This is the full list of members of the House of Representatives (22nd Parliament) elected on December 10, 1955.
The 1955 election was the fourth of nine victories for the coalition and the fourth of seven consecutive victories for Robert Menzies. It took place in the aftermath of the ALP Split. The ALP lost 10 seats and the Menzies government was comfortably re-elected, restoring its 1949 majority.
In a 122-seat House of Representatives, the Liberal Party won 57 seats (+10) and the Country Party 18 (+1), for a coalition total of 75. The ALP won 47 seats (-10). The government secured a majority of 28 (+11).
The Liberal Party won 39.73% of the primary vote (+1.43%), the Country Party 7.90% (-0.61%) and the ALP 44.63% (-5.40%). The estimated two-party-preferred vote for the coalition was 54.20%, with the ALP on 45.80%, a swing against it of 4.90%.
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 five by-elections during the life of the 22nd Parliament.
The ALP’s Billy Davies died and was replaced by Victor Kearney in Cunningham. Kearney was the last member with full voting rights to be elected unopposed.
The Country Party’s Larry Anthony died and was replaced by his son, Doug Anthony in Richmond. Anthony is now 93 and is one of only three surviving ministers from the Menzies years.
The Liberal Party replaced three of its members in by-elections. When Archie Cameron, the former Country Party leader who switched to the Liberal Party, died in 1956, his seat of Barker was won by Jim Forbes. Forbes is now 99 and is one of only four surviving MPs from the 1950s and one of only three surviving ministers from the Menzies period.
Eric Harrison, the deputy leader of the Liberal Party, resigned in 1956. His seat of Wentworth was won by Les Bury.
Following the retirement of Howard Beale in 1958, his electorate of Parramatta was won by Garfield Barwick, who would go on to be Attorney-General under Menzies and then Chief Justice of the High Court.
The table below shows 129 members, reflecting all who served in the parliament.
There are just two members of the 22nd Parliament still alive. The Liberal Party’s Henry George Pearce (Capricornia-Qld) is 105. However, I am advised that Pearce’s whereabouts are unknown and it is likely that he is deceased.
The next oldest member is the Country Party’s Doug Anthony (Richmond-NSW), 93.
Members of the 22nd Parliament – 1955-1958 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of members | Died | Died % | Living | Living % |
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY | |||||
COALITION | |||||
TOTAL | |||||
— Liberal Party / LNP | |||||
— Country Party |
The most recent deaths of members of the 22nd Parliament have been:
– 2019: Dr Jim Forbes (Liberal)
– 2015: Malcolm Fraser (Liberal); Les Johnson (ALP)
– 2009: Peter Howson (Liberal)
– 2008: Frank Crean (ALP); Clyde Cameron (ALP)
– 2007: Kim Beazley, Sr. (ALP); Jim Killen (Liberal)
– 2006: Allen Fairhall (Liberal); Reg Swartz (Liberal)
– 2004: William Lawrence (Liberal)
– 2003: Bill Wentworth (Liberal); Dr Jim Cairns (ALP)
– 2002: John Howse (Liberal)
– 2001: Gordon Freeth (Liberal); Fred Chaney Sr. (Liberal)
– 2000: Harry Webb (ALP); Robert Lindsay (Liberal); Ian Allan (Country)
The table below lists members by their party affiliation, seat, term and age.
