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REID, Matthew (1856–1947)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Queensland, 1917–35 (Nationalist Party; United Australia Party)</span>

REID, Matthew (1856–1947)
Senator for Queensland, 1917–35 (Nationalist Party; United Australia Party)

Matthew Reid was born at Dalmellington, Ayrshire, Scotland, on 30 September 1856; only the name of his mother, Elizabeth Reid, is known. In his early years Reid worked as a carpenter, serving his apprenticeship in Glasgow and working in London, where he married Mary Smart on 24 June 1879. He joined the Amalgamated Carpenters’ Union, and was a member of Henry Hyndman’s Social Democratic

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REYNOLDS, Margaret (1941– )<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Queensland, 1982–99 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

REYNOLDS, Margaret (1941– )
Senator for Queensland, 1982–99 (Australian Labor Party)

Margaret Reynolds, activist, educator and author, was born Margaret Lyne, in Hobart on 19 July 1941, the only child of Walter Rodis (Rod) Lyne and his wife Jess, née Montgomery, a teacher. Rod Lyne, who worked on his father’s farm before serving with the Australian Army in New Guinea, died in 1947. During the war Jess took Margaret to Launceston to live near her

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RICHARDSON, Graham Frederick (1949– )<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for New South Wales, 1983–94 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

RICHARDSON, Graham Frederick (1949– )
Senator for New South Wales, 1983–94 (Australian Labor Party)

Graham Frederick Richardson, whose words over the telephone or across restaurant tables would make and unmake several political careers including his own, was born in Sydney on 27 September 1949, the only surviving child of Frederick James Richardson, a senior clerk in the Postmaster General’s Department, and his wife Catherine Maud (Peggy), née Graham. He grew up in Allawah and Kogarah, typical postwar suburbs

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RIDLEY, Clement Frank (1909–1988)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1959–71 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

RIDLEY, Clement Frank (1909–1988)
Senator for South Australia, 1959–71 (Australian Labor Party)

While Clem Ridley was respected in the Senate for his knowledge of industrial affairs, his thoughtful contributions to debate, and his dignified bearing, his most significant achievements lay outside the parliamentary arena, as a dedicated and successful union leader, and as a steadying influence within the inner circles of the South Australian ALP during the time of the Split. Clem Ridley was born Frank

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ROBERTSON, Agnes Robertson (1882–1968)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Western Australia, 1950–62 (Liberal Party of Australia; Australian Country Party)</span>

ROBERTSON, Agnes Robertson (1882–1968)
Senator for Western Australia, 1950–62 (Liberal Party of Australia; Australian Country Party)

Agnes Robertson Keay was born at Stepney, Adelaide, South Australia, on 31 July 1882, only daughter of David Kelly Keay, stonemason and building contractor, and his wife Mary Ann, née Thomson. A lone girl among seven brothers, Agnes soon learnt ‘to fight’ her way ‘with them all’. Her father was a well-read social commentator and regular contributor to contemporary journals. He revelled in controversial

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ROBERTSON, Edward Albert (1929–1991)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Northern Territory, 1975–87 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

ROBERTSON, Edward Albert (1929–1991)
Senator for Northern Territory, 1975–87 (Australian Labor Party)

Ted Robertson and Bernard Kilgariff were the first senators elected to the Australian Parliament to represent the Northern Territory. Born on 18 March 1929 in the port city of Albany, Western Australia, Edward Albert (Ted)Robertson was the only child of Scottish-born labourer Neil (Jock) Robertson and English-born Ethel Lucy Robertson, née Bamford. Ted’s parents separated before his birth and shortly afterwards his father left

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ROBINSON, Albert William (1877–1943)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1928 (Nationalist Party)</span>

ROBINSON, Albert William (1877–1943)
Senator for South Australia, 1928 (Nationalist Party)

Albert William Robinson was an effective representative of the rural sector, both inside and outside Parliament, for over thirty years. Robinson was born at Lyndoch, South Australia, on 20 May 1877, the only son of George Septimus Robinson, a publican and grazier, and his wife Lucy, née Ridgway. He was educated at the Balaklava State School, the Clare Advanced School, of which he was

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ROBINSON, William Charles (1907–1981)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Western Australia, 1952–53 (Australian Country Party)</span>

ROBINSON, William Charles (1907–1981)
Senator for Western Australia, 1952–53 (Australian Country Party)

William Charles Campbell Bignall Robinson was born in Hertford, England, on 4 October 1907, the son of William Robinson, publican, and Alice, née Bolton. Around 1911, the family arrived in Western Australia, and settled as farmers in the Williams district. Bill, as young Robinson was known, was educated at Tarwonga State School and Northam Senior High School before following his father onto the land.

