List of Australian Democrats elected representatives

Main article: Australian Democrats

Logo of the Australian Democrats

Since it was formed in 1977, the Australian Democrats have had a number of elected representatives at the federal, state and local level in Australia. ^[1]

As of 2025, the Democrats do not have any elected representatives. ^[2] Robin Millhouse is recognised as the party's first parliamentarian, while David Winderlich is the last member of the party to sit in any Australian parliament. ^{[3] [4]}

Federal

Former

Image		Name (birth–death)	Office	Term start	Term end	Notes
		Don Chipp (1925−2006)	MP for Hotham	9 May 1977	10 November 1977	Did not contest Hotham and won Senate seat at the 1977 election. Resigned
Senator for Victoria			1 July 1978	18 August 1986
		Janine Haines (1945−2004)	Senator for South Australia	14 December 1977	30 June 1978	Appointed to fill casual vacancy. Did not contest 1977 election but was re-elected in 1980. Resigned to unsuccessfully contest Kingston in 1990
1 July 1981				1 March 1990
		Colin Mason (1926−2020)	Senator for New South Wales	1 July 1978	5 June 1987	Retired
		Michael Macklin (1943−)	Senator for Queensland	1 July 1981	30 June 1990	Retired
		John Siddons (1927−2016)	Senator for Victoria	1 July 1981	4 February 1983	Lost seat. Re-elected in 1984. Left party
1 July 1985				5 June 1987
		Jack Evans (1928−2009)	Senator for Western Australia	5 March 1983	30 June 1985	Lost seat
		David Vigor (1939–1998)	Senator for South Australia	1 December 1984	5 June 1987	Left party
		Norm Sanders (1932–)	Senator for Tasmania	1 July 1985	1 March 1990	Resigned to unsuccessfully contest Australian Capital Territory Senate seat in 1990
		Janet Powell (1942–2013)	Senator for Victoria	26 August 1986	31 July 1992	Appointed to replace Don Chipp. Left party
		John Coulter (1930–2024)	Senator for South Australia	11 July 1987	20 November 1995	Resigned due to ill health
		Paul McLean (1937–)	Senator for South Australia	11 July 1987	23 August 1991	Resigned
		Jean Jenkins (1938–)	Senator for Western Australia	11 July 1987	30 June 1990	Lost seat
		Vicki Bourne (1954–)	Senator for New South Wales	1 July 1990	30 June 2002	Lost seat
		Sid Spindler (1932–2008)	Senator for Victoria	1 July 1990	30 June 2002	Lost seat
		Cheryl Kernot (1948–)	Senator for Queensland	1 July 1990	15 October 1997	Left party and joined Labor
		Robert Bell (1950–2001)	Senator for Tasmania	7 March 1990	30 June 1996	Lost seat
		Karin Sowada (1961–)	Senator for New South Wales	7 March 1990	30 June 1993	Appointed to replace Paul McLean. Lost seat
		John Woodley (1938–)	Senator for Queensland	1 July 1993	27 July 2001	Resigned
		Meg Lees (1948–)	Senator for New South Wales	4 April 1990	26 July 2002	Left party
		Natasha Stott Despoja (1969–)	Senator for South Australia	29 November 1995	30 June 2008	Retired
		Lyn Allison (1946–)	Senator for Victoria	1 July 1996	30 June 2008	Lost seat [5]
		Andrew Murray (1947–)	Senator for Western Australia	1 July 1996	30 June 2008	Retired [6]
		Andrew Bartlett (1964–)	Senator for Queensland	30 October 1997	30 June 2008	Lost seat [7]
		Aden Ridgeway (1962–)	Senator for New South Wales	1 July 1999	30 June 2005	Lost seat
		Brian Greig (1966–)	Senator for Western Australia	1 July 1999	30 June 2005	Lost seat
		John Cherry (1965–)	Senator for Queensland	31 July 2001	30 June 2005	Lost seat

State

Australian Capital Territory

Former

Image		Name (birth–death)	Office	Term start	Term end	Notes
		Ivor Vivian (1932–)	MHA for Fraser	9 May 1977	5 June 1982	Joined party when it formed. Lost seat [8]
		Gordon Walsh (1932–2000)	MHA for Canberra	9 May 1977	30 June 1986	Joined party when it formed. Remained in House of Assembly until it was dissolved [9] [10]
		Roslyn Dundas (1932–2000)	MLA for Ginninderra	20 October 2001	16 October 2004	Lost seat

New South Wales

Former

Image		Name (birth–death)	Office	Term start	Term end	Notes
		Elisabeth Kirkby (1921–)	Member of the Legislative Council	27 October 1981	25 June 1998	Retired
		Richard Jones (1940–)	Member of the Legislative Council	13 March 1988	12 March 1996	Left party [11]
		Arthur Chesterfield-Evans (1950–)	Member of the Legislative Council	25 June 1998	2 April 2007	Lost seat [12]

