This is the full list of members of the House of Representatives (26th Parliament) elected on November 26, 1966.
The 1966 election was the eighth of nine consecutive victories for the coalition since 1949 and the first without its founding leader, Sir Robert Menzies.
In his first year as prime minister, Harold Holt took the coalition to its biggest electoral victory since 1944. The election was primarily a referendum on Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Conscription had emerged as a significant issue. A month before the election, the US President Lyndon Johnson visited Australia.
The election was the ALP leader Arthur Calwell’s third consecutive defeat. Gough Whitlam became the new leader in February 1967. In December 1967, Holt drowned and John Gorton became prime minister.
In a 124-seat House of Representatives, the Liberal Party won 61 seats (+9) and the Country Party 21 (+1), for a coalition total of 82 (+10). The ALP won 41 seats (-9), its losses compounding the defeat of 1963. The government secured a majority of 40 seats.
The Liberal Party won 40.14% of the primary vote (+3.05%), the Country Party 9.84% (+0.90%) and the ALP 39.98% (-5.49%). The two-party-preferred vote for the coalition was 56.90%, with the ALP on 43.10%, a swing against the ALP of 4.30%. The election qualifies as a landslide because the coalition won 66% of the seats and nearly 57% of the two-party vote. It was the first landslide since the ALP’s 1943 victory.
The Democratic Labor Party polled 7.31% of the primary vote (-0.13%), its preferences again contributing to the Coalition’s win, especially in Victoria.
There was no Senate election. Separate half-Senate elections were held in 1964, 1967 and 1970.
The member for the Australian Capital Territory was granted full voting rights in the House in 1966. Similar rights were granted to the member for the Northern Territory in 1968. These members are included in the numbers shown above.
There were six by-elections during the life of the 26th Parliament.
Following the disappearance of Harold Holt, John Gorton transferred from the Senate to Holt’s former seat of Higgins. Paul Hasluck, the Liberal Party’s member for Curtin, resigned in 1969 and was appointed Governor-General, with Victor Garland taking over his seat. Following the retirement of Hubert Opperman in Corio, the Liberal Party lost the by-election to the ALP’s Gordon Scholes.
The Country Party replaced Ian Allan in Gwydir with Ralph Hunt.
In addition to winning Corio, the ALP replaced the deceased George Gray in Capricornia with Doug Everingham. Following the resignation of Noel Beaton in Bendigo, the ALP’s David Kennedy took over the seat.
The table below shows 130 members, reflecting all who served in the parliament.
Members of the 26th Parliament – 1966-1969 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of members | Died | Died % | Living | Living % |
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY | |||||
COALITION | |||||
INDEPENDENT | |||||
TOTAL | |||||
— Liberal Party / LNP | |||||
— Country Party |
There are twelve members of the 26th Parliament still alive:
Members of the 26th Parliament (1966-1969) Still Living (12) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ALP (3) | Liberal Party (6) | Country Party (3) | |||||
1. Manfred Cross, (Brisbane-Qld), 93 2. Bill Hayden, (Oxley-Qld), 90 3. David Kennedy, (Bendigo-Vic), 83 |
1. Dr Wylie Gibbs, (Bowman-Qld), 100 2. Tom Hughes, (Parkes/Berowra-Qld), 99 3. Tony Street, (Corangamite-Vic), 97 4. Vic Garland, (Curtin-WA), 89 5. Andrew Peacock, (Kooyong-Vic), 84 6. Don Cameron, (Griffith/Fadden/Moreton-Qld), 83 |
1. Peter Nixon, (Gippsland-Vic), 95 2. Ian Sinclair, (New England-NSW), 93 3. Doug Anthony, (Richmond-NSW), 93 |
The most recent deaths of members of the 26th Parliament were:
– 2019: Dr Jim Forbes
– 2018: Don Jessop, Gordon Scholes
– 2017: Doug Everingham, Len Bosman and Ian Robinson
– 2016: Rex Patterson
– 2015: Tom Uren, Malcolm Fraser, Adrian Gibson and Andrew Jones
– 2014: Gough Whitlam
– 2013: Ian Wilson
– 2011: Ralph Hunt
– 2009: Peter Howson, Mervyn Lee
Note: Mervyn Lee, the Liberal member for Lalor (1966-69), was listed on this page for some years as a surviving member. On January 16, 2019, I was alerted to a notice of his death on December 13, 2009. The date and age indicate it was the former member for Lalor. Unfortunately, his death has never been acknowledged in the House of Representatives. Parliamentary Library documents still show him living.