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ROCHER, Allan Charles (1936–2016)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Western Australia, 1978–81 (Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

ROCHER, Allan Charles (1936–2016)
Senator for Western Australia, 1978–81 (Liberal Party of Australia)

Allan Charles Rocher was one of a select band of federal parliamentarians who served in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Before election to the Senate in 1977 he was hardly known in Liberal Party circles, yet he was pre-selected ahead of some twenty-two candidates, and went on to win a Senate seat from the notoriously difficult third position on the party

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ROWELL, James (1851–1940)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1917–23 (Nationalist Party)</span>

ROWELL, James (1851–1940)
Senator for South Australia, 1917–23 (Nationalist Party)

Colonel James Rowell was the epitome of the turn of the century military man: composed in manner, dignified in bearing and of distinguished appearance. He was born at Cambridge, England, on 20 January 1851, the son of John Rowell, a gardener, and his wife Susan, previously Smith, née Hall. In 1855, he came to South Australia with his parents where they established an orchard

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RUSSELL, Edward John (1878–1925)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Victoria, 1907–25 (Labor Party; National Labour Party; Nationalist)</span>

RUSSELL, Edward John (1878–1925)
Senator for Victoria, 1907–25 (Labor Party; National Labour Party; Nationalist)

Socialist firebrand and federal minister, Edward John Russell, was born on 10 August 1878 at Warrnambool, Victoria, the son of Joseph Russell, a baker born in Ireland, and his wife, Melbourne-born Mary Frances, née Conway. Russell arrived in Melbourne with his family in 1890, during the great maritime strike, and was educated at Newport State School and St Mary’s Roman Catholic school at Williamstown.

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RYAN, John Victor (1890–1974)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1950–59 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

RYAN, John Victor (1890–1974)
Senator for South Australia, 1950–59 (Australian Labor Party)

John Victor Ryan, baker, footballer and trade union official, was called John Lattin at the time of his birth on 2 December 1890 at the Destitute Asylum, Adelaide. He was the son of Rose Lattin. Later Rose married John Ryan, a labourer, her son taking the surname of Ryan. Six years after becoming a senator, John Victor Ryan established his name by deed poll. John Victor,

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RYAN, Susan Maree (1942–2020)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Australian Capital Territory, 1975–88 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

RYAN, Susan Maree (1942–2020)
Senator for Australian Capital Territory, 1975–88 (Australian Labor Party)

Susan Maree Ryan was born on 10 October 1942 at Camperdown, Sydney, the third of four children of Arthur Francis Aloysius Ryan, a clerk in the state public service, and his wife Florence Ena, née Hodson, who worked as a sales assistant. Growing up in Maroubra, Susan was educated at its Brigidine Convent, where she completed the Leaving Certificate. Although she was to move

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SAMPSON, Burford (1882–1959)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Tasmania, 1925–38, 1941–47 (Nationalist Party; United Australia Party; Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

SAMPSON, Burford (1882–1959)
Senator for Tasmania, 1925–38, 1941–47 (Nationalist Party; United Australia Party; Liberal Party of Australia)

Burford Sampson, soldier, businessman and public servant, was born at Launceston, Tasmania, on 30 March 1882, son of Joseph Tasker Sampson and his wife, Emily Louisa, née Pollard, both of whom hailed from Yorkshire and had come to Tasmania with their respective parents. Joseph Sampson, a grocer whose business was in Brisbane Street, Launceston, died when Burford was five years old. Burford attended the

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SANDERS, Norman Karl (1932– )<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Tasmania, 1985–90 (Australian Democrats)</span>

SANDERS, Norman Karl (1932– )
Senator for Tasmania, 1985–90 (Australian Democrats)

Norman Karl (Norm) Sanders was born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, on 15 October 1932, elder child of Karl Wilhelm Sanders, a commercial artist born in Riga, Latvia, and his wife Mary Doris, née Schenck, teacher and journalist. His family later lived in Chicago before settling in Los Angeles, where Sanders attended Florence Nightingale Junior High School. He received little emotional support from his parents,

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SANDFORD, Charles Walter (1895–1966)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Victoria, 1947–56, 1957–66 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

SANDFORD, Charles Walter (1895–1966)
Senator for Victoria, 1947–56, 1957–66 (Australian Labor Party)

Charles Walter Sandford was born at Camp Hill, Creswick, Victoria, on 11 September 1895 to Edwin Thomas Sandford, born in New York State, USA, and his wife, Victorian-born Margaret Ann, née Jordan. According to family recollection, Edwin, the son of an English storekeeper who had migrated to America, had returned to England with his family before taking ship for Australia. He left the ship

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SARGOOD, Sir Frederick Thomas (1834–1903)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Victoria, 1901–03 (Free Trade)</span>

SARGOOD, Sir Frederick Thomas (1834–1903)
Senator for Victoria, 1901–03 (Free Trade)

