

-
Parliamentary Handbook
- Preface
- Part 1 - National Symbols
-
Part 2 - The Forty-fifth Parliament
- The Australian Parliament
- The Sovereign
- The Governor-General
- The Senate
- The House of Representatives
- The Ministry
- The Shadow Ministry*
- Parliamentary committees*
- Statistical information as at 2.7.2016
- Officers of the departments of the Parliament*
- Part 3 - Elections
- Part 4 - The Constitution
- Part 5 - Referendums and Plebiscites
-
Part 6 - Historical information on the Australian Parliament
- Governors-General
- Chronology of Parliaments
- Party representation in Parliament
- Members since 1901
- Members who have served in both chambers
- Longest serving members
- Women in Parliament
- Number of women in Parliament
- Prime Ministers
- Leaders of the Opposition
- Ministries and Cabinets
- Shadow Ministries
- Presidents, Deputy Presidents, Speakers and Deputy Speakers
In a report to the Parliament in 1915, the Joint Library Committee requested the publication of
a Commonwealth Parliamentary Handbook, giving a short political biography of all Members of both Houses since the initiation of Federation, with portraits in most cases, particulars of every election in the same period, with other information likely to be useful.1
The first edition appeared later that year as the Biographical Handbook and Record of Elections for the Parliament of the Commonwealth. A new edition of the Handbook has been published for almost every new Parliament since then, and first appeared online in 1999.
The Parliamentary Handbook has grown to become a comprehensive reference work on many aspects of the Commonwealth Parliament and the Australian political system.
This 34th edition of the Parliamentary Handbook sets out detailed information about the 45th Commonwealth Parliament. The parliamentary service and political careers of Senators and Members are presented, together with details of parliamentary committees and elections up to and including the July 2016 poll. The biographical information is correct as at 11 March 2017.
The Handbook is published in hard copy only once in the life of a Parliament. However, the
full-text online version is updated regularly and can be found on the Parliament's website at www.aph.gov.au and through Parlinfo Search.
Dr Dianne Heriot
Parliamentary Librarian
Department of Parliamentary Services
Acknowledgments
This edition of the Parliamentary Handbook was compiled by staff of the Parliamentary Library, principally Hannah Gobbett, with assistance from Nicholas Horne, Rob Lundie, Deirdre McKeown, Cathy Madden, Damon Muller, Simon Speldewinde and Janet Wilson.
Others who have assisted the Parliamentary Library include the Australian Electoral Commission, David Foote (AUSPIC, Department of Parliamentary Services), Denny Neave, Diane Evans, Cathy Johnstone, and Pat Kan (Big Sky Publishing).
Front cover photograph by AUSPIC. The concept was created by Peter Milne from The
Electric Canvas.
1 Parliament, Report from the Joint Library Committee, 1915, p. 2.