Members of the 22nd Parliament – 1955-1958 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Name | Party | Seat | Term Began | Term Ended |
Birth | Death | Age |
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY MEMBERS | ||||||||
Lance Barnard | ||||||||
Kim Beazley | ||||||||
Alan Bird | ||||||||
Harry Bruce | MLA Tableland (Qld) Leichhardt (Qld |
11.06.1932 28.04.1951 |
11.06.1932 11.10.1958 |
|||||
Gordon Bryant | ||||||||
Dr. Jim Cairns | Lalor (Vic) |
25.10.1969 |
10.11.1977 |
|||||
Arthur Calwell | ||||||||
Clyde Cameron | ||||||||
Cyril Chambers | ||||||||
Percy Clarey | Bendigo (Vic) |
10.12.1949 |
17.05.1960 |
|||||
Joe Clark | ||||||||
James Cope | Watson (NSW) Sydney (NSW) |
10.12.1955 25.10.1969 |
25.10.1969 11.11.1975 |
|||||
Dominic Costa | ||||||||
Wilfred Coutts | 09.12.1961 |
26.11.1966 |
||||||
Frank Crean | MLA Prahran (Vic) Melbourne Ports (Vic) |
22.01.1949 28.04.1951 |
01.03.1951 10.11.1977 |
|||||
Dan Curtin | Kingsford Smith |
10.12.1955 |
23.09.1969 |
|||||
Fred Daly | Grayndler (NSW) |
10.12.1949 |
11.11.1975 |
|||||
Billy Davies | ||||||||
Gil Duthie | ||||||||
Bill Edmonds | ||||||||
Dr H. V. Evatt | Barton (NSW) Hunter (NSW) |
21.09.1940 22.11.1958 |
22.11.1958 10.02.1960 |
|||||
Allan Fraser | 25.10.1969 |
02.11.1972 |
||||||
Jim Fraser | ||||||||
Pat Galvin | ||||||||
Charles Griffiths | ||||||||
Eli James (Jim) Harrison | Blaxland (NSW) |
10.12.1949 |
29.09.1969 |
|||||
Les Haylen | ||||||||
Robert Holt | ||||||||
Rowley James | ||||||||
Herbert Johnson | ||||||||
Les Johnson | 25.10.1969 |
19.12.1983 |
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Victor Kearney | ||||||||
George Lawson | Brisbane (Qld) |
19.12.1931 |
02.11.1961 |
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Tony Luchetti | ||||||||
Norman Makin | Sturt (SA) Bonython (SA) |
29.05.1954 10.12.1955 |
10.12.1955 01.11.1963 |
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Hector McIvor | ||||||||
Dan Minogue | ||||||||
Charles Morgan | 10.12.1949 |
22.11.1958 |
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Jock Nelson | ||||||||
William O’Connor | Martin (NSW) Dalley (NSW) |
10.12.1949 10.12.1955 |
10.12.1955 29.09.1969 |
|||||
Ted Peters | Scullin (Vic) |
10.12.1955 |
29.09.1969 |
|||||
Reg Pollard | Lalor (Vic) |
10.12.1949 |
26.11.1966 |
|||||
Bill Riordan | ||||||||
Edgar Russell | ||||||||
Frank Stewart | Grayndler (NSW) |
10.12.1977 |
16.04.1979 |
|||||
Albert Thompson | Port Adelaide (SA) |
10.12.1949 |
01.11.1963 |
|||||
Eddie Ward | 06.02.1932 |
31.07.1963 |
||||||
David Watkins | ||||||||
Harry Webb | Stirling (WA) Stirling (WA) |
10.12.1955 09.12.1961 |
22.11.1958 02.12.1972 |
|||||
Gough Whitlam | ||||||||
LIBERAL PARTY MEMBERS | ||||||||
William Aston | 30.11.1963 |
02.12.1972 |
||||||
(Sir) Garfield Barwick | ||||||||
Jeff Bate | ||||||||
Howard Beale | ||||||||
Francis Bland | ||||||||
William Bostock | ||||||||
Alexander Buchanan | ||||||||
Les Bury | ||||||||
Archie Cameron | UAP/Lib |