Sir Frederick Sargood, ‘one of the merchant princes of the Commonwealth’, was born on 30 May 1834 at Walworth, London, son of Frederick James Sargood, merchant, and his wife, Emma, née Rippon. Young Sargood was educated at private schools in England before migrating to Victoria with his parents and five sisters, arriving in Melbourne as an assisted immigrant on the Clifton in 1850. After

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SAYERS, Robert John (1845–1919)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Queensland, 1907–13 (Anti-Socialist Party)</span>

SAYERS, Robert John (1845–1919)
Senator for Queensland, 1907–13 (Anti-Socialist Party)

Robert John Sayers, a distinguished-looking Queensland miner, once mistaken for a bushranger, was born on 27 January 1845 at St Lawrence on the Isle of Wight, the son of James Alexander Sayers, a coast guard officer, and his wife, Emma, née Gover. Sayers’ education took place in schools at Cowes and in London before he arrived in Queensland about 1863. He became involved in

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SCHACHT, Christopher Cleland (1946– )<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1987–2002 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

SCHACHT, Christopher Cleland (1946– )
Senator for South Australia, 1987–2002 (Australian Labor Party)

Christopher Cleland Schacht was born on 6 December 1946 in Melbourne, the only child of Lloyd Christopher and Mary Cleland Schacht, née Timcke. In the early 1860s his great-grandfather, Heinrich Schacht, arrived in Brisbane from Schleswig-Holstein, a disputed border province between Prussia and Denmark; another descendant was Peter Shack, former Liberal MP for Tangney, WA. Chris Schacht grew up in Gippsland, Victoria, where the

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SCOTT, Douglas Barr (1920–2012)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for New South Wales, 1970, 1974–85 (Australian Country Party/National Country Party/National Party of Australia)</span>

SCOTT, Douglas Barr (1920–2012)
Senator for New South Wales, 1970, 1974–85 (Australian Country Party/National Country Party/National Party of Australia)

Douglas Barr Scott was born in the northern Adelaide suburb of Prospect on 12 May 1920 to James Barr Scott and his wife Clara Josephine, née White. At the time of his birth Scott’s maternal grandparents lived in Adelaide, but the family home was on their wheat and sheep property, ‘Glenview’, near Grenfell, New South Wales. As the property was relatively isolated, his early

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SCOTT, Malcolm Fox (1910–1989)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Western Australia, 1950–71 (Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

SCOTT, Malcolm Fox (1910–1989)
Senator for Western Australia, 1950–71 (Liberal Party of Australia)

Malcolm Fox Scott, who entered federal politics at thirty-eight from a background in farming, business and local government, served for over twenty-one years in the Senate, two as Government Whip, and a further two as a minister. Malcolm was born on 11 May 1910, at Bridgetown, Western Australia, the second child and eldest son of Thomas Scott, a Scottish migrant, and Ada Margaretta, née

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SEWARD Harrie Stephen (1884–1958)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Western Australia, 1951–58 (Australian Country Party)</span>

SEWARD Harrie Stephen (1884–1958)
Senator for Western Australia, 1951–58 (Australian Country Party)

Central to the career of Harrie Stephen Seward, bank manager and wheat farmer, was his concern with the politics of Western Australian wheat farming. Seward was born on 26 February 1884 at Rochester in Victoria, the son of Stephen Seward, farmer and shire secretary, and his wife Mary Ellen (Nellie), née Kelleher. Harrie was educated at St Patrick’s School in Ballarat, and in 1900

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SHANNON, John Wallace (1862–1926)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1912–13, 1914–20 (Liberal Party; Nationalist Party)</span>

SHANNON, John Wallace (1862–1926)
Senator for South Australia, 1912–13, 1914–20 (Liberal Party; Nationalist Party)

His statement: ‘I am an Australian first, and a South Australian afterwards’,[1]was at the heart of John Wallace Shannon’s political philosophy. Born at Moculta, South Australia, on 28 April 1862, son of Abraham Shannon, farmer, and Eliza, née Mahood, Shannon was to rise to a position of eminence as a farmer, businessman and state politician before entering the Senate. Educated at Angaston, Shannon took

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SHEEHAN, James Michael (1885–1967)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Victoria, 1938–40, 1944–62 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

SHEEHAN, James Michael (1885–1967)
Senator for Victoria, 1938–40, 1944–62 (Australian Labor Party)

James Michael Sheehan was born at Clinkers Hill, Castlemaine, in central Victoria, on 24 July 1885, son of Michael Sheehan, blacksmith, a native of Limerick, Ireland, and Ellen, née Firminger. Jim, as he was called, attended St Mary’s Catholic school until, at the age of thirteen, he was employed on the Victorian railways. Under the influence of local railway unionist, Tom Hendra, Sheehan became

