Our federation: 3. historical firsts

3.1 When and where was the first meeting of the Parliament of Australia?

The Parliament of Australia first met on 9 May 1901 at the Exhibition Building in Melbourne, for the formal opening of Parliament at noon. At 2.30pm that day members of the Senate and of the House of Representatives met again in the Victorian state Parliament House in Spring Street Melbourne. They continued to sit in those chambers until 1927 when the Provisional Parliament House in Canberra was opened, again on 9 May. The members of the Victorian Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly were accommodated at the Exhibition Buildings from 1901 to 1927.

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3.2 What was the first name of the Parliament of Australia?

Section 1 of the Australian Constitution names the new parliament ‘the Parliament or the Parliament of the Commonwealth’. The latter name remains the formal title though, informally, the Parliament is also known as the Australian Parliament, the federal Parliament and the Parliament of Australia.

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3.3 When was the first double dissolution of both houses of parliament?

The first double dissolution of both houses of parliament occurred on 30 July 1914. The dissolution was triggered by Senate rejection of the Government Preference Prohibition Bill 1914 twice, giving the Cook Government a reason to dissolve both houses and to have an election for the House of Representatives and the whole of the Senate. Writs were issued for a federal election on the same day.

At that election, on 5 September 1914, the government was defeated and succeeded by the Labor Party.

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3.4 When and where was the first meeting of the Parliament in Canberra?

Parliament first met in Canberra on 9 May 1927, in the new Senate and House of Representatives chambers of the Provisional Parliament House.

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3.5 When did the Parliament first meet in new Parliament House?

Although the new Parliament House building was opened on 9 May 1988 by the Queen, the Senate and the House of Representatives continued to sit in Provisional Parliament House during May and June of that year.

It was not until 22 August 1988 that the Parliament occupied the new chambers in the present building.

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3.6 What was the first Act of the Australian Parliament?

The Consolidated Revenue Act 1901 was the new Parliament’s first Act of Parliament. This was to provide funds for the first government to spend. The bill received assent from the Governor-General on 25 June 1901.

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3.7 Who sat on the first Bench of the High Court of Australia?

The first sitting of the High Court took place in Melbourne on 6 October 1903. The Bench was made up of three people who had been prominent in the federal movement. They were:

• The Chief Justice, Sir Samuel Griffith, former premier and former Chief Justice of Queensland.
• Sir Edmund Barton, the first Prime Minister of Australia and leader of the constitutional conventions which led to Australia becoming a federation in 1901.
• Richard Edward O'Connor, a former minister of justice and Solicitor-General of New South Wales and the first Leader of the Government in the Senate.

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3.8 Who was the first minister to be suspended from the Parliament?

The Honourable Archie Cameron was the first minister suspended from the federal Parliament. The minister was suspended for refusing to obey the Speaker’s ruling to withdraw his reference to another member as a ‘clean-skin’. This event occurred on 15 June 1938.

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3.9 Who was Australia’s first Leader of the Opposition?

The Right Honourable George Houstoun Reid was Australia’s first Leader of the Opposition. Mr Reid led the free trade grouping in the first Parliament.

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3.10 What question triggered the first referendum?

The first Australian referendum was held on 12 December 1906 in conjunction with a federal election. The referendum sought to make a minor and uncontentious amendment to the Australian Constitution by changing the date on which senators took office from 1 January to 1 July, making it more likely that their terms would coincide with that of members of the House of Representatives. The people of Australia voted ‘yes’ and the question was agreed.

A total of 44 questions have been put to referendum and this is one of the eight that passed.

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3.11 What issue led to the first plebiscite?

A plebiscite is a national ballot on a question of national importance. A plebiscite requires Australians to vote.

There have been three national plebiscites; two on the conscription of troops during World War I and one on a national song in 1977. The first was held on 28 October 1916 and sought to give the Australian Government the power to conscript for military service overseas during World War I. It was not carried.

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3.12 Who was the first Indigenous parliamentarian?

Senator Neville Bonner (Liberal Party of Australia and later Independent, Queensland) was Australia’s first Indigenous parliamentarian. He was appointed on 11 June 1971 under section 15 of the Australian Constitution to fill a casual vacancy. Senator Bonner was returned at the next election in 1974 and served until 4 February 1983.