The table below lists members by their party affiliation, seat, term and age.
Members of the 26th Parliament – 1966-1969 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Name | Party | Seat | Term Began | Term Ended |
Birth | Death | Age |
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY MEMBERS | ||||||||
Lance Barnard | ||||||||
Noel Beaton | ||||||||
Kim Beazley | ||||||||
Fred Birrell | ||||||||
Gordon Bryant | ||||||||
Dr. Jim Cairns | Lalor (Vic) |
25.10.1969 |
10.11.1977 |
|||||
Arthur Calwell | ||||||||
Clyde Cameron | ||||||||
Joe Clark | ||||||||
Fred Collard | ||||||||
Rex Connor | ||||||||
James Cope | Watson (NSW) Sydney (NSW) |
10.12.1955 25.10.1969 |
25.10.1969 11.11.1975 |
|||||
Dominic Costa | ||||||||
Frank Courtnay | ||||||||
Frank Crean | MLA Prahran (Vic) Melbourne Ports (Vic) |
22.01.1949 28.04.1951 |
01.03.1951 10.11.1977 |
|||||
Manfred Cross | ||||||||
Dan Curtin | Kingsford Smith (NSW) |
10.12.1955 |
23.09.1969 |
|||||
Fred Daly | Grayndler (NSW) |
10.12.1949 |
11.11.1975 |
|||||
Ron Davies | ||||||||
Len Devine | ||||||||
Gil Duthie | ||||||||
Doug Everingham | 10.12.1977 |
26.10.1984 |
||||||
Jim Fraser | ||||||||
Bill Fulton | ||||||||
George Gray | ||||||||
Charles Griffiths | ||||||||
Brendan Hansen | MLA Maryborough (Qld) |
12.11.1977 |
22.10.1983 |
|||||
Eli James (Jim) Harrison | Blaxland (NSW) |
10.12.1949 |
29.09.1969 |
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Bill Hayden | ||||||||
Bert James | ||||||||
Charles Jones | ||||||||
David Kennedy | ||||||||
Tony Luchetti | ||||||||
Hector McIvor | ||||||||
Dan Minogue | ||||||||
Martin Nicholls | ||||||||
William O’Connor | Martin (NSW) Dalley (NSW) |
10.12.1949 10.12.1955 |
10.12.1955 29.09.1969 |
|||||
Dr Rex Patterson | ||||||||
Ted Peters | Scullin (Vic) |
10.12.1955 |
29.09.1969 |
|||||
Gordon Scholes | ||||||||
Frank Stewart | Grayndler (NSW) |
10.12.1977 |
16.04.1979 |
|||||
Tom Uren | ||||||||
Harry Webb | Stirling (WA) Stirling (WA) |
10.12.1955 09.12.1961 |
22.11.1958 02.12.1972 |
|||||
Gough Whitlam | ||||||||
LIBERAL PARTY MEMBERS | ||||||||
Bill Arthur | ||||||||
William Aston | 30.11.1963 |
02.12.1972 |
||||||
Jeff Bate | ||||||||
Robert Bonnett | ||||||||
Len Bosman | ||||||||
Nigel Bowen | ||||||||
William Bridges-Maxwell | ||||||||
Kay Brownbill | ||||||||
Alexander Buchanan | ||||||||
Les Bury | ||||||||
Kevin Cairns | 18.05.1974 |
18.10.1980 |
||||||
Don Cameron | Fadden (Qld) Moreton (Qld) |
10.12.1977 05.11.1983 |
05.03.1983 24.03.1990 |