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SHEIL, Glenister (1929–2008)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Queensland, 1974–81 (Australian Country Party; National Country Party); 1984–90 (National Party of Australia)</span>

SHEIL, Glenister (1929–2008)
Senator for Queensland, 1974–81 (Australian Country Party; National Country Party); 1984–90 (National Party of Australia)

Glenister (Glen) Sheil is remembered in Australian political history as the shortest-serving federal minister, although his appointment as Minister for Veterans’ Affairs was never gazetted. Sworn in as a member of the Executive Council on 20 December 1977, his appointment was terminated by Prime Minister Malcom Fraser two days later. Responding to a phone call from a journalist, and in a subsequent radio interview,

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SHERRINGTON, Robert Duncan (1902–1966)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Queensland, 1962–66 (Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

SHERRINGTON, Robert Duncan (1902–1966)
Senator for Queensland, 1962–66 (Liberal Party of Australia)

Robert Duncan Sherrington devoted most of his life to the sugar industry and to the Queensland Liberal Party. He was born in Maryborough, Queensland, on 21 January 1902, the son of James McGowan Sherrington, driller, and Mary Ellen, née Crane. He was the cousin of Douglas Sherrington, who represented the Queensland state electorate of Salisbury for the Labor Party between 1960 and 1974. Growing

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SHORT, James Robert (1936– )<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Victoria, 1985–97 (Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

SHORT, James Robert (1936– )
Senator for Victoria, 1985–97 (Liberal Party of Australia)

James (Jim) Robert Short was born on 7 December 1936 at Shepparton, Victoria, the youngest of three children of George Short, a surveyor with the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission, and his wife, Elsie, née Hearn. At the outbreak of World War II the family moved to Wangaratta when George Short was seconded to head the local branch of the wartime Manpower Directorate.

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SIBRAA, Kerry Walter (1937– )<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for New South Wales, 1975–78, 1978–94 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

SIBRAA, Kerry Walter (1937– )
Senator for New South Wales, 1975–78, 1978–94 (Australian Labor Party)

Kerry Walter Sibraa was born in Sydney on 12 October 1937, the only son of teachers Edna May, née Williams, and Arthur Francis Sibraa. Kerry attended state primary schools at Condoblin, Ungarie, Shortland and Newcastle, following his father’s moves between schools as a teacher and headmaster. He began his secondary education at Newcastle Boys’ High School and then moved to North Sydney Boys’ High

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SIDDONS, John Royston (1927–2016)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Victoria, 1981–83; 1985–87 (Australian Democrats; Independent; Unite Australia Party)</span>

SIDDONS, John Royston (1927–2016)
Senator for Victoria, 1981–83; 1985–87 (Australian Democrats; Independent; Unite Australia Party)

John Royston Siddons was born in Melbourne, Victoria on 5 October 1927, the middle child and only son of Royston and Agnes Emily Siddons, née Smith. Agnes was a schoolteacher and Royston an electrical engineer. In 1931 Royston bought a disused metal casting factory in Fitzroy, moving his operations to Clifton Hill in 1934. Initially making cabinet hardware, he later expanded into die-cast padlocks

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SIM, John Peter (1917–2015) <br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Western Australia, 1964–81 (Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

SIM, John Peter (1917–2015)
Senator for Western Australia, 1964–81 (Liberal Party of Australia)

John Peter Sim was born at Colac, Victoria, on 21 January 1917, one of twin sons born to John Percy Sim, farmer and grazier of Ondit, and his wife Grace Maria, formerly Plowman, born in Melbourne. Immigrants to Victoria from Scotland in the mid-19th century, the Sim family had been primary producers for many years, specialising in cattle and fat lambs. Peter, as he

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SMITH, Miles Staniforth Cater (1869–1934)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Western Australia, 1901–06 (Free Trade)</span>

SMITH, Miles Staniforth Cater (1869–1934)
Senator for Western Australia, 1901–06 (Free Trade)

Miles Staniforth Cater Smith, administrator, soldier, author, explorer and farmer, was a colourful and controversial character. Usually known as Staniforth Smith, he was born on 25 February 1869 at Kingston, Victoria, to English-born parents, William John Smith, a farmer, and Margaret Gomersall, née Charlesworth. After education at St Arnaud Grammar School, Smith studied engineering, for a time, at Melbourne University. Employed in the Melbourne

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SPICER, Sir John Armstrong (1899–1978)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Victoria, 1940–44, 1949–56 (United Australia Party; Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

SPICER, Sir John Armstrong (1899–1978)
Senator for Victoria, 1940–44, 1949–56 (United Australia Party; Liberal Party of Australia)