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3.13 When did women first vote in a federal election?

The first federal Parliament, elected in 1901, was elected on the basis of colonial electoral laws. This meant that women from South Australia and Western Australia were eligible to vote in this election, while others were not. The Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 enabled all women (with the exception of Indigenous women in some states) to vote in the federal election of 1903.

From this time women have also been eligible to stand for and to be elected to the federal Parliament.

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3.14 Who was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives?

The first woman elected to the House of Representatives was the Honourable Dame Enid Lyons. She was elected to the Tasmanian division of Darwin (re-named Braddon in 1955 after an electoral redistribution) on 21 August 1943. Dame Enid Lyons retired from the House of Representatives on 19 March 1951 having served her electorate for eight years.

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3.15 Who was the first woman elected to the Senate?

Senator Dorothy Tangney of Western Australia was the first woman elected to the Senate during the federal election of 21 August 1943. Upon being elected to the Senate, Senator Tangney was immediately appointed to fill a casual vacancy until 1 July 1944 when she commenced her first six-year term. Senator Tangney was defeated in the half Senate election on 25 November 1967.

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3.16 Who was the first woman appointed as a minister?

The Honourable Dame Enid Lyons was appointed Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council from 19 December 1949 to 7 March 1951.

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3.17 Who was the first woman to lead a political party?

Senator Janine Haines was the first woman to lead a parliamentary party when she became the leader of the Australian Democrats in 1986. Senator Haines resigned from the Senate on 1 March 1990 to contest, unsuccessfully, the 1990 federal election for the House of Representatives seat of Kingston, South Australia.

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3.18 Which party formed Australia’s first government?

Australia’s first government was formed by a group of parliamentarians who agreed that Australia should use tariffs to limit cheap imports to Australia. The group was known as the Protectionists.

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3.19 Who was in the first federal ministry?

The first ministry was relatively small with just seven members (in 2007/2008 there are 30 ministers and 12 parliamentary secretaries).

At 1 January 1901 the ministry consisted of:

Minister	Role
Edmund Barton	Prime Minister and Minister for External Affairs
Alfred Deakin	Attorney-General
Sir William Lyne	Minister for Home Affairs
Sir George Turner	Treasurer
Charles Kingston	Minister for Trade and Customs
Sir James Dickson	Minister for Defence
Sir James Forrest	Postmaster-General
Richard E O’Connor	Vice-President of the Executive Council
Elliott Lewis	Minister (without portfolio)

It is interesting to note that two members of the ministry were without portfolio (and without salary) because the Australian Constitution allowed for only seven.

However, because this Ministry was formed before the first Parliament was elected in March 1901, two of its members were never members of the Australian Parliament. They were Sir James Dickson who died on 10 January 1901, having fallen ill during the Federation celebrations on 1 January, and Elliott Lewis, the Tasmanian premier who did not seek election to the Parliament of Australia.

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3.20 When was the first Cabinet meeting in Canberra?

The first Cabinet meeting was held in Canberra on 30 January 1924, at Yarralumla House. The house had been the homestead dwelling of the Yarralumla station, and was purchased by the Commonwealth in 1913 to be the official residence of the Governor-General. It was used as living quarters for visiting dignitaries from 1913 until 1925-26 when it underwent alterations and extensions to accommodate the Governor-General.

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3.21 Who was the first Prime Minister of Australia?

Australia’s first Prime Minister was the Right Honourable Sir Edmund Barton. Prime Minister Barton served from 1 January 1901 to 24 September 1903.

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3.22 Who was the first and only prime minister to be dismissed by a Governor-General?

The first and only prime minister to be dismissed was the Honourable Gough Whitlam on 11 November 1975. Prime Minister Whitlam was dismissed by Sir John Kerr, the Governor-General of the day.

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3.23 How many Australian prime ministers have died in office?

Three prime ministers have died in office. They are:

• The Right Hon. Joseph Aloysius Lyons (United Australia Party) 1932 to 1939
• The Right Hon. John Curtin (Australian Labor Party) 1941 to 1945
• The Right Hon. Harold Edward Holt (Liberal Party of Australia ) 1966 to 1967

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3.24 Who was the first prime minister to serve less than a year?

