List of longest-serving members of the Parliament of Australia


This article lists the longest-serving members of the Parliament of Australia.

Longest total service

This section lists members of parliament who have served for a cumulative total of at least 30 years.
All these periods of service were spent in one House exclusively. A number of people have served in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but none of them to date has had an aggregate length of service to the Parliament reaching 30 years.
No woman yet appears on this list. Bronwyn Bishop served in the Australian parliament longer than any other woman, in October 2014 outstripping the record of 27 years and 119 days previously held by Kathy Sullivan. At the end of her term at the 2 July 2016 double dissolution, Bishop had served for 28 years and 274 days.
NameChamberStart of serviceEnd of servicePeriod of service
Hughes, BillyBilly HughesHouse of Reps30 3 190128 10 1952†
Ruddock, PhilipPhilip RuddockHouse of Reps22 9 19739 5 2016
Page, EarleSir Earle PageHouse of Reps13 12 19199 12 1961
Pearce, GeorgeSir George PearceSenate29 3 190130 6 1938
Cooper, WalterSir Walter CooperSenate17 11 1928
1 7 1935		30 6 1932
30 6 1968
Maloney, WilliamWilliam MaloneyHouse of Reps30 3 190427 8 1940†
McEwen, JohnSir John McEwenHouse of Reps15 9 19341 2 1971
Makin, NormanNorman MakinHouse of Reps13 12 1919
29 5 1954		14 8 1946
1 11 1963
Brennan, FrankFrank BrennanHouse of Reps8 2 1911
15 9 1934		19 12 1931
31 10 1949
Clark, JoeJoe ClarkHouse of Reps15 9 193429 9 1969
Sinclair, IanIan SinclairHouse of Reps30 11 196331 8 1998
Watkins, DavidDavid WatkinsHouse of Reps29 3 19018 4 1935†
O'Byrne, JustinJustin O'ByrneSenate1 7 194730 6 1981
Howard, JohnJohn HowardHouse of Reps18 5 197424 11 2007
Cadman, AlanAlan CadmanHouse of Reps18 5 197417 10 2007
Brown, GordonGordon BrownSenate1 7 193230 6 1965
Groom, LittletonSir Littleton GroomHouse of Reps14 9 1901
19 12 1931		12 10 1929
6 11 1936†
Francis, JosiahSir Josiah FrancisHouse of Reps16 12 19224 11 1955
Holt, HaroldHarold HoltHouse of Reps17 8 193517 12 1967†
Ward, EddieEddie WardHouse of Reps7 3 1931
6 2 1932		19 12 1931
31 7 1963†
Beazley, KimKim Beazley Sr.House of Reps18 8 194510 11 1977
Daly, FredFred DalyHouse of Reps21 8 194311 11 1975
Calwell, ArthurArthur CalwellHouse of Reps21 9 19402 11 1972
McMahon, WilliamSir William McMahonHouse of Reps10 12 19494 1 1982
Lynch, PatrickPatrick LynchSenate1 1 190730 6 1938
Menzies, RobertSir Robert MenziesHouse of Reps15 9 193417 2 1966
Boswell, RonRon BoswellSenate5 3 198330 6 2014
Uren, TomTom UrenHouse of Reps22 11 195819 2 1990
Scullin, JamesJames ScullinHouse of Reps13 4 1910
18 2 1922		31 5 1913
31 10 1949
Cameron, ClydeClyde CameronHouse of Reps10 12 194919 9 1980
Snowdon, WarrenWarren SnowdonHouse of Reps11 07 1987
3 10 1998		02 03 1996
present
Jull, DavidDavid JullHouse of Reps13 12 1975
1 12 1984		5 3 1983
17 10 2007
Lazzarini, HubertBert LazzariniHouse of Reps13 12 1919
15 9 1934		19 12 1931
1 10 1952†
Crawford, ThomasThomas CrawfordSenate1 7 191730 6 1947
Foll, HarryHarry FollSenate1 7 191730 6 1947
Watson, JohnJohn WatsonSenate1 7 197830 6 2008