John Armstrong Spicer, Attorney-General of the Commonwealth, first Chief Judge of the Industrial Court and one of the group of ‘largely forgotten figures’ who assisted R. G. Menzies in the founding of the Liberal Party, was born at 935 High Street, Armadale, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, on 5 March 1899. Spicer’s father, Henry, was a photographer, born in Torquay, England, and his mother, Helen Jane,

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SPOONER, Sir William Henry (1897–1966)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for New South Wales, 1950–65 (Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

SPOONER, Sir William Henry (1897–1966)
Senator for New South Wales, 1950–65 (Liberal Party of Australia)

William Henry (Bill) Spooner, chartered accountant and founding member of the Liberal Party in New South Wales, was born on 23 December 1897 in the working class suburb of Surry Hills. He was the fifth child born to William Henry Spooner, compositor, and his wife, Maud Ann, née Dubois. Bill obtained a sound education at Christ Church School, Sydney, where in 1911 he won

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ST LEDGER, Anthony James Joseph (1859–1929)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Queensland, 1907–13 (Anti-Socialist Party)</span>

ST LEDGER, Anthony James Joseph (1859–1929)
Senator for Queensland, 1907–13 (Anti-Socialist Party)

Anthony James Joseph St Ledger, educationalist, who was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, on 18 February 1859, arrived in Queensland on the Persia on 3 December 1861 with his parents, Michael, a sawyer, and Martha née Waddington, and his brother John and sister Mary. His education took place at St Mary’s Boys’ School, Ipswich, under Rev. J. Breen, followed by some years at St Kilian’s

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STEWART, James Charles (1850–1931)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Queensland, 1901–17 (Labor Party)</span>

STEWART, James Charles (1850–1931)
Senator for Queensland, 1901–17 (Labor Party)

James Charles Stewart, an advocate of Scottish home rule, was born in Gorton, near Grantown‑on‑Spey, Morayshire, Scotland, on 7 September 1850. His father, Angus, was a farmer and blacksmith and his mother was Jessie Cruickshanks. Both lived in Gorton. James Charles attended the parish school until he was twelve, when he began work as a farm labourer. He must have continued some studies for

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STONE, John Owen (1929– )<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Queensland, 1987–90 (National Party of Australia)</span>

STONE, John Owen (1929– )
Senator for Queensland, 1987–90 (National Party of Australia)

John Stone was one of the most outspoken and controversial figures in Australian public life. When head of the Treasury during the late 1970s and early 1980s he was widely regarded as Australia’s leading public servant. In 1978 the journalist Paul Kelly described Stone as one of the two men who ran the nation (Prime Minister Fraser was the other). To his admirers he

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STYLES, James (1841–1913)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Victoria, 1901–06 (Protectionist)</span>

STYLES, James (1841–1913)
Senator for Victoria, 1901–06 (Protectionist)

James Styles was born in Croyden, Surrey, in 1841. In 1849, his parents, William and Harriet, née Friend, migrated to Victoria. William, who had been involved in railway building in England, worked as a contractor of roads and bridges. James was educated at various Melbourne schools, including St James’ Church of England School in William Street. He was then employed by a railway contractor

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SULLIVAN, Kathryn Jean Martin (1942– )<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Queensland, 1974–84 (Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

SULLIVAN, Kathryn Jean Martin (1942– )
Senator for Queensland, 1974–84 (Liberal Party of Australia)

In her youth Kathy Martin aspired to be a lawyer or a police officer. Despite her best efforts the inherent gender discrimination of the 1950s and 1960s proved insurmountable and she would move into the more ‘acceptable’ field of education. Only a few decades later, her entry into Australia’s federal Parliament proved to be the ultimate irony. Instead of practising or enforcing the law,

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SYMON, Sir Josiah Henry (1846–1934)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1901–13 (Free Trade; Anti-Socialist Party)</span>

SYMON, Sir Josiah Henry (1846–1934)
Senator for South Australia, 1901–13 (Free Trade; Anti-Socialist Party)

Josiah Henry Symon was born at Wick, Caithness, Scotland, on 27 September 1846, the son of James, a cabinetmaker, and Elizabeth, née Sutherland. Josiah was educated at the Allan’s School, Stirling, the Stirling High School and then inEdinburgh for two years. In 1866, Symon migrated to South Australia and began a legal career, taking articles with his cousin, J. D.  Sutherland, at rural Mount

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TANGNEY, Dame Dorothy Margaret (1907–1985)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Western Australia, 1943–68 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

TANGNEY, Dame Dorothy Margaret (1907–1985)
Senator for Western Australia, 1943–68 (Australian Labor Party)

In 1943 Dorothy Margaret Tangney became the first woman senator and the first Labor woman in either house of the federal Parliament. Tangney was born in North Perth, Western Australia, on 13 March 1907, though either through misinformation or artifice she provided 1911 as the year of her birth. She was the third of seven surviving children of Irish-born Eugene Tangney, timber mill worker