Alfred Deakin was the Prime Minister of Australia for a little over seven months, from 24 September 1903 to 27 April 1904. He was Prime Minister again on two further occasions: 1905 to 1908 and 1909 to 1910.

3.25 Who was Australia’s first head of state?

Australia’s first head of state was Queen Victoria, who died 22 January 1901. She was succeeded by King Edward VII.

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3.26 Who was Australia’s first Governor-General?

The Right Honourable John Adrian Louis Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun was Australia’s first Governor-General. Lord Hopetoun served from 1 January 1901 to 9 January 1903. He had previously been Governor of Victoria from 1889 to 1895, after which he returned to England and became Lord Chamberlain in 1898 before being appointed as Australia’s first Governor-General.

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3.27 Who was Australia’s first Australian-born Governor-General?

The Right Honourable Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs was Australia’s first Australian-born Governor-General. Governor-General Isaacs served from 22 January 1931 to 23 January 1936. Sir Isaac had served as a Protectionist Member of the House of Representatives from 1901 to 1906, before his appointment to the High Court.

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• Our Federation

  • 1. Federation
    • 1.1 What is a federation?
    • 1.2 How did Federation occur?
  • 2. The Constitution
    • 2.1 What is the Australian Constitution?
    • 2.2 How was the Australian Constitution agreed?
    • 2.3 What are the main features of the Australian federal system?
    • 2.4 Can the Australian Constitution be changed?
    • 2.5 How many referendums have been held in Australia?
  • 3. Historical Firsts
    • 3.1 When and where was the first meeting of the Parliament of Australia?
    • 3.2 What was the first name of the Parliament of Australia?
    • 3.3 When was the first double dissolution of both houses of parliament?
    • 3.4 When and where was the first meeting of the Parliament in Canberra?
    • 3.5 When did the Parliament first meet in new Parliament House?
    • 3.6 What was the first Act of the Australian Parliament?
    • 3.7 Who sat on the first Bench of the High Court of Australia?
    • 3.8 Who was the first minister to be suspended from the Parliament?
    • 3.9 Who was Australia’s first leader of the opposition?
    • 3.10 What question triggered the first referendum?
    • 3.11 What issues led to the first plebiscite?
    • 3.12 Who was the first indigenous parliamentarian?
    • 3.13 When did women first vote in a federal election?
    • 3.14 Who was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives?
    • 3.15 Who was the first woman elected to the Senate?
    • 3.16 Who was the first woman appointed as a cabinet minister?
    • 3.17 Who was the first woman to lead a political party?
    • 3.18 Which party formed Australia’s first government?
    • 3.19 Who was in the first federal ministry?
    • 3.20 When was the first cabinet meeting in Canberra?
    • 3.21 Who was Australia’s first prime minister?
    • 3.22 Who was the first and only prime minister to be sacked by the governor-general?
    • 3.23 How many Australian prime ministers have died in office?
    • 3.24 Who was the first prime minister to serve less than a year?
    • 3.25 Who was Australia’s first Head of state?
    • 3.26 Who was Australia’s first governor-general?
    • 3.27 Who was Australia’s first Australian-born governor-general?
  • 4. Australia's Parliament House
    • 4.1 Why is Australia’s Parliament House located in Canberra?
    • 4.2 When was Australia’s Parliament House opened?
    • 4.3 Who designed Australia’s Parliament House?
    • 4.4 How much did Australia’s Parliament House cost to build?
    • 4.5 Why was the new Parliament House built?
    • 4.6 Who works in Australia’s Parliament House?
    • 4.7 Who visits Australia’s Parliament House?
    • 4.8 What are some facts about the Parliament House flagpole?
    • 4.9 Which timbers are used in Parliament House?
    • 4.10 What is in the Parliament House art collection?
    • 4.11 Why are there so many gardens?
    • 4.12 What gives the building its sense of space and light?
    • 4.13 Why are there so many clocks?
    • 4.14 What stone is used throughout the building?