Chronological list

This section lists the members of parliament with the longest continuous service at any given time. The longest-serving MPs in each chamber are sometimes referred to as the "Father of the House" and "Father of the Senate", and very rarely the overall longest-serving MP is called the "Father of the Parliament".
House of Representatives Practice describes the title "Father of the House" as a "completely informal designation" with "no functions attached to it".
Odgers' Australian Senate Practice notes that the title "Father of the Senate" is "now seldom referred to or used". It further notes that "as no woman senator has ever been in this situation, it is not clear what the title would be in that circumstance".
FromToOverallSenateContinuous
term started		HouseContinuous
term started
29/30 March 190114 September 1923NilNiln/aNiln/a
15 September 19238 April 1935NilSir George Pearce29 March 1901Billy Hughes
David Watkins		n/a
9 April 193530 June 1938NilSir George Pearce29 March 1901Billy Hughes30 March 1901
1 July 193830 June 1947Billy Hughes MPThomas Crawford
Harry Foll		1 July 1917Billy Hughes30 March 1901
1 July 194730 June 1950Billy Hughes MPGordon Brown
Joe Collings		1 July 1932Billy Hughes30 March 1901
1 July 195028 October 1952Billy Hughes MPGordon Brown1 July 1932Billy Hughes30 March 1901
29 October 19529 December 1961Sir Earle Page MPGordon Brown1 July 1932Sir Earle Page13 December 1919
10 December 196131 July 1963Eddie Ward MPGordon Brown1 July 1932Eddie Ward6 February 1932
1 August 196330 June 1965Senator
Gordon Brown		Gordon Brown1 July 1932Joe Clark
John McEwen
Sir Robert Menzies		15 September 1934
1 July 196516 February 1966Joe Clark MP
John McEwen MP
Sir Robert Menzies MP		Sir Walter Cooper1 July 1935Joe Clark
John McEwen
Sir Robert Menzies		15 September 1934
17 February 196630 June 1968Joe Clark MP
John McEwen MP		Sir Walter Cooper1 July 1935Joe Clark
John McEwen		15 September 1934
1 July 196829 September 1969Joe Clark MP
John McEwen MP		Bert Hendrickson
Justin O'Byrne
Dame Annabelle Rankin		1 July 1947Joe Clark
John McEwen		15 September 1934
30 September 19691 February 1971John McEwen MPBert Hendrickson
Justin O'Byrne
Dame Annabelle Rankin		1 July 1947John McEwen15 September 1934
2 February 197124 May 1971Arthur Calwell MPBert Hendrickson
Justin O'Byrne
Dame Annabelle Rankin		1 July 1947Arthur Calwell21 September 1940
25 May 197130 June 1971Arthur Calwell MPBert Hendrickson
Justin O'Byrne		1 July 1947Arthur Calwell21 September 1940
1 July 19712 November 1972Arthur Calwell MPJustin O'Byrne1 July 1947Arthur Calwell21 September 1940
3 November 197211 November 1975Fred Daly MPJustin O'Byrne1 July 1947Fred Daly21 August 1943
12 November 197510 November 1977Kim Beazley Sr. MPJustin O'Byrne1 July 1947Kim Beazley Sr.18 August 1945
11 November 197719 September 1980Senator
Justin O'Byrne		Justin O'Byrne1 July 1947Clyde Cameron
Sir William McMahon		10 December 1949
20 September 198030 June 1981Senator
Justin O'Byrne		Justin O'Byrne1 July 1947Sir William McMahon10 December 1949
1 July 19814 January 1982Sir William McMahon MPDoug McClelland1 July 1962Sir William McMahon10 December 1949
5 January 198231 March 1983Malcolm Fraser MP
Sir James Killen MP
Sir Billy Snedden MP		Doug McClelland1 July 1962Malcolm Fraser
Sir James Killen
Sir Billy Snedden		10 December 1955
1 April 198321 April 1983Sir James Killen MP
Sir Billy Snedden MP		Doug McClelland1 July 1962Sir James Killen
Sir Billy Snedden		10 December 1955
22 April 198315 August 1983Sir James Killen MPDoug McClelland1 July 1962Sir James Killen10 December 1955
16 August 198318 January 1984Doug Anthony MPDoug McClelland1 July 1962Doug Anthony14 September 1957
19 January 198423 January 1987Tom Uren MPDoug McClelland1 July 1962Tom Uren22 November 1958
24 January 198727 February 1989Tom Uren MPArthur Gietzelt
Peter Durack		1 July 1971Tom Uren22 November 1958
28 February 198919 February 1990Tom Uren MPPeter Durack1 July 1971Tom Uren22 November 1958
20 February 199030 June 1993Ian Sinclair MPPeter Durack1 July 1971Ian Sinclair30 November 1963
1 July 199331 August 1998Ian Sinclair MPMal Colston
Brian Harradine		13 December 1975Ian Sinclair30 November 1963
1 September 199830 June 1999Philip Ruddock MPMal Colston
Brian Harradine		13 December 1975Philip Ruddock22 September 1973
1 July 199930 June 2005Philip Ruddock MPBrian Harradine13 December 1975Philip Ruddock22 September 1973
1 July 200530 June 2008Philip Ruddock MPJohn Watson1 July 1978Philip Ruddock22 September 1973
1 July 200830 June 2014Philip Ruddock MPRon Boswell5 March 1983Philip Ruddock22 September 1973
1 July 20146 February 2015Philip Ruddock MPJohn Faulkner4 April 1989Philip Ruddock22 September 1973
6 February 20159 May 2016Philip Ruddock MPIan Macdonald1 July 1990Philip Ruddock22 September 1973
10 May 20161 July 2019Senator
Ian Macdonald		Ian Macdonald1 July 1990Kevin Andrews11 May 1991
1 July 2019IncumbentKevin Andrews MPKim Carr28 April 1993Kevin Andrews11 May 1991

Longest-serving members by state and territory