Father of the Australian House of Representatives

In Australian parliamentary practice, the Father of the House of Representatives is the member of the Australian House of Representatives who has served longer, continuously, than any other currently serving member. It is an informal, honorific title which carries no parliamentary responsibilities. Where two or more members have had equal lengths of continuous service, more than any other currently serving members, they are known as the joint Fathers of the House of Representatives.

The current Father of the House is Kevin Andrews, who acquired the title on 10 May 2016 after the retirement from Parliament of the then Father, Philip Ruddock.

The only Father of the House of Representatives with broken service but whose latter period of continuous service was sufficiently long to qualify was Eddie Ward.

The first House of Representatives was elected in March 1901. The election was held on Friday 29 March in South Australia and Tasmania, and on Saturday 30 March in the other states. Despite that slight variation in the election date, all the members elected to the first Parliament were considered to have had equal seniority. It follows that there could not be a "longest-serving member" until only one member from the first Parliament was still in the House. That occurred on 8 April 1935 with the death of David Watkins, leaving Billy Hughes as the first Father of the House of Representatives. Hughes was also the first Father of the Parliament from 1938.

Since that date the Fathers and joint Fathers of the House of Representatives have been as follows, with joint Fathers being shown in small type:

From	To	Member	Continuous term started	Status
9 April 1935	28 October 1952	Billy Hughes	30 March 1901	Father
29 October 1952	9 December 1961	Sir Earle Page	13 December 1919	Father
10 December 1961	31 July 1963	Eddie Ward	6 February 1932[1]	Father
1 August 1963	16 February 1966	Joseph Clark John McEwen Sir Robert Menzies	15 September 1934	Joint Fathers
17 February 1966	29 September 1969	Joseph Clark John McEwen	15 September 1934	Joint Fathers
30 September 1969	1 February 1971	John McEwen	15 September 1934	Father
2 February 1971	2 November 1972	Arthur Calwell	21 September 1940	Father
3 November 1972	11 November 1975	Fred Daly	21 August 1943	Father
12 November 1975	10 November 1977	Kim Beazley (senior)	18 August 1945	Father
11 November 1977	19 September 1980	Clyde Cameron Sir William McMahon	10 December 1949	Joint Fathers
20 September 1980	4 January 1982	Sir William McMahon	10 December 1949	Father
5 January 1982	31 March 1983	Malcolm Fraser Sir James Killen Sir Billy Snedden	10 December 1955	Joint Fathers
1 April 1983	21 April 1983	Sir James Killen Sir Billy Snedden	10 December 1955	Joint Fathers
22 April 1983	15 August 1983	Sir James Killen	10 December 1955	Father
16 August 1983	18 January 1984	Doug Anthony	14 September 1957	Father
19 January 1984	19 February 1990	Tom Uren	22 November 1958	Father
20 February 1990	31 August 1998	Ian Sinclair	30 November 1963	Father
1 September 1998	9 May 2016	Philip Ruddock	22 September 1973	Father
10 May 2016	Incumbent	Kevin Andrews	11 May 1991	Father

See also

• Father of the House
• Father of the Australian Senate
• Father of the Australian Parliament
• Members of the Australian Parliament who have served for at least 30 years
• Parliamentary Handbook: Members of the House of Representatives since 1901

References

1. Eddie Ward also served between 7 March 1931 and 19 December 1931.