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List of Indigenous Australian politicians facts for kids

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Ken Wyatt cropped.jpg Linda Burney MP.jpg
Ken Wyatt (left) was the Coalition's first and only Indigenous Australian member of the Australian House of Representatives. Linda Burney (right) is the ALP's first Indigenous Australian MP; later joined by Gordon Reid and Marion Scrymgour.

This list of Indigenous Australian politicians includes Indigenous Australians who have been members of Australian legislatures—federal, state or territory. It does not include those elected to local councils (including mayors), Governors/Governors-General, leaders of political parties (outside of parliament), Indigenous Australians actively involved in political institutions and those who have run unsuccessfully for office.

There have been 53 Indigenous members of the ten Australian legislatures, beginning when Neville Bonner entered the Australian Senate on 15 August 1971. Of these, 23 have been elected to the Northern Territory assembly, eleven to the Australian Federal Parliament, six to the parliament of Western Australia, five to the parliament of Queensland, two each to the parliaments of Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales, and one each to the parliament of South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory assembly. Three have served in multiple parliaments.

Out of the 53 Indigenous Australians elected or appointed to any Australian parliament, 24 have been women.

Nobody of acknowledged Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ancestry has yet been a member of the Norfolk Island assembly.

Note: There is considerable debate surrounding the complexity of Indigenous identity. Therefore, this list only includes those who identify themselves as Indigenous Australian. Also note that "origin" or "ancestry" refers to the Indigenous groups, communities, countries, place names or languages which that person identifies with. Some individuals do not have any specific Indigenous group identity and some have multiple identities.

Federal Parliament

Fifteen Indigenous Australian people have been members of the Parliament of Australia (the Federal Parliament), eleven in the Senate and four in the House of Representatives. Ten of them are in it today.

No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref
1 Bonner, NevilleNeville Bonner   Liberal Senate Queensland Jagera 15 August 1971 4 February 1983
2 Ridgeway, AdenAden Ridgeway   Democrats Senate New South Wales Gumbaynggirr 1 July 1999 30 June 2005
3 Wyatt, KenKen Wyatt   Liberal House Hasluck (WA) Noongar
Wangai
Yamatji
21 August 2010 21 May 2022
4 Peris, NovaNova Peris   Labor Senate Northern Territory Gija (WA)
Iwaidja
Yawuru (WA)
7 September 2013 9 May 2016
5 Lindgren, JoannaJoanna Lindgren   Liberal Senate Queensland Jagera
Mununjali
21 May 2015 2 July 2016
6 Dodson, PatPat Dodson   Labor Senate Western Australia Yawuru 28 April 2016 incumbent
7 Burney, LindaLinda Burney   Labor House Barton (NSW) Wiradjuri 2 July 2016 incumbent
8 McCarthy, MalarndirriMalarndirri McCarthy   Labor Senate Northern Territory Yanyuwa 2 July 2016 incumbent
9 Thorpe, LidiaLidia Thorpe   Greens Senate Victoria Djab Wurrung
Gunai
Gunditjmara
4 September 2020 6 February 2023
  Independent 6 February 2023 incumbent
10 Cox, DorindaDorinda Cox   Greens Senate Western Australia Yamatji
Noongar
14 September 2021 incumbent
11 Stewart, JanaJana Stewart   Labor Senate Victoria Muthi Muthi
Wemba-Wemba
6 April 2022 incumbent
12 Price, Jacinta NampijinpaJacinta Nampijinpa Price   National Senate Northern Territory Warlpiri 21 May 2022 incumbent
13 Reid, GordonGordon Reid   Labor House Robertson Wiradjuri 21 May 2022 incumbent
14 Scrymgour, MarionMarion Scrymgour   Labor House Lingiari Tiwi 21 May 2022 incumbent
15 Liddle, KerrynneKerrynne Liddle   Liberal Senate South Australia Arrernte 1 July 2022 incumbent

At least four other members of the Federal Parliament have acknowledged Indigenous ancestry, but are or were not generally regarded as Indigenous themselves.

No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Ancestry Term start Term end Ref
1 Kennedy, DavidDavid Kennedy   Labor House Bendigo (Vic.) Palawa 7 June 1969 2 December 1972
2 Brough, MalMal Brough   Liberal House Longman (Qld) unknown (WA) 2 March 1996 24 November 2007
Fisher (Qld) 7 September 2013 9 May 2016
3 Rea, KerryKerry Rea   Labor House Bonner (Qld) not stated 24 November 2007 21 August 2010
4 Lambie, JacquiJacqui Lambie   PUP Senate Tasmania Palawa 1 July 2014 14 November 2017
  Independent
  JLN
  1 July 2019 incumbent

Timeline

Kerrynne Liddle Marion Scrymgour Gordon Reid (politician) Jacinta Nampijinpa Price Jana Stewart Dorinda Cox Lidia Thorpe Malarndirri McCarthy Linda Burney Pat Dodson Joanna Lindgren Nova Peris Ken Wyatt Aden Ridgeway Neville Bonner

Parliament of the Australian Capital Territory

One Indigenous Australian person has been a member of the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly.

