This is the full list of members of the House of Representatives (24th Parliament) elected on December 9, 1961.
The 1961 election was the sixth of nine victories for the coalition and the sixth of seven consecutive victories for Prime Minister Robert Menzies. It was the first defeat for the new ALP leader, Arthur Calwell. After increasing its majorities in the 1955 and 1958 elections, the Coalition came within one seat of losing in 1961, a near-defeat generally attributed to a credit squeeze and an increase in unemployment. For the ALP, it was the first sign of recovery from the 1955 Split.
In a 122-seat House of Representatives, the Liberal Party won 45 seats (-13) and the Country Party 17 (-2), for a coalition total of 62 (-15). The ALP won 60 seats (+15). The government secured a majority of 2 seats. After supplying a Speaker, the majority on the floor of the House was one.
The Liberal Party won 33.58% of the primary vote (-3.65%), the Country Party 8.51% (-0.81%) and the ALP 47.90% (+5.09%). The estimated two-party-preferred vote for the coalition was 49.50%, with the ALP on 50.50%, a swing against the Coalition of 4.60%.
The Democratic Labor Party polled 8.71% of the primary vote, its preferences contributing to the Coalition’s win, especially in Victoria, where they saved Billy Snedden in Bruce. In the Senate, the DLP now held just one seat.
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 three by-elections during the life of the 24th Parliament. They were in Batman, Grey and East Sydney, all held and won again by the ALP.
The most notable departure was the ALP’s Eddie Ward, in East Sydney. In Cowper, the former Country Party leader, Earle Page, was defeated in the general election, although he died shortly after the election without ever being aware he had been defeated. Page had held Cowper since 1919, the second-longest term ever in the House. He is remembered for his role as deputy and Treasurer in the Bruce-Page government 1923-1929.
The table below shows 127 members, reflecting all who served in the parliament.
Members of the 24th Parliament – 1961-1963 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of members | Died | Died % | Living | Living % |
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY | |||||
COALITION | |||||
TOTAL | |||||
— Liberal Party / LNP | |||||
— Country Party |
There are four members of the 24th Parliament still alive:
- Doug Anthony, Country Party (Richmond-NSW), 93
- Manfred Cross, ALP (Brisbane-Qld), 93
- Bill Hayden, ALP (Oxley-Qld), 90
- Peter Nixon, Country Party (Gippsland-Vic), 95
These are the most recent deaths of members of the 24th Parliament:
- 2019: Dr Jim Forbes
- 2015: Malcolm Fraser, Les Johnson & Tom Uren
- 2014: Gough Whitlam
- 2009: John Armitage, Peter Howson & Neil McNeilly
- 2008: Clyde Cameron, Frank Crean & Len Devine
- 2007: Kim Beazley, Sr, Jim Killen & James Monaghan
- 2006: Don Chipp, Richard Cleaver, Allen Fairhall, Bert James & Reg Swartz
- 2004: Noel Beaton & Ted Harding
- 2003: Dr Jim Cairns, John Jess, Charlie Jones & Bill Wentworth
- 2002: Doug Cash & John Howse
- 2001: Fred Chaney Sr. & Gordon Freeth
- 2000: Ian Allan, Peter Browne, Robert Lindsay & Harry Webb
The table below lists members by their party affiliation, seat, term and age.
Members of the 24th Parliament – 1961-1963 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Name | Party | Seat | Term Began | Term Ended |
Birth | Death | Age |
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY MEMBERS | ||||||||
John Armitage | Chifley (NSW) |
25.10.1969 |
04.02.1983 |
|||||
Lance Barnard | ||||||||
Noel Beaton | ||||||||
Kim Beazley | ||||||||
Sam Benson | ||||||||
Alan Bird | ||||||||
Gordon Bryant | ||||||||
Dr. Jim Cairns | Lalor (Vic) |
25.10.1969 |
10.11.1977 |
|||||
Arthur Calwell | ||||||||
Clyde Cameron | ||||||||
Don Cameron | ||||||||
Joe Clark | ||||||||
Lionel Clay | ||||||||
Fred Collard | ||||||||
Jack Comber | ||||||||
James Cope | Watson (NSW) Sydney (NSW) |
10.12.1955 25.10.1969 |
25.10.1969 11.11.1975 |
|||||
Dominic Costa | ||||||||
Frank Courtnay | ||||||||
Wilfred Coutts | 09.12.1961 |
26.11.1966 |
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Frank Crean | MLA Prahran (Vic) Melbourne Ports (Vic) |
22.01.1949 28.04.1951 |
01.03.1951 10.11.1977 |
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Manfred Cross | ||||||||
Dan Curtin | Kingsford Smith |
10.12.1955 |