• Our Parliament

  • 5. How the Parliament Works
    • 5.1 What is the Parliament of Australia?
    • 5.2 What does the Parliament of Australia do?
    • 5.3 Where is the Parliament of Australia?
    • 5.4 When does the Parliament of Australia meet?
    • 5.5 Who are members of parliament?
    • 5.6 What is the House of Representatives?
    • 5.7 What is the Senate?
    • 5.8 What happens in the two chambers?
    • 5.9 What is the main committee?
    • 5.10 What are the standing orders?
    • 5.11 How is the government formed?
    • 5.12 What is the role of the government backbench?
    • 5.13 How is executive government formed?
    • 5.14 What is the role of executive government?
    • 5.15 How is the opposition formed?
    • 5.16 What does the opposition do?
    • 5.17 Who is the Prime Minister of Australia?
    • 5.18 What does the Prime Minister do?
    • 5.19 Who is the Leader of the Opposition?
    • 5.20 What does the Leader of the Opposition do?
    • 5.21 Who is the Leader of the Government in the Senate?
    • 5.22 Who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate?
    • 5.23 What do ministers do?
    • 5.24 What do shadow ministers do?
    • 5.25 What do backbenchers do?
    • 5.26 Why are some members and senators called ‘Honourable’?
    • 5.27 What is the significance of the Australian Coat of Arms?
    • 5.28 How do the Parliament and executive government work together?
  • 6. Representation
    • 6.1 What is representative democracy?
    • 6.2 How do you become a representative in the Parliament of Australia?
    • 6.3 What is an election?
    • 6.4 Who calls an election?
    • 6.5 How is an election won?
    • 6.6 What happens after an election?
    • 6.7 What is an electorate?
    • 6.8 What is a state?
    • 6.9 What is a territory?
    • 6.10 What is a plebiscite?
    • 6.11 How many plebiscites have been held in Australia?
    • 6.12 What is a referendum?
  • 7. House of Representatives
    • 7.1 What does the House of Representatives look like?
    • 7.2 What is the role of the House of Representatives?
    • 7.3 Who is the current Speaker of the House of Representatives?
    • 7.4 What does the Clerk of the House of Representatives do?
    • 7.5 What does the Serjeant-at-Arms do?
    • 7.6 What is the Mace?
    • 7.7 What do members do?
    • 7.8 How many members are in the current House of Representatives?
    • 7.9 What is the current composition of the House of Representatives?
    • 7.10 Who is the current Prime Minister of Australia?
    • 7.11 Who is the current Leader of the Opposition?
    • 7.12 How many women are currently in the House of Representatives?
  • 8. Senate
    • 8.1 What does the Senate look like?
    • 8.2 What is the role of the Senate?
    • 8.3 Who is the current President of the Senate?
    • 8.4 What does the Clerk of the Senate do?
    • 8.5 What does the Usher of the Black Rod do?
    • 8.6 What is the Black Rod?
    • 8.7 What do senators do?
    • 8.8 How many senators are in the current Senate?
    • 8.9 What is the current composition of the Senate?
    • 8.10 Who is the current Leader of the Government in the Senate?
    • 8.11 Who is the current Leader of the Opposition in the Senate?
    • 8.12 How many women are currently in the Senate?
  • 9. Presiding Officers
    • 9.1 Who are the presiding officers?
    • 9.2 What does the President do?
    • 9.3 How is the President elected?
    • 9.4 Where did the title President come from?
    • 9.5 What does the Speaker do?
    • 9.6 How is the Speaker elected?
    • 9.7 Why is there a Speaker?
    • 9.8 Who are parliamentary officers?
  • 10. Political Parties
    • 10.1 What is a political party?
    • 10.2 What do political parties do?
    • 10.3 What is a parliamentary party?
    • 10.4 What do parliamentary parties do?
    • 10.5 What is 'crossing the floor'?
    • 10.6 What is the role of a party whip?
    • 10.7 What political parties exist at the federal level?
    • 10.8 What is an Independent?
    • 10.9 What is a coalition?
  • 11. Laws and Bills
    • 11.1 What is a law?
    • 11.2 What power does the Parliament have to make law?
    • 11.3 What power do state and territory parliaments have to make law?
    • 11.4 What power do local representative bodies have to make law?
    • 11.5 What is a bill?
    • 11.6 How are bills drafted?
    • 11.7 What is the first reading of the bill?
    • 11.8 What is the second reading debate?
    • 11.9 What is a division?
    • 11.10 What is the second reading of the bill?
    • 11.11 What is consideration in detail and committee of the whole?
    • 11.12 What is the third reading of the bill?
    • 11.13 How do the chambers differ in their law-making roles?
  • 12. Parliamentary Committees
    • 12.1 What is a parliamentary committee?
    • 12.2 What do parliamentary committees do?
    • 12.3 How do parliamentary committees work?
    • 12.4 What is a senate committee?
    • 12.5 What is a House of Representatives committee?
    • 12.6 What are joint committees?
    • 12.7 What are Senate Estimates hearings?
  • 13. Information about Parliament
    • 13.1 What is Hansard?
    • 13.2 What is the parliamentary press gallery?
    • 13.3 How do members of parliament get publicity?
    • 13.4 What is the role of the media?
    • 13.5 What are parliamentary publications?