No. Name Party Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref
1 Bourke, ChrisChris Bourke   Labor Ginninderra 1 June 2011 15 October 2016

Parliament of New South Wales

Two Indigenous Australians have been a members of the Parliament of New South Wales.

No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref
1 Burney, LindaLinda Burney   Labor Legislative Assembly Canterbury Wiradjuri 22 March 2003 6 May 2016
2 Rowell, JaiJai Rowell   Liberal Legislative Assembly Wollondilly 26 March 2011 17 December 2018

At least two other members of the Parliament of New South Wales have acknowledged Indigenous ancestry, but are not generally regarded as Indigenous themselves.

No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Ancestry Term start Term end Ref
1 Voltz, LyndaLynda Voltz   Labor Legislative Council State-wide 24 March 2007 28 February 2019
  Legislative Assembly Auburn 23 March 2019 incumbent
2 Warren, GregGreg Warren   Labor Cambelltown Tharawal 28 March 2015 incumbent

Parliament of the Northern Territory

Twenty-three Indigenous Australian people have been members of the unicameral Parliament of the Northern Territory.

No. Name Party Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref
1 Tungutalum, HyacinthHyacinth Tungutalum   CLP Tiwi Tiwi 19 October 1974 13 August 1977
2 Perkins, NevilleNeville Perkins   Labor MacDonnell Arrernte 13 August 1977 6 March 1981
3 Lanhupuy, WesWes Lanhupuy   Labor Arnhem Yolngu 3 December 1983 25 August 1995
4 Tipiloura, StanStan Tipiloura   Labor Arafura Tiwi 7 March 1987 20 September 1992
5 Rioli, MauriceMaurice Rioli   Labor Arafura Tiwi 7 November 1992 17 August 2001
6 Ah Kit, JackJack Ah Kit   Labor Arnhem Arrernte 7 October 1995 18 June 2005
7 Bonson, MatthewMatthew Bonson   Labor Millner 18 August 2001 8 August 2008
8 McAdam, ElliotElliot McAdam   Labor Barkly Jingili 18 August 2001 8 August 2008
9 Scrymgour, MarionMarion Scrymgour   Labor Arafura Tiwi 18 August 2001 4 June 2009
  Independent 4 June 2009 4 August 2009
  Labor 4 August 2009 6 August 2012
10 Anderson, AlisonAlison Anderson   Labor MacDonnell Arrernte 18 June 2005 4 August 2009
  Independent 4 August 2009 9 September 2011
  CLP 9 September 2011 25 August 2012
Namatjira 25 August 2012 4 April 2014
  Independent 4 April 2014 27 April 2014
  PUP 27 April 2014 29 November 2014
  Independent 29 November 2014 8 August 2016
11 McCarthy, MalarndirriMalarndirri McCarthy   Labor Arnhem Yanyuwa 18 June 2005 6 August 2012
12 Hampton, KarlKarl Hampton   Labor Stuart Warlpiri, Ngulikan and Mara 23 September 2006 6 August 2012
13 Giles, AdamAdam Giles   CLP Braitling Kamilaroi (NSW) 9 August 2008 27 August 2016
14 Kurrupuwu, Francis XavierFrancis Xavier Kurrupuwu   CLP Arafura Tiwi 25 August 2012 4 April 2014
  Independent 4 April 2014 27 April 2014
  PUP 27 April 2014 8 September 2014
  CLP 8 September 2014 27 August 2016
15 Lee, LarisaLarisa Lee   CLP Arnhem Jawoyn 25 August 2012 4 April 2014
  Independent 4 April 2014 27 April 2014
  PUP 27 April 2014 29 November 2014
  Independent 29 November 2014 27 August 2016
16 Vowles, KenKen Vowles   Labor Johnston 25 August 2012 31 January 2020
17 Price, BessBess Price   CLP Stuart Warlpiri 25 August 2012 27 August 2016
18 Costa, LawrenceLawrence Costa   Labor Arafura Tiwi 27 August 2016 17 December 2022
19 Uibo, SelenaSelena Uibo   Labor Arnhem Nunggubuyu, Warnindhilyagwa 27 August 2016 incumbent
20 Ah Kit, NgareeNgaree Ah Kit   Labor Karama 27 August 2016 incumbent
21 Paech, ChanseyChansey Paech   Labor Namatjira Eastern Arrernte/Gurindji 27 August 2016 incumbent
22 Guyula, Yingiya MarkYingiya Mark Guyula   Independent Nhulunbuy Yolngu 27 August 2016 incumbent
23 Young, DheranDheran Young   Labor Daly Yaegl (NSW) 11 September 2021 incumbent

Parliament of Queensland

Five Indigenous Australian people have been members of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland.

