1980 Australian Senate election

1980 Australian Senate elections
← 1977 18 October 1980 1983 →
34 of the 64 seats in the Australian Senate ; 33 seats needed for a majority
	Senators elected in the 1980 federal election
Leader of the Senate before election; John Carrick ; Liberal/National coalition	Elected Leader of the Senate ; John Carrick ; Liberal/National coalition

Last updated January 08, 2026

The following tables show state-by-state results in the Australian Senate at the 1980 federal election. Senators total 31 coalition (27 Liberal, one coalition National, one CLP), 27 Labor, two non-coalition National, five Democrats, and one Independent.^[1] Senator terms are six years (three for territories). Senators elected at this election began their terms on 1 July 1981, except for the territorial senators who took their seats at the election.

Australia

Senate (STV) — 1980–83—Turnout 94.35% (CV) — Informal 9.65%

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats won	Total seats	Change
	Liberal–NCP coalition		3,352,521	43.58	–1.98	15	31	–3
		Liberal–NCP joint ticket	1,971,528	25.63	−8.63	4	*	*
		Liberal	1,011,289	13.15	+2.55	9	27	0
		National Country	341,978	4.45	+3.95	1	3	–3
		Country Liberal	19,129	0.25	+0.04	1	1	0
	Labor		3,250,187	42.25	+5.49	15	27	0
	Democrats		711,805	9.25	−1.88	3	5	+3
	Call to Australia		118,535	1.54	+0.42	0	0	0
	Democratic Labor		31,766	0.41	–1.26	0	0	0
	Marijuana		28,337	0.37	–0.23	0	0	0
	Australia		27,404	0.36	+0.25	0	0	0
	Socialist		15,412	0.20	–0.38	0	0	0
	Progress		8,252	0.11	–1.08	0	0	0
	NPWA		7,597	0.10	+0.10	0	0	0
	Progressive Conservative		6,247	0.07	+0.07	0	0
	National Front of Australia		1,467	0.01	+0.01	0	0
	Other		56,128	0.73	+0.73	0	0	0
	Independent		86,770	1.13	–0.60	1	1	0
	Total		7,692,364			34	64

New South Wales

Elected	#	Senator
1981
1981	1	Doug McClelland	Labor
1981	2	John Carrick	Liberal
1981	3	Bruce Childs	Labor
1981	4	Douglas Scott	NCP
1981	5	Kerry Sibraa	Labor
1978
1978	1	Peter Baume	Liberal
1978	2	Tony Mulvihill	Labor
1978	3	Misha Lajovic	Liberal
1978	4	Arthur Gietzelt	Labor
1978	5	Colin Mason	Democrat

1980 Australian federal election: Senate, New South Wales
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			452,977
	Labor	1. Doug McClelland (elected 1) 2. Bruce Childs (elected 3) 3. Kerry Sibraa (elected 5)	1,215,796	44.7	+4.6
	Coalition	1. John Carrick (Lib) (elected 2) 2. Douglas Scott (NCP) (elected 4) 3. Chris Puplick (Lib)	1,139,825	41.9	−1.4
	Democrats	1. Paul McLean 2. Elisabeth Kirkby 3. Laurence Bourke	187,507	6.9	−1.4
	Call to Australia	1. Fred Nile 2. John Whitehall 3. Joan Loew	118,535	4.4	+2.5
	Marijuana	1. James Billington 2. Anne Parsons	13,476	0.5	−0.4
	National Colonialist Party	1. Nicholas Jones 2. Ian MacRae	11,038	0.4	+0.4
	Socialist	1. Peter Symon 2. Harry Black 3. Raymond Ferguson 4. Edgar Woodbury	8,760	0.3	+0.1
	Group C	1. John E Champion 2. Julie A Champion 3. John D Champion	6,785	0.3	+0.3
	Independent	Estelle Myers	4,469	0.2	+0.2
	Independent	Joylene Hairmouth	4,334	0.2	+0.2
	Independent	Josephine Chisholm-Mallett	2,855	0.1	+0.1
	Progress	1. Fernand Eyschen 2. Nicholas Hudson	2,260	0.1	−2.4
	Independent	Terence Griffiths	921	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Berard O'Grady	489	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Rudolph Dezelin	305	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Norman Eather	262	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Gene Salvestrin	241	0.0	0.0
Total formal votes			2,717,858	90.6	+0.2
Informal votes			281,338	9.4	−0.2
Turnout			2,999,186	94.2	−0.8