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TATE, John Percival (1894–1977)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for New South Wales, 1950–53 (Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

TATE, John Percival (1894–1977)
Senator for New South Wales, 1950–53 (Liberal Party of Australia)

Before entering the Senate in 1950, John Percival Tate had an extensive career as an architect, businessman, consulting engineer, housing adviser and town planner. He also had an impressive record of service in Sydney local government. He was born John Henry Tate on 21 March 1894 at Wellington, New Zealand, son of Robert Gillies Tate, cook, and Frances Lillian, née Gormley, both born in

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TATE, Michael Carter (1945– )<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Tasmania, 1978–93 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

TATE, Michael Carter (1945– )
Senator for Tasmania, 1978–93 (Australian Labor Party)

Michael Carter Tate was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on 6 July 1945, eldest child of William Arthur Tate and his wife Wilma Ellen, née Carter. His father was originally from Tasmania, and after eleven years in Western Australia and New South Wales, was transferred back to Tasmania as an accountant with the Caltex oil company, and the family settled in Hobart. Michael

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TEAGUE, Baden Chapman (1944– )<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1978–96 (Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

TEAGUE, Baden Chapman (1944– )
Senator for South Australia, 1978–96 (Liberal Party of Australia)

Baden Chapman Teague was born on 18 September 1944 at the Ashford Hospital, Adelaide. A fifth-generation Australian, he was the second of three children of Colin Archibald Teague, a builder, and his wife Nita Kathleen, née Readett. While growing up in the suburbs of Glenelg and Somerton Park, Baden Teague was educated at local primary schools and at St Peter’s College, Adelaide, (1955–62), where

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THOMAS, Josiah (1863–1933)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for New South Wales, 1917–23, 1925–29 (Nationalist Party)</span>

THOMAS, Josiah (1863–1933)
Senator for New South Wales, 1917–23, 1925–29 (Nationalist Party)

Josiah Thomas, miner, Wesleyan lay preacher, temperance man and federal minister, was born in Camborne, Cornwall, England, on 28 April 1863, the son of Josiah Thomas and his wife Ann, née Rablin. As a boy, Josiah accompanied his father, probably a mine manager, to the Mexican silver mines. Largely self-educated, the young Thomas worked in the Cornish mines. He seems to have arrived in

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THOMPSON, William George (1863–1953)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Queensland, 1922–32 (Nationalist Party)</span>

THOMPSON, William George (1863–1953)
Senator for Queensland, 1922–32 (Nationalist Party)

William George Thompson, businessman and soldier, was born on 2 March 1863 at Lurgan, Armagh, Ireland, the son of William, fencing contractor, and Isabella, née Campbell. The family migrated to Rockhampton when William was fourteen months old. After attending Rockhampton North State School Thompson started work as an office boy with the wine and spirit merchant, W. Jackson. He attended night classes and by

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TOOHEY, James Philip (1909–1992)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1953–71 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

TOOHEY, James Philip (1909–1992)
Senator for South Australia, 1953–71 (Australian Labor Party)

James Philip Toohey, union official and Labor Party secretary, played a central role in holding together Labor’s South Australian branch during the ALP Split of 1954–55. Jim, as he was known, was born in Rose Park, Adelaide, on 11 July 1909, the eighth of eleven children of James Patrick, a builder’s labourer, and Lilian née Morgan. Educated at various state and Catholic schools in

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TOWNLEY, Michael (1934– )<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Tasmania, 1971–87 (Independent; Liberal; Independent)</span>

TOWNLEY, Michael (1934– )
Senator for Tasmania, 1971–87 (Independent; Liberal; Independent)

Michael (Mike) Townley was born on 4 November 1934 at Hobart, the third of four children of Reginald Colin (Rex) Townley and his wife Irene Winifred, née Jones. His father represented the Hobart electorate of Denison in the Tasmanian House of Assembly between 1946 and 1965, first as an Independent and later as a Liberal; he was Leader of the Opposition from 1950 to

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TRENWITH, William Arthur (1846–1925)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Victoria, 1904–10 (Independent)</span>

TRENWITH, William Arthur (1846–1925)
Senator for Victoria, 1904–10 (Independent)

William Arthur Trenwith, bootmaker, federal father and the first Independent senator, was born on 15 July 1846 at Launceston, Tasmania. His convict parents, William Trenwith and Beatrice McBarrett, were not wed at the time, but seem to have married by 1850. His father, who came from Penzance, Cornwall, and was transported for life for burglary, arrived in Van Diemen’s Land in 1825; he was

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TURLEY, Joseph Henry Lewis (1859–1929)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Queensland, 1904–17 (Labor Party)</span>

TURLEY, Joseph Henry Lewis (1859–1929)
Senator for Queensland, 1904–17 (Labor Party)

Joseph Henry Lewis (Harry) Turley, wharf labourer, trade unionist and first Labor President of the Senate, was born on 24 April 1859 at Burton St Michael, Gloucester, England, the son of Charles Turley, master shoemaker, and his wife, Agnes (Susan), née Oliver. Harry was educated at Brixham, Devonshire. He went to sea, arriving in Brisbane in 1879, and worked there as a wharf labourer.