No. Name Party Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref
1 Deeral, EricEric Deeral   Country Cook Guugu Yimithirr 7 December 1974 12 November 1977
2 Enoch, LeeanneLeeanne Enoch   Labor Algester Nunukul
Quandamooka
31 January 2015 incumbent
3 Gordon, BillyBilly Gordon   Labor Cook 31 January 2015 29 March 2015
  Independent 29 March 2015 25 November 2017
4 Lui, CynthiaCynthia Lui   Labor Cook Torres Strait Islanders 25 November 2017 incumbent
5 McCallum, LanceLance McCallum   Labor Bundamba Gubbi Gubbi 28 March 2020 incumbent

Parliament of South Australia

One Indigenous Australian person has been a member of the Parliament of South Australia.

No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref
1 Maher, KyamKyam Maher   Labor Legislative Council Statewide 17 October 2012 incumbent

Parliament of Tasmania

Two Indigenous Australian people have been a member of the Parliament of Tasmania.

No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref
1 Hay, KathrynKathryn Hay   Labor House of Assembly Bass Noongar (WA) 20 July 2002 18 March 2006
2 Houston, JenniferJennifer Houston   Labor House of Assembly Bass Palawa 3 March 2018 13 May 2021

At least one other member of the Parliament of Tasmania has acknowledged Indigenous ancestry, but is not generally regarded as Indigenous themself.

No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Ancestry Term start Term end Ref
1 Harriss, PaulPaul Harriss   Independent Legislative Council Huon 25 May 1996 24 February 2014
  Liberal House of Assembly Franklin 15 March 2014 incumbent

Parliament of Victoria

Two Indigenous Australian people have been members of the Parliament of Victoria.

No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref
1 Thorpe, LidiaLidia Thorpe   Greens Legislative Assembly Northcote Djab Wurrung
Gunai
Gunditjmara
18 November 2017 24 November 2018
2 Watt, SheenaSheena Watt   Labor Legislative Council Northern Metropolitan Yorta Yorta 13 October 2020 incumbent

At least two members have had acknowledged Indigenous ancestry, but were not generally regarded as Indigenous themselves.

No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Ancestry Term start Term end Ref
1 Kennedy, CyrilCyril Kennedy   Labor Legislative Council Waverley Palawa 5 May 1979 2 October 1992
2 Kennedy, DavidDavid Kennedy   Labor Legislative Assembly Bendigo Palawa 3 April 1982 1 March 1985
  Bendigo West 1 March 1985 2 October 1992

Parliament of Western Australia

Four Indigenous Australian people have been members of the Parliament of Western Australia, all of whom were elected to the Legislative Assembly until Rosetta Sahanna was elected to the Legislative Council in 2021.

No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref
1 Bridge, ErnieErnie Bridge   Labor Legislative Assembly Kimberley 23 February 1980 27 July 1996
  Independent 27 July 1996 10 February 2001
2 Martin, CarolCarol Martin   Labor Legislative Assembly Kimberley 10 February 2001 9 March 2013
3 Wyatt, BenBen Wyatt   Labor Legislative Assembly Victoria Park Yamatji 11 March 2006 13 March 2021
4 Farrer, JosieJosie Farrer   Labor Legislative Assembly Kimberley Gija 9 March 2013 13 March 2021
5 D'Anna, DivinaDivina D'Anna   Labor Legislative Assembly Kimberley Yawuru
Nimanburru
Bardi
13 March 2021 incumbent
6 Sahanna, RosettaRosetta Sahanna   Labor Legislative Council Mining and Pastoral Wilinggin 22 May 2021 incumbent

At least one other member of the Parliament of Western Australia has acknowledged Indigenous ancestry, but is not generally regarded as Indigenous themself.

No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Ancestry Term start Term end Ref
1 Kirkup, ZakZak Kirkup   Liberal Legislative Assembly Dawesville Yamatji 11 March 2017 13 March 2021 [1]

See also

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