This year marks the 175th anniversary of the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council was Western Australia’s first governing and legislative body and met for the first time on 7 February 1832. In 1890, Western Australia gained responsible government. The Legislative Assembly was established and the Legislative Council was re-constituted as the upper house of the colony’s Parliament. Since 1890, there have been various reforms in the constitution and method of election of Members of the Legislative Council. As part of the 175th celebrations Parliament is developing a timeline of significant events of parliamentary history in Western Australia. This will be available on this web site soon.

Find out more about the Legislative Council 175th Anniversary

Significant Events
1832 - First meeting of Legislative Council three years after the establishment of the Swan River Colony.

1870 - Representative Governement: 18 Members elected on a limited male franchise.

1890 - Legislative Assembly created as the elected "lower house". Partially elected Legislative Council becomes the "upper house".

1894 - Legislative Council becomes a fully elected house on a restrictive male franchise.

1915 - Legislative Council’s power of veto used during intense period of disputation between the two Houses. Labor’s newspaper, the Westralian Worker, published one memorable cartoon depicting the Goliath upper House wielding its ‘veto’ club over its dismembered victims with only David in the form of the working classes to save the day.

1932 - 100th Anniversary of the Legislative Council.

1954 - Ruby Hutchison (North East Metropolitan Province) was the first woman ever elected to the Legislative Council. After she married Fred Lavery in May 1966, the couple reportedly became the first husband and wife partnership in any Australian Parliament.

1964 - Parliament House extension.

1965 - Francis Cameron - First Aboriginal candidate in Western Australia and by the Liberal Party in Australia lost to Frank Wise, former (ALP) Premier.

1966 - Barracks Arch - huge outcry over proposed demolition.

1975 - Parliament House extension. Daylight Saving Referendum.

1980 - Western Australia v Peter Wilsmore - Constitution Act 1889, Section 73: Restraint on Altering the Houses of Parliament - Challenged the validity of a 1979 amendment to the Electoral Act.

1982 - 150th Anniversary of the Legislative Council.

1983 - Prevention of Excessive Prices Bill 1983 - Only a month after it had been elected the Burke Government faced Parliament for the first time at a special sitting, ostensibly for this Bill, which was meant to protect the average Western Australian family affected by the previous Government’s “Salaries and Wages Freeze Bill 1982” (see cartoon re: Prices Bill).

1984 - Daylight Saving Referendum.

1986 (21 October) - Peter Ellett called to the Bar of the House and censured by the Legislative Council for refusing to disclose his financial backers (first citizen in 82 years to be censured by Legislative Council).

1986 - Hon Kay Hallahan - First female Minister in the Legislative Council.

1986 