South Australia

Former

Image		Name (birth–death)	Office	Term start	Term end	Notes
		Robin Millhouse (1929–2017)	MHA for Mitcham	9 May 1977	7 April 1982	Resigned after accepting position of South Australian Supreme Court justice
		Lance Milne (1915–1995)	Member of the Legislative Council	15 September 1979	1 December 1985	Retired and left party five days before 1985 state election [13]
		Heather Southcott (1928–2014)	MHA for Mitcham	8 May 1982	6 November 1982	Won by-election to replace Robin Millhouse. Lost seat at state election held six months later
		Ian Gilfillan (1932–)	Member of the Legislative Council	6 November 1982	18 November 1993	Resigned to unsuccessfully contest Norwood at 1993 state election. Re-elected in 1997. Retired
11 October 1997				18 March 2006
		Mike Elliott (1952–)	Member of the Legislative Council	7 December 1985	18 November 1993	Resigned to unsuccessfully contest Davenport at 1993 state election. Appointed to replace Ian Gilfillan. Resigned to retire from politics
10 February 1994				10 December 2002
		Sandra Kanck (1950–)	Member of the Legislative Council	11 December 1993	31 January 2009	Resigned [14]
		Kate Reynolds (1962–)	Member of the Legislative Council	17 February 2003	18 March 2006	Appointed to replace Mike Elliott. Lost seat
		David Winderlich (1964–)	Member of the Legislative Council	17 February 2009	7 October 2009	Appointed to replace Sandra Kanck. Left party

Tasmania

Former

Image		Name (birth–death)	Office	Term start	Term end	Notes
		Norm Sanders (1932–)	MHA for Denison	16 February 1980	23 December 1982	Resigned

Tasmania

Former

Image		Name (birth–death)	Office	Term start	Term end	Notes
		Helen Hodgson (1961–)	MLC for North Metropolitan	22 May 1997	21 May 2001	Lost seat
		Norm Kelly (1959–)	MLC for East Metropolitan	22 May 1997	21 May 2001	Lost seat

Local

New South Wales

Former

Image		Name (birth–death)	Office	Term start	Term end	Notes
		Greg Butler	Councillor for Wingecarribee Shire	9 September 1995	11 September 1999	[15] [16]
		Peter Furness	Councillor of the City of South Sydney for South Ward	1 July 2000	11 April 2003	Left party [17] [18]

References

1. "30 years of Australian Democrats in the Senate". Australian Democrats. Archived from the original on 13 October 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
2. Butler, Josh (18 May 2022). "Australian election 2022: from anti-vaxxers to revolutionaries, what do the minor parties running for the Senate stand for?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 December 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
3. Keane, Daniel; Fedorowytsch, Tom (29 April 2017). "Robin Millhouse, first Democrats MP and 'maverick personality', dies aged 87". ABC News. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
4. Rivett, Gary (7 October 2009). "Last Democrat goes from Aussie parliaments". ABC News. Archived from the original on 16 January 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
5. Caldwell, Alison (27 November 2007). "Democrats to lose parliamentary representation". ABC News. Archived from the original on 11 December 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
6. "Democrats Senator Murray to quit". ABC News. 5 July 2006. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
7. "Democrats' bid farewell as Bartlett bows out". ABC News. 1 July 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
8. "THE ASSEMBLY ELECTION". The Canberra Times. 7 June 1982. p. 2. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
9. Longhurst, Frank (18 June 1986). "The ACT's Assembly is laid to rest". The Canberra Times. p. 3. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
10. "Confusion over dissolution". The Canberra Times. 22 June 1986. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
11. "Annual Report '96" (PDF). Parliament of New South Wales. 30 June 1996. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025. On 12 March 1996 the Hon Richard Jones resigned as a Member of the Australian Democrats to take up a position on the cross benches as an Independent Member of the Council.
12. "NSW Democrats lose Upper House seat". ABC News. 3 April 2007. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
13. "Top SA Democrat quits party". The Canberra Times. 2 December 1985. p. 1. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
14. "Final day for last elected Democrat". ABC News. 2 December 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
15. "Greg Butler". Australian Democrats. 28 April 2022. Archived from the original on 26 October 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025. Aust Democrats Councillor 1995 to 1999
16. "The 1999 Council". Wingecarribee Shire Council. Archived from the original on 28 November 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
17. "Democrats member jumps ship, fires parting shot". ABC News. 11 April 2003. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
18. "Furness bounces back to Labor". Star Observer. 20 April 2003. Archived from the original on 15 November 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2024.