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Members of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, 1974–1977 facts for kids

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The Northern Territory is a big part of Australia, and just like other states, it has its own government to make rules and decisions. This article is about the very first group of people who were elected to help run the Northern Territory. They were part of something called the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.

The first Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, 1976
The first Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, 1976

Meet the First Lawmakers of the Northern Territory

The first ever Northern Territory Legislative Assembly was formed in 1974. This was a really important step for the Northern Territory. Before this, the Australian government in Canberra made most of the decisions.

What is a Legislative Assembly?

A Legislative Assembly is like a special team of elected people who make laws for a region. These people are called "members" or "politicians." They represent different areas, called "electorates," and work together to decide what's best for everyone.

When the first Legislative Assembly started in 1974, it had some powers, but not all of them. The Northern Territory didn't get full "self-government" until 1978. This meant that for a few years, the Assembly was learning the ropes and slowly taking on more responsibility.

Who Were the First Members?

The first Assembly had 19 members. Most of them belonged to the Country Liberal Party (CLP). Two members were "Independents," meaning they didn't belong to a political party. These members served from 1974 to 1977.

Here is a list of the people who were part of this first important group:

Name Party Electorate Years in office
Liz Andrew CLP Sanderson 1974–1977
Milton Ballantyne CLP Nhulunbuy 1974–1980
Nick Dondas CLP Casuarina 1974–1994
Paul Everingham CLP Jingili 1974–1984
Bernie Kilgariff CLP Alice Springs 1974–1976
Rupert Kentish CLP Arnhem 1974–1977
Dawn Lawrie Independent Nightcliff 1974–1983
Goff Letts CLP Victoria River 1974–1977
Eric Manuell CLP Alice Springs 1976–1977
Les MacFarlane CLP Elsey 1974–1983
Marshall Perron CLP Stuart Park 1974–1995
Dave Pollock CLP MacDonnell 1974–1977
Jim Robertson CLP Gillen 1974–1986
Roger Ryan CLP Millner 1974–1977
Roger Steele CLP Ludmilla 1974–1990
Grant Tambling CLP Fannie Bay 1974–1977
Hyacinth Tungutalum CLP Tiwi 1974–1977
Ian Tuxworth CLP Barkly 1974–1990
Roger Vale CLP Stuart 1974–1994
Ron Withnall Independent Port Darwin 1974–1977

One of the members, Bernie Kilgariff, left the Assembly in 1975. He wanted to try for a seat in the Australian Senate, which is part of the national government. After he left, a special election was held in 1976. This is called a "by-election." Eric Manuell won this election and became the new member for Alice Springs.

This first group of lawmakers helped set the stage for the Northern Territory to become more independent and make its own decisions.

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