Liberal	Northern Territory	1983 [b]	1975–1987
Misha Lajovic		Liberal	New South Wales	1984	1975–1985
Austin Lewis		Liberal	Victoria	1987	1976–1993
David MacGibbon		Liberal	Queensland	1984	1977–1999
Michael Macklin		Democrats	Queensland	1987	1981–1990
Kathy Martin		Liberal	Queensland	1984	1974–1984
John Martyr		Liberal	Western Australia	1984	1981–1983
Colin Mason		Democrats	New South Wales	1984	1977–1987
Doug McClelland [c]		Labor	New South Wales	1987	1961–1987
Gordon McIntosh		Labor	Western Australia	1987	1974–1987
Geoff McLaren		Labor	South Australia	1984	1970–1983
Tony Messner		Liberal	South Australia	1984	1975–1990
Alan Missen		Liberal	Victoria	1984	1974–1986
Tony Mulvihill		Labor	New South Wales	1984	1964–1983
Cyril Primmer		Labor	Victoria	1987	1971–1985
Peter Rae		Liberal	Tasmania	1987	1967–1986
Robert Ray		Labor	Victoria	1987	1981–2008
Margaret Reid		Liberal	Australian Capital Territory	1983 [b]	1981–2003
Ted Robertson		Labor	Northern Territory	1983 [b]	1975–1987
Susan Ryan		Labor	Australian Capital Territory	1983 [b]	1975–1988
Douglas Scott		National	New South Wales	1987	1970, 1974–1985
Kerry Sibraa		Labor	New South Wales	1987	1975–78, 1978–94
John Siddons		Democrats	Victoria	1987	1981–1983, 1985–1987
Michael Tate		Labor	Tasmania	1984	1977–1993
Baden Teague		Liberal	South Australia	1984	1977–1996
Andrew Thomas		Liberal	Western Australia	1984	1975–1983
Michael Townley		Liberal	Tasmania	1987	1970–1987
Peter Walsh		Labor	Western Australia	1984	1974–1993
Shirley Walters		Liberal	Tasmania	1984	1975–1993
John Watson		Liberal	Tasmania	1984	1978–2008
Rt. Reg Withers		Liberal	Western Australia	1987	1966, 1967–1987
Harold Young		Liberal	South Australia	1984	1967–1983

Senate composition at 1 July 1981
Government (31) - (2 seat minority)
Coalition
  Liberal (27)
  National Country Party (3)
  Country Liberal (1)

Opposition (27)
  Labor (27)

Crossbench (6)
  Democrats (5)
  Independent (Brian Harradine) (1)
 

Notes

1. The National Country Party changed its name to the National Party of Australia during 1982.
2. The term of a territory senator ends at the dissolution of the House of Representatives, which was March 1983.
3. Father of the Senate