Victoria

Elected	#	Senator
1981
1981	1	Cyril Primmer	Labor
1981	2	Margaret Guilfoyle	Liberal
1981	3	Robert Ray	Labor
1981	4	Austin Lewis	Liberal
1981	5	John Siddons	Democrat
1978
1978	1	Alan Missen	Liberal
1978	2	Gareth Evans	Labor
1978	3	David Hamer	Liberal
1978	4	John Button	Labor
1978	5	Don Chipp	Democrat

1980 Australian federal election: Senate, Victoria
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			339,953
	Labor	1. Cyril Primmer (elected 1) 2. Robert Ray (elected 3) 3. Jean Melzer	877,468	43.0	+8.8
	Coalition	1. Margaret Guilfoyle (Lib) (elected 2) 2. Austin Lewis (Lib) (elected 4) 3. Laurence Neal (NCP)	831,703	40.8	−1.0
	Democrats	1. John Siddons (elected 5) 2. Janet Powell 3. Ian Price	231,113	11.3	−4.9
	Democratic Labour	1. Paul McManus 2. John Flint 3. Robert Semmel	31,766	1.6	−4.6
	Australia	1. Gail Farrell 2. Frederick Funnell	25,734	1.3	+1.2
	Marijuana	1. Margaret Fraser 2. James Billington	11,684	0.6	−0.1
	Group B	1. John Jess 2. John Davies 3. Donald Moyes	10,402	0.5	+0.5
	Group K	1. Francis Petering 2. Jean McPherson 3. Louis Cook	9,081	0.4	+0.4
	Socialist	1. Georgina Lialios 2. Trevor McCandless 3. Raymond Berbling	2,791	0.1	−0.1
	Group E	1. Shane Watson 2. Ernest Langmaid	1,765	0.1	+0.1
	Group D	1. George Samargis 2. Daniel Smargis	1,538	0.1	+0.1
	Independent	Pamela Moore	1,498	0.1	+0.1
	Independent	Anthony Palmer	1,470	0.1	+0.1
	Independent	Augustus Titter	1,157	0.1	+0.1
	Independent	Maurice Smith	329	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Wilhelm Kapphan	217	0.0	0.0
Total formal votes			2,039,716	90.9	0.0
Informal votes			256,060	9.1	0.0
Turnout			2,295,776	95.0	−0.7

Queensland

Elected	#	Senator
1981
1981	1	Jim Keeffe	Labor
1981	2	Flo Bjelke-Petersen	NCP
1981	3	Neville Bonner	Liberal
1981	4	Gerry Jones	Labor
1981	5	Michael Macklin	Democrat
1978
1978	1	Kathy Sullivan	Liberal
1978	2	George Georges	Labor
1978	3	Stan Collard	NCP
1978	4	Mal Colston	Labor
1978	5	David MacGibbon	Liberal

