House Of Representatives Members – 20th Parliament 1951-1954

This is the full list of members of the House of Representatives elected on April 28, 1951.

The 1951 election was the second of nine victories for the coalition and the second of seven consecutive victories for Robert Menzies. Just 15 months after his 1949 victory, Menzies called a double dissolution in 1951, following the ALP’s failure to pass banking legislation. Menzies’ legislation to ban the Communist Party had been declared unconstitutional by the High Court and it was this issue that set the scene for the election.

In a 121-seat House of Representatives, the Liberal Party won 52 seats (-3) and the Country Party 17 (-2), for a coalition total of 69. The ALP won 52 seats (+7). The new government had a majority of 17. Crucially, the government gained control of the Senate. Of all the double dissolutions since Federation, this was the most successful outcome for the incumbent government.

The Liberal Party won 40.63% of the primary vote (+1.65%), the Country Party 9.72% (-1.15%) and the ALP 47.63% (-1.65%). The estimated two-party-preferred vote for the coalition was 50.70%, a swing against it of 0.30%.

The members for the Northern Territory (Jock Nelson-ALP) and the Australian Capital Territory (Jim Fraser-ALP) did not have voting rights, other than on matters affecting their territory. They are counted as members on the list below but not included in the seat tallies shown above.

There were ten by-elections during the life of the 20th Parliament, the biggest number of any parliament before or since. Nine of the ten were because of the death of the sitting member. The Country Party replaced two of its sitting members in Lyne and Gwydir, whilst the Liberal Party replaced three sitting members in Balaclava, Bradfield and Corangamite, but lost Flinders to the ALP. The ALP replaced four sitting members in Macquarie, Werriwa, Dalley and Lang. Accordingly, there are 133 members listed below.

One by-election resulted from the death of former ALP prime minister Ben Chifley in Macquarie. In Werriwa, a future Labor prime minister, Gough Whitlam, entered the parliament.

There are now just two members of the 20th Parliament still alive, both Liberals: Henry Pearce (Capricornia-Qld), 105 and Bill Grayden (Swan-WA), 102. However, I am advised that Pearce’s whereabouts are unknown and it is likely that he is deceased.

The most recent deaths of members of the 20th Parliament have been:
– Oct 21, 2014: Gough Whitlam, ALP (Werriwa-NSW)), 98
– Dec 02, 2008: Frank Crean, ALP (Melbourne Ports-Vic), 92
– Nov 03, 2006: Allen Fairhall, Liberal (Paterson-NSW)), 96
– Feb 02, 2006: Reg Swartz, Liberal (Darling Downs-Qld), 94
– Jan 13, 2004: William Lawrence, Liberal (Wimmera-Vic), 97
– Jun 15, 2003: William Charles Wentworth, Liberal (MacKellar-NSW), 95
– Jul 11, 2002: John Howse, Liberal (Calare-NSW), 88
– Nov 27, 2001: Gordon Freeth, Liberal (Forrest-WA), 87
– Feb 13, 2000: Ian Allan, Country (Gwydir-NSW), 84

The table below lists members by their party affiliation, seat, term and age.

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