|||||
Fred Chaney Sr. | ||||||||
Don Chipp | Hotham (Vic) Senate (Vic) |
25.10.1969 01.07.1978 |
10.11.1977 18.08.1986 |
|||||
Richard Cleaver | ||||||||
(Sir) John Cramer | ||||||||
Don Dobie | Cook (NSW) Cook (NSW) |
25.10.1969 13.12.1975 |
02.12.1972 29.01.1996 |
|||||
Nigel Drury | ||||||||
Dudley Erwin | ||||||||
David Fairbairn | ||||||||
Allen Fairhall | ||||||||
Dr Jim Forbes | ||||||||
Max Fox | ||||||||
Malcolm Fraser | ||||||||
Gordon Freeth | ||||||||
Victor Garland | ||||||||
Dr Wylie Gibbs | ||||||||
Adrian Gibson | ||||||||
Geoffrey Giles | ||||||||
(Sir) John Gorton | Higgins (Vic) |
24.02.1968 |
11.11.1975 |
|||||
Bill Graham | St George (NSW) North Sydney (NSW) |
10.12.1955 26.11.1966 |
22.11.1958 19.09.1980 |
|||||
(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 |
|||||
Tom Hughes | Berowra (NSW) |
25.10.1969 |
02.11.1972 |
|||||
Alan Hulme | 09.12.1961 |
02.11.1972 |
||||||
Les Irwin | ||||||||
Alan Jarman | ||||||||
John Jess | ||||||||
Don Jessop | Senate (SA) |
01.07.1971 |
05.06.1987 |
|||||
Andrew Jones | ||||||||
Bert Kelly | ||||||||
(Sir) Wilfrid Kent Hughes | ||||||||
Jim Killen | ||||||||
Mervyn Lee | ||||||||
Phillip Lynch | ||||||||
Dr Malcolm Mackay | ||||||||
John McLeay, Sr. | ||||||||
William McMahon | ||||||||
Dugald Munro | ||||||||
Hubert Opperman | ||||||||
Andrew Peacock | ||||||||
Thomas Pearsall | Franklin (Tas) |
26.11.1966 |
25.10.1969 |
|||||
Billy Snedden | ||||||||
Philip Stokes | ||||||||
Tony Street | ||||||||
Reginald Swartz | ||||||||
Edward St John | ||||||||
Harry Turner | Bradfield (NSW) |
20.12.1952 |
11.04.1974 |
|||||
William C. Wentworth | ||||||||
Ray Whittorn | ||||||||
Ian Wilson | Sturt (SA) |
02.12.1972 |
08.02.1993 |
|||||
COUNTRY PARTY | ||||||||
Charles Adermann | Fisher (Qld) |
10.12.1949 |
02.11.1972 |
|||||
Ian Allan | ||||||||
Doug Anthony | ||||||||
Bill Armstrong | ||||||||
Charles Barnes | ||||||||
Sam Calder | ||||||||
James Corbett | ||||||||
John England | ||||||||
Laurie Failes | ||||||||
John Hallett | ||||||||
Mac Holten | ||||||||
Ralph Hunt | ||||||||
Bob Katter Sr. | ||||||||
Robert King | ||||||||
Philip Lucock | ||||||||
Don Maisey | ||||||||
John McEwen | Murray (Vic) |
10.12.1949 |
20.03.1971 |
|||||
Peter Nixon | ||||||||
John Pettitt | ||||||||
Ian Robinson | Page (NSW) |
01.12.1984 |
24.03.1990 |
|||||
Ian Sinclair | New England (NSW) |
30.11.1963 |
31.08.1998 |
|||||
Winton Turnbull | Mallee (Vic) |
10.12.1949 |
02.11.1972 |
|||||
INDEPENDENT | ||||||||
Sam Benson | Ind |