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TURNBULL, Reginald John David (1908–2006)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Tasmania, 1962–74 (Independent; Australia Party; Independent)</span>

TURNBULL, Reginald John David (1908–2006)
Senator for Tasmania, 1962–74 (Independent; Australia Party; Independent)

Reginald John David Turnbull was the first independent to be elected to the Senate after the introduction of the proportional voting system in 1949. He represented Tasmania from 1 July 1962 until his decision not to contest the election of 18 May 1974. He had an earlier career in Tasmanian state and local politics, where he served as Minister for Health from 1948 to

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VALLENTINE, Josephine (1946– )<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Western Australia, 1985–92 (Nuclear Disarmament Party; Independent; Greens WA)</span>

VALLENTINE, Josephine (1946– )
Senator for Western Australia, 1985–92 (Nuclear Disarmament Party; Independent; Greens WA)

Josephine (Jo) Vallentine was born on 30 May 1946 in the wheatbelt town of Beverley, east of Perth, one of five children of Oswald Robert Vallentine, a farmer, and his wife Sylvia Cyclone, née Miles. Jo attributed her desire to make a difference in the world to several influences. She regarded both her grandfathers as ‘the types to make things happen’ and was impressed

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VARDON, Edward Charles (1866–1937)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1921–22 (Nationalist Party)</span>

VARDON, Edward Charles (1866–1937)
Senator for South Australia, 1921–22 (Nationalist Party)

Edward Charles Vardon was an Adelaide businessman, who, as a printer, a Freemason, a prominent member of the Congregational Church, a member of the South Australian Liberal Union, a South Australian parliamentarian and a senator for South Australia, followed in the footsteps of his father, Joseph Vardon. Edward was born at Hindmarsh in Adelaide on 10 November 1866, one of five children of Joseph

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VARDON, Joseph (1843–1913)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1907, 1908–13 (Anti-Socialist Party; Liberal Party)</span>

VARDON, Joseph (1843–1913)
Senator for South Australia, 1907, 1908–13 (Anti-Socialist Party; Liberal Party)

Joseph Vardon, printer, was born on 27 July 1843, in the small South Australian town of Hindmarsh, the eldest son of Ambrose Edward Vardon, a shoemaker, and Elizabeth, née Painter. Joseph’s parents were among the earliest colonists of South Australia having arrived in the colony in 1839. Joseph received his elementary education at Moody’s School in Hindmarsh and James Bath’s school in North Adelaide.

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VERRAN, John (1856–1932)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1927–28 (Nationalist Party)</span>

VERRAN, John (1856–1932)
Senator for South Australia, 1927–28 (Nationalist Party)

John Verran, miner, preacher, temperance advocate and politician, was a bluff, fiery man, short and stout, but of great physical strength. A twin son of John Spargoe Verran, copper miner, and his wife Elizabeth Jane, née Harvey, he was born at Gwennap, Cornwall, England, on 9 August 1856. In 1857, the family migrated to South Australia’s copper mining town of Kapunda, moving on after

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VIGOR, David Bernard (1939–1998)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1985–87 (Australian Democrats; Unite Australia Party)</span>

VIGOR, David Bernard (1939–1998)
Senator for South Australia, 1985–87 (Australian Democrats; Unite Australia Party)

David Vigor was born on 24 June 1939 in Elbeuf, Normandy, in northern France. His English mother, Doris Marjorie Emma, née Hedges, and French father, Bernard Frederic Vigor, had married in June 1938, settling in France. Shortly after David’s birth mother and child caught the last ferry to England before the declaration of war. Bernard was taken prisoner but escaped to Marseilles in ‘free

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VINCENT, Victor Seddon (1906–1964)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Western Australia, 1950–64 (Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

VINCENT, Victor Seddon (1906–1964)
Senator for Western Australia, 1950–64 (Liberal Party of Australia)

Victor Seddon Vincent, known as Seddon, was a Kalgoorlie-based lawyer, widely known and highly regarded throughout the eastern goldfields of Western Australia. He was an excellent speaker and incisive debater, with broad cultural interests. Vincent was born in the goldfields town of Leonora on 1 June 1906, and retained close ties to the goldfields for the rest of his life. His father, Victor Franklin

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WADE, Harrie Walter (1905–1964)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Victoria, 1956–64 (Australian Country Party)</span>