1980 Australian federal election: Senate: Queensland
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			192,889
	Labor	1. Jim Keeffe (elected 1) 2. Gerry Jones (elected 4) 3. Robert Gleeson	445,277	38.5	+3.9
	National Country	1. Flo Bjelke-Petersen (elected 2) 2. Glen Sheil 3. Ron Maunsell	309,622	26.8	+26.8*
	Liberal	1. Neville Bonner (elected 3) 2. Yvonne McComb 3. Franz Born	266,407	23.0	+23.0*
	Democrats	1. Michael Macklin (elected 5) 2. William Elson-Green 3. Gilruth Rees	115,429	10.0	+1.0
	Progress	1. Vivian Forbes 2. Frank Paull	3,399	0.3	−0.5
	Group J	1. Lionel Fifield 2. Robert McClintock	3,256	0.3	+0.3
	Group F	1. John Butler 2. Anne Glew	3,022	0.3	+0.3
	Socialist	1. David Ryan 2. Stephen Bulloch 3. Ivan Ivanoff	2,514	0.2	−2.6
	Independent	Norman Eather	2,191	0.2	+0.2
	Group G	1. Sydney Shawcross 2. Cyril McKenzie 3. Michael Dendle	2,102	0.2	+0.2
	National Front	1. Rosemary Sisson 2. Victor Robb	1,467	0.1	+0.1
	Independent	Carlemo Wacando	1,326	0.1	+0.1
	Group H	1. James Drabsch 2. Vivien Botterill	513	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Neil McKay	369	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Anthony Catip	241	0.0	0.0
	Independent	Frederick Phillips	195	0.0	0.0
Total formal votes			1,157,330	90.8	−1.2
Informal votes			117,884	9.2	+1.2
Turnout			1,275,214	94.0	−0.8

The Liberal and Country parties contested the previous election as a Coalition, where they obtained 51.3% of the vote. In this election, they contested the election as separate parties.

South Australia

Elected	#	Senator
1981
1981	1	Don Jessop	Liberal
1981	2	Dominic Foreman	Labor
1981	3	Robert Hill	Liberal
1981	4	Nick Bolkus	Labor
1981	5	Janine Haines	Democrat
1978
1978	1	Tony Messner	Liberal
1978	2	Geoff McLaren	Labor
1978	3	Harold Young	Liberal
1978	4	Ron Elstob	Labor
1978	5	Baden Teague	Liberal

1980 Australian federal election, Senate, South Australia
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			122,723
	Liberal	1. Don Jessop (elected 1) 2. Robert Hill (elected 3) 3. Craig Spiel	319,088	43.3	−5.8
	Labor	1. Dominic Foreman (elected 2) 2. Nick Bolkus (elected 4) 3. Graham Maguire	300,420	40.8	+4.0
	Democrats	1. Janine Haines (elected 5) 2. Ian Gilfillan 3. David Vigor	96,662	13.1	+1.9
	National Country	1. Geoffrey Clothier 2. Sylvia Schulz 3. Peter McBride	7,419	1.0	+1.0
	Concerned Christian Candidates	1. Betty Luks 2. James Cronin 3. Gordon Kroschel	4,189	0.6	+0.6
	Marijuana	1. Craig Cocks 2. Gwenda Woods	2,373	0.3	+0.3
	Australia	1. Ian Modistach 2. Alan Jamieson	1,670	0.2	−0.2
	Socialist	1. Brian Rooney 2. Ida Goss 3. Laurence Kiek	1,347	0.2	−0.1
	Progressive Conservative	1. David Kitto 2. Mary McKenzie-Huish	1,248	0.2	+0.2
	Independent	Valentine Furner	879	0.1	+0.1
	Independent	William Forster	820	0.1	+0.1
	Independent	Raymond Bradtke	221	0.0	0.0
Total formal votes			736,336	91.3	+1.7
Informal votes			70,359	8.7	−1.7
Turnout			806,695	94.9	−0.2

Western Australia

Elected	#	Senator
1981
1981	1	Reg Withers	Liberal
1981	2	Gordon McIntosh	Labor
1981	3	Peter Durack	Liberal
1981	4	Patricia Giles	Labor
1981	5	Noel Crichton-Browne	Liberal
1978
1978	1	Fred Chaney	Liberal
1978	2	Peter Walsh	Labor
1978	3	Andrew Thomas	Liberal
1978	4	Ruth Coleman	Labor
1978	5	Allan Rocher	Liberal

