List of Indigenous Australian politicians facts for kids

Ken Wyatt (left) was the first Indigenous Australian member of the Coalition in the Australian House of Representatives. Linda Burney (right) is the first Indigenous Australian MP for the ALP.

This article is about Indigenous Australian politicians. It lists Indigenous Australians who have been elected to Australia's parliaments. This includes the national parliament, and parliaments in different states and territories. It doesn't include people in local councils or those who ran for office but weren't elected.

The first Indigenous Australian to join parliament was Neville Bonner on 15 August 1971. Since then, 53 Indigenous people have served in Australian parliaments. Most of them (23) have been in the Northern Territory assembly. Eleven have been in the Australian Federal Parliament. Other Indigenous politicians have served in parliaments in Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory. Three people have served in more than one parliament.

As of 2023, Indigenous Australians make up about 10.5% of the Senate and 1.9% of the House of Representatives. Overall, they make up 4.8% of all politicians, which is more than their share of the total Australian population (3.3%).

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

It's important to know that this list includes people who identify themselves as Indigenous Australian. "Origin" or "ancestry" means the Indigenous groups, communities, or languages a person connects with. Some people identify with several groups, while others don't have a specific group identity listed.

Indigenous Australians in Federal Parliament

Fifteen Indigenous Australian people have been members of the Parliament of Australia (the national parliament). Eleven of them have been in the Senate, and four in the House of Representatives. Ten of these politicians are currently serving today.

Timeline of Federal Indigenous Politicians

Indigenous Australians in the Australian Capital Territory Parliament

One Indigenous Australian person has been a member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, which is the parliament for the ACT.

Indigenous Australians in the New South Wales Parliament

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

Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory Parliament

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

Indigenous Australians in the Queensland Parliament

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

Indigenous Australians in the South Australia Parliament

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

Indigenous Australians in the Tasmania Parliament

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

Indigenous Australians in the Victoria Parliament

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

Indigenous Australians in the Western Australia Parliament

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

See also

• List of Asian Australian politicians
• List of Indigenous Australians in politics and public service
• Māori politics
• Uluru Statement from the Heart