WADE, Harrie Walter (1905–1964)
Senator for Victoria, 1956–64 (Australian Country Party)

Harrie Walter Wade, farmer, accountant and Country Party leader in the Senate, was born on 10 January 1905, at Clear Lake in the Wimmera district of Victoria. He was the son of Victorian-born parents, Harrie Walter Wade, farmer, and Ada Louise, née Edmonds. He attended the local primary and high schools at Horsham, then worked for a time as a schoolteacher and a clerk,

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WALKER, James Thomas (1841–1923)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for New South Wales, 1901–13 (Free Trade; Anti-Socialist Party)</span>

WALKER, James Thomas (1841–1923)
Senator for New South Wales, 1901–13 (Free Trade; Anti-Socialist Party)

James Thomas Walker, banker, federalist and ‘out-and-out free-trader’, was born on 20 March 1841 in Leith Walk, Midlothian, Scotland, to John William Walker, grazier, and Elizabeth, née Waterston. In 1844, John William moved to Australia with his family, settling on Castlesteads Station, Boorowa, in New South Wales. After four years, he sold the property to Hamilton Hume, the explorer, and the family returned to

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WALSH, Peter Alexander (1935–2015)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Western Australia, 1974–93 (Australian Labor Party)

WALSH, Peter Alexander (1935–2015)
Senator for Western Australia, 1974–93 (Australian Labor Party)

Peter Alexander Walsh was born on 11 March 1935 at Kellerberrin in the central wheat belt of Western Australia. He was the second son of Robert Walsh and his wife, Dorothy, née Ray, both of whom had come from Victoria in 1930 to lease and work a wheat and sheep farm at Doodlakine, also in the WA wheat belt. Peter completed his primary schooling

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WALTERS, Mary Shirley (1925–2017)<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for Tasmania, 1975–93 (Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

WALTERS, Mary Shirley (1925–2017)
Senator for Tasmania, 1975–93 (Liberal Party of Australia)

Mary Shirley Harrison (known as Shirley) was born in Sydney on 31 August 1925, the second of three daughters of Eric John and Mary Cook Harrison, née McCall. She and her two sisters grew up at the family home in the Sydney suburb of Rose Bay. Shirley had a comfortable childhood—her father was a successful businessman, managing a large textile factory, and in 1931

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WARD, Frederick Furner (1872–1954)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for South Australia, 1947–51 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

WARD, Frederick Furner (1872–1954)
Senator for South Australia, 1947–51 (Australian Labor Party)

Frederick Furner Ward, businessman, socialist, union official and Labor functionary, earned several distinctions throughout his long and busy life. Dogged and loyal, he tried unsuccessfully to win a seat in Parliament for the Labor Party in South Australia for nearly forty years (1909–46). For most of that time he was active in the state branch of the party in one or other capacity, including

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WARDLAW, Robert (1888–1964)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Tasmania, 1953–62 (Liberal Party of Australia)</span>

WARDLAW, Robert (1888–1964)
Senator for Tasmania, 1953–62 (Liberal Party of Australia)

Robert Wardlaw, primary producer, storeowner and businessman, was born on 4 August 1888, the son of James Bennett Wardlaw and Dora Dove, née Miller, at Avoca, near the Tasmanian goldmining town of Mathinna. As Robert’s nephew, Jim, has commented, the mine ‘was the town, that was it!’ James Wardlaw, a sheep farmer, had moved there to mine, although it is difficult to determine the

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WEBSTER, James Joseph (1925–2022)<br /> <span class=subheader>Senator for Victoria, 1964–80 (Australian Country Party; National Country Party)</span>

WEBSTER, James Joseph (1925–2022)
Senator for Victoria, 1964–80 (Australian Country Party; National Country Party)

James Joseph Webster was born on Flinders Island, Tasmania, on 14 June 1925, the youngest of three sons of Leslie Leeder Webster and Eileen Dorothy, née Thorne. Leslie Webster was a farmer, chairman of the local butter factory, Justice of the Peace and a shire councillor. In 1929 the family moved to Dunhelen, a farm at Greenvale near Melbourne, where they lived for many

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WEST, Suzanne Margaret (1947– )<br /><span class=subheader>Senator for New South Wales, 1987, 1990–2002 (Australian Labor Party)</span>

WEST, Suzanne Margaret (1947– )
Senator for New South Wales, 1987, 1990–2002 (Australian Labor Party)

Suzanne Margaret (Sue) West was born 21 September 1947, the daughter of Edna May, née Bennett, and her husband Timothy Henry (Tim) West, a grazier from Cowra. Tim was an unsuccessful ALP candidate at four state elections between 1976 and 1984 but earned an OAM for his services to the Cowra community. Sue was indelibly shaped by her local community. Living fifteen miles from

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