23.09.1969 |
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Fred Daly | Grayndler (NSW) |
10.12.1949 |
11.11.1975 |
|||||
Ron Davies | ||||||||
Len Devine | ||||||||
Gil Duthie | ||||||||
Syd Einfeld | MLA Bondi (NSW) MLA Waverley (NSW) |
06.11.1965 13.02.1971 |
13.01.1971 28.08.1981 |
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Allan Fraser | 25.10.1969 |
02.11.1972 |
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Jim Fraser | ||||||||
Arthur Fuller | 28.04.1951 09.12.1961 |
10.12.1955 30.11.1963 |
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Bill Fulton | ||||||||
Pat Galvin | ||||||||
George Gray | ||||||||
Charles Griffiths | ||||||||
Brendan Hansen | MLA Maryborough (Qld) |
12.11.1977 |
22.10.1983 |
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Ted Harding | ||||||||
Eli James (Jim) Harrison | Blaxland (NSW) |
10.12.1949 |
29.09.1969 |
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Bill Hayden | ||||||||
Les Haylen | ||||||||
Bert James | ||||||||
Les Johnson | 25.10.1969 |
19.12.1983 |
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Charles Jones | ||||||||
Victor Kearney | ||||||||
Tony Luchetti | ||||||||
Frank McGuren | ||||||||
Hector McIvor | ||||||||
Norman Makin | Sturt (SA) Bonython (SA) |
29.05.1954 10.12.1955 |
10.12.1955 01.11.1963 |
|||||
Dan Minogue | ||||||||
James Monaghan | ||||||||
Jack Mortimer | ||||||||
Jock Nelson | ||||||||
Reginald O’Brien | ||||||||
William O’Connor | Martin (NSW) Dalley (NSW) |
10.12.1949 10.12.1955 |
10.12.1955 29.09.1969 |
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Ted Peters | Scullin (Vic) |
10.12.1955 |
29.09.1969 |
|||||
Reg Pollard | Lalor (Vic) |
10.12.1949 |
26.11.1966 |
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Len Reynolds | 25.10.1969 |
11.11.1975 |
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Bill Riordan | ||||||||
Edgar Russell | ||||||||
Joe Sexton | ||||||||
Frank Stewart | Grayndler (NSW) |
10.12.1977 |
16.04.1979 |
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Albert Thompson | Port Adelaide (SA) |
10.12.1949 |
01.11.1963 |
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Tom Uren | ||||||||
Eddie Ward | 06.02.1932 |
31.07.1963 |
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Harry Webb | Stirling (WA) Stirling (WA) |
10.12.1955 09.12.1961 |
22.11.1958 02.12.1972 |
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Gough Whitlam | ||||||||
LIBERAL PARTY MEMBERS | ||||||||
(Sir) Garfield Barwick | ||||||||
Jeff Bate | ||||||||
Alexander Buchanan | ||||||||
Les Bury | ||||||||
Fred Chaney Sr. | ||||||||
Don Chipp | Hotham (Vic) Senate (Vic) |
25.10.1969 01.07.1978 |
10.11.1977 18.08.1986 |
|||||
Richard Cleaver | ||||||||
John Cockle | ||||||||
(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 | ||||||||
(Sir) Paul Hasluck | ||||||||
William Haworth | ||||||||
Harold Holt | Higgins (Vic) |
10.12.1949 |
17.12.1967 |
|||||
Peter Howson | Casey (Vic) |
25.10.1969 |
02.12.1972 |
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William Jack | ||||||||
John Jess | ||||||||
Bert Kelly | ||||||||
(Sir) Wilfrid Kent Hughes | ||||||||
Jim Killen | ||||||||
Robert Lindsay | ||||||||
Dan Mackinnon | Corangamite (Vic) |
29.08.1953 |
31.10.1966 |
|||||
John McLeay, Sr. | ||||||||
William McMahon | ||||||||
Neil McNeill | MLC Lower West (WA) |
1965 |
1983 |
|||||
Robert Menzies | Nationalist UAP/Liberal |
MLA Nunawading (Vic) Kooyong (Vic) |
30.11.1929 15.09.1934 |
31.08.1934 16.02.1966 |
||||
Hubert Opperman | ||||||||
Billy Snedden | ||||||||
Philip Stokes | ||||||||
Reginald Swartz | ||||||||
Athol Townley | ||||||||
Harry Turner | Bradfield (NSW) |
20.12.1952 |
11.04.1974 |
|||||
William C. Wentworth | ||||||||
Ray Whittorn | ||||||||
Keith Wilson | Sturt (SA) Sturt (SA) |
10.12.1949 10.12.1955 |
29.05.1954 31.10.1966 |
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COUNTRY PARTY | ||||||||
Charles Adermann | Fisher (Qld) |
10.12.1949 |
02.11.1972 |
|||||
Ian Allan | ||||||||
Doug Anthony | ||||||||
Charles Barnes | ||||||||
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 |
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John England | ||||||||
Laurie Failes | ||||||||
Mac Holten | ||||||||
Robert King | ||||||||
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 |
|||||
Peter Nixon | ||||||||
Hugh Roberton | ||||||||
Winton Turnbull | Mallee (Vic) |
10.12.1949 |
02.11.1972 |