|||||||
Dr Donald Cameron | ||||||||
Richard Casey | La Trobe (Vic) |
10.12.1949 |
10.02.1960 |
|||||
Fred Chaney Sr. | ||||||||
Richard Cleaver | ||||||||
(Sir) John Cramer | ||||||||
Frank Davis | ||||||||
Roger Dean | ||||||||
Aexander Downer | ||||||||
Nigel Drury | ||||||||
Dudley Erwin | ||||||||
David Fairbairn | ||||||||
Allen Fairhall | ||||||||
Bill Falkinder | ||||||||
Dr Jim Forbes | ||||||||
Max Fox | ||||||||
Malcolm Fraser | ||||||||
Gordon Freeth | ||||||||
Bill Graham | St George (NSW) North Sydney (NSW) |
10.12.1955 26.11.1966 |
22.11.1958 19.09.1980 |
|||||
(Sir) Eric Harrison | ||||||||
(Sir) Paul Hasluck | ||||||||
William Haworth | ||||||||
Harold Holt | Higgins (Vic) |
10.12.1949 |
17.12.1967 |
|||||
John Howse | ||||||||
Peter Howson | Casey (Vic) |
25.10.1969 |
02.12.1972 |
|||||
Alan Hulme | 09.12.1961 |
02.11.1972 |
||||||
William Jack | ||||||||
(Sir) Percy Joske | ||||||||
(Sir) Wilfrid Kent Hughes | ||||||||
Jim Killen | ||||||||
William Lawrence | ||||||||
Robert Lindsay | ||||||||
Aubrey Luck | Braddon (Tas) |
10.12.1955 |
22.11.1958 |
|||||
Dan Mackinnon | Corangamite (Vic) |
29.08.1953 |
31.10.1966 |
|||||
Philip McBride | Senate (SA) Wakefield (SA) |
21.10.1937 28.09.1946 |
30.06.1944 14.10.1958 |
|||||
Malcolm McColm | ||||||||
John McLeay, Sr. | ||||||||
William McMahon | ||||||||
Robert Menzies | Nationalist UAP/Liberal |
MLA Nunawading (Vic) Kooyong (Vic) |
30.11.1929 15.09.1934 |
31.08.1934 16.02.1966 |
||||
Hubert Opperman | ||||||||
Frederick Osborne | ||||||||
Henry George Pearce | ||||||||
Billy Snedden | ||||||||
Philip Stokes | ||||||||
Reginald Swartz | ||||||||
Frank Timson | ||||||||
Athol Townley | ||||||||
Harry Turner | Bradfield (NSW) |
20.12.1952 |
11.04.1974 |
|||||
William C. Wentworth | ||||||||
Roy Wheeler | ||||||||
Bruce Wight | ||||||||
Keith Wilson | Sturt (SA) Sturt (SA) |
10.12.1949 10.12.1955 |
29.05.1954 31.10.1966 |
|||||
COUNTRY PARTY | ||||||||
Charles Adermann | Fisher (Qld) |
10.12.1949 |
02.11.1972 |
|||||
Ian Allan | ||||||||
Charles Anderson | 10.12.1955 |
09.12.1961 |
||||||
Doug Anthony | ||||||||
Larry Anthony | ||||||||
George Bowden | ||||||||
(Sir) William Brand | MLA Isis (Qld) Wide Bay (Qld) |
11.06.1932 29.05.1954 |
29.04.1950 14.10.1958 |
|||||
Wilfred Brimblecombe | ||||||||
(Sir) Charles Davidson | Country |
Dawson (Qld) |
10.12.1949 |
01.11.1963 |
||||
David Drummond | Country Country |
MLA Armidale (NSW) New England (NSW) |
07.09.1927 10.12.1949 |
28.10.1949 01.11.1963 |
||||
Arthur Fadden | Darling Downs (Qld) McPherson (Qld) |
06.11.1936 10.12.1949 |
10.12.1949 22.11.1958 |
|||||
Laurie Failes | ||||||||
Len Hamilton | Canning (WA) |
10.12.1949 |
02.11.1961 |
|||||
Hugh Leslie | Moore (WA) Moore (WA) |
10.12.1949 09.12.1961 |
22.11.1958 01.11.1963 |
|||||
Philip Lucock | ||||||||
John McEwen | Murray (Vic) |
10.12.1949 |
20.03.1971 |
|||||
Sir Earle Page | ||||||||
Hugh Roberton | ||||||||
Winton Turnbull | Mallee (Vic) |
10.12.1949 |
02.11.1972 |