Members of the Northern Territory Legislative Council, 1954–1957

This is a list of members of the Northern Territory Legislative Council from 29 May 1954 to 23 January 1957.

The council consisted of 14 members. Six members were elected to four single-member electorates (Alice Springs, Batchelor, Stuart and Tennant Creek), and one two-member electorate (Darwin). Seven members (called Official Members) were appointed by the Australian government, all of whom were senior public servants in the Northern Territory. The Administrator of the Northern Territory, Frank Wise and later James Archer, served as presiding officer (or president) of the council.[1]

Name Party Electorate/Title Years in office
Colin AdamsAppointedDirector of Mines1955–1970
James Archer OBEAppointedAdministrator1956–1961
Hugh BarclayAppointedDirector of Lands1948–1963
Harold Brennan [1]IndependentBatchelor1955, 1956–1971
Aubrey CallinanIndependentDarwin1954–1957
Fred DrysdaleIndependent LaborDarwin1954–1957, 1960–1969
Keith EdmundsAppointedCrown Law Officer1951–1954
Harry GieseAppointedDirector of Welfare1954–1973
Neil HargraveIndependentAlice Springs1954–1969
Alfred HumphryAppointedDirector of Health1954–1958
John HuthnanceAppointedChief Clerk1949–1955
Reg LeydinAppointedGovernment Secretary1948–1952, 1953–1954, 1963
Reg MarshAppointedAssistant Secretary, Department of Territories1955–1957, 1958–1962
Reginald McCafferyAppointedActing Director of Native Affairs1953–1954
Wilhelm PetrickIndependentStuart1951–1962
Len PurkissIndependentTennant Creek1951–1965
Tom Ronan [1]LaborBatchelor1954–1955
Lionel Rose OBEAppointedDirector of Animal Industry1954–1958, 1962–1965
Charles StahlAppointedActing Government Secretary1952–1953, 1954–1955,
Frank VidgenAppointedDirector of Works1951–1954
Dr Stephen WatsfordAppointedChief Medical Officer1951–1954
Frank WiseAppointedAdministrator1951–1956
Ron WithnallAppointedCrown Law Officer1954–1966, 1966–1974
1 The Labor member for Batchelor, Tom Ronan, resigned on 5 April 1955, unhappy with the conditions for members of the council.[2] The Administrator, Frank Wise, called the Territory's first by-election (previous casual vacancies had been filled by appointment or left vacant until the next general election) for 6 August. Harold "Tiger" Brennan, who Ronan had defeated by only three votes at the 1954 election, won the by-election with a comfortable majority against the Labor candidate Alfred Forscutt. On 5 December 1955, Brennan resigned from the council in a public protest over the federal government ordering its official members to vote against a bill legalising off-course gambling. Another by-election was called for Batchelor, and Brennan returned to the council when he was unopposed at the close of nominations on 13 February 1956.[1]

See also
  • 1954 Northern Territory general election

References
  1. Jaensch, Dean (1990). The Legislative Council of the Northern Territory: An Electoral History 1947–1974. Darwin: Australian National University.
  2. Northern Territory Dictionary of Biography. Charles Darwin University Press. 2008. ISBN 9780980457810.
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