1980 Australian federal election: Senate, Western Australia
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			105,085
	Liberal	1. Reg Withers (elected 1) 2. Peter Durack (elected 3) 3. Noel Crichton-Browne (elected 5)	283,429	45.0	−1.4
	Labor	1. Gordon McIntosh (elected 2) 2. Patricia Giles (elected 4) 3. Brian Conway	244,729	38.8	+6.0
	Democrats	1. Jack Evans 2. Geoffrey Taylor 3. Shirley de la Hunty	58,538	9.3	−3.2
	National Country	1. John Patterson 2. John McIntyre 3. Leonard Newing	25,937	4.1	−2.0
	National	1. Anthony Overheu 2. Edna Adams 3. Murray Anderson	7,597	1.2	+1.2
	Progressive Conservative	1. Syd Negus 2. Peter Harwood	4,999	0.8	+0.8
	Progress	1. John Trewick 2. James Jamieson 3. Kenneth Law	2,593	0.4	−1.3
	Group D	1. Francesco Nesci 2. Nellie Stuart	1,570	0.2	+0.2
	Independent	Douglas Thorp	1,112	0.2	+0.2
Total formal votes			630,504	90.1	−1.7
Informal votes			69,453	9.9	+1.7
Turnout			699,957	93.2	−0.8

Tasmania

Elected	#	Senator
1981
1981	1	Peter Rae	Liberal
1981	2	Jean Hearn	Labor
1981	3	Brian Harradine	Independent
1981	4	Michael Townley	Liberal
1981	5	John Coates	Labor
1978
1978	1	Shirley Walters	Liberal
1978	2	Don Grimes	Labor
1978	3	Brian Archer	Liberal
1978	4	Michael Tate	Labor
1978	5	John Watson	Liberal

1980 Australian federal election: Senate, Tasmania
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			40,640
	Liberal	1. Peter Rae (elected 1) 2. Michael Townley (elected 4) 3. Peter Jones	96,098	39.4	−10.4
	Labor	1. Jean Hearn (elected 2) 2. John Coates (elected 5) 3. John White	86,833	35.6	−2.1
	Group B	1. Brian Harradine (elected 3) 2. Harry Upston	52,247	21.4	+21.4
	Democrats	1. Norman Siberry 2. Rae Saxon 3. Brian Austen	7,780	3.2	−2.7
Total formal votes			243,838	92.5	−0.4
Informal votes			19,651	7.5	+0.4
Turnout			263,489	96.3	−0.4

Australian Capital Territory

Elected	#	Senator
1980
1980	1	Susan Ryan	Labor
1980	2	John Knight	Liberal

1980 Australian federal election: Senate, Australian Capital Territory
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			41,569
	Labor	1. Susan Ryan (elected 1) 2. John Langmore	63,280	50.8	+7.6
	Liberal	2. John Knight (elected 2) 2. David Adams	46,267	37.1	−1.3
	Democrats	1. John Filler 2. John Morgan	10,663	8.5	−4.3
	Jobless Action Community Campaign	1. Neville Curtis 2. Jacqueline Flitcroft	4,001	3.2	+3.2
	Independent	Joseph Marks	493	0.4	+0.4
Total formal votes			124,704	97.2	+6.9
Informal votes			3,558	2.8	−6.9
Turnout			128,262	94.3	−1.3

Northern Territory

Elected	#	Senator
1980
1980	1	Bernie Kilgariff	Country Liberal
1980	2	Ted Robertson	Labor

1980 Australian federal election: Senate, Northern Territory
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			14,027
	Country Liberal	1. Bernard Kilgariff (elected 1) 2. Graeme Lewis	19,129	45.5	−0.5
	Labor	1. Ted Robertson (elected 2) 2. Hunter Harrison	16,384	38.9	−1.5
	Democrats	1. Jack Hunt 2. William Evans	4,113	9.8	+1.6
	Christian Democrat	1. Ronald Mann 2. Charles Coombs	1,648	3.9	+3.9
	Marijuana	1. Jennifer Smether 2. Lance Lawrence	804	1.9	+1.9
Total formal votes			42,078	92.7	−0.8
Informal votes			3,325	7.3	+0.8
Turnout			45,403	82.3	+1.1

References

↑ "Federal Election Results 1949-1993" (PDF). Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 28 June 2018.

External links

Adam Carr's Election Archive

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[1] "Federal Election Results 1949-1993" (PDF). Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 28 June 2018.

[1]