• Our Government

  • 14. Governing Australia
    • 14.1 How is Australia governed?
    • 14.2 What is federal executive government?
    • 14.3 Who is responsible for making federal law work?
    • 14.4 What are state and territory governments?
    • 14.5 Who is responsible for making state laws work?
    • 14.6 What are local governments?
    • 14.7 Who is responsible for making local law work?
  • 15. Parliamentary Principles
    • 15.1 What is responsible government?
    • 15.2 What is the principle of separation of powers?
    • 15.3 What is ministerial responsibility?
    • 15.4 What is the principle of rule of law?
  • 16. Executive Government—the Cabinet
    • 16.1 What is executive government?
    • 16.2 What does executive government do?
    • 16.3 How does executive government make decisions?
    • 16.4 Where does executive government meet?
    • 16.5 Who attends Cabinet?
    • 16.6 Why are Cabinet meetings secret?
  • 17. Alternative Government—the Opposition
    • 17.1 What is the opposition?
    • 17.2 What is the role of the opposition?
    • 17.3 What is the role of the Leader of the Opposition?
    • 17.4 How can the Leader of the Opposition become the Prime Minister?
    • 17.5 Where does the opposition meet?
    • 17.6 What is the Shadow Cabinet?
    • 17.7 Who are Australia's past leaders of the opposition?
  • 18. Governor-General
    • 18.1 Who is the Governor-General?
    • 18.2 How is the Governor-General chosen?
    • 18.3 What power does the Governor-General have?
    • 18.4 What are the Governor-General’s duties?
    • 18.5 What is the Federal Executive Council?
    • 18.6 Who is the current Governor-General?
    • 18.7 Who were the past Governors-General?
  • 19. Prime Minister
    • 19.1 Who is the prime minister?
    • 19.2 How is the prime minister appointed?
    • 19.3 What is the role of the prime minister?
    • 19.4 How long can the prime minister stay in office?
    • 19.5 Who are Australia’s past prime ministers?
  • 20. The Budget
    • 20.1 What is the Budget?
    • 20.2 Where does the money for the budget come from?
    • 20.3 What is the budget speech?
    • 20.4 What happens once the Budget bills have been introduced?
    • 20.5 How is the money shared?
  • 21. Government Departments
    • 21.1 What are government departments?
    • 21.2 What do government departments do?
    • 21.3 How do government departments pay for the services they provide?

• Our Judiciary

  • 22. Interpreting the Law
    • 22.1 What is the role of the courts?
    • 22.2 What is the difference between statute and common law?
    • 22.3 How can judges make law?
    • 22.4 What if the parliament is unhappy with a court’s interpretation of the law?
    • 22.5 Can common law override an Act of Parliament?
  • 23. Australian Courts
    • 23.1 What role do the courts play in Australian governance?
    • 23.2 Do the police belong to the Judiciary?
    • 23.3 What is the judicial hierarchy?
    • 23.4 Why is a hierarchy important?
    • 23.5 Who appoints judges and magistrates?
  • 24. High Court of Australia
    • 24.1 What is the High Court?
    • 24.2 Where is the High Court?
    • 24.3 What does the High Court do?
    • 24.4 Where does the High Court get its power?
    • 24.5 What is the role of the Chief Justice?
    • 24.6 How are chief justices appointed and dismissed?
    • 24.7 What happens when the High Court makes its decision?
  • 25. Judicial Independence
    • 25.1 How does the judicial system support our democracy?
    • 25.2 Why must the judicial system be independent?
    • 25.3 What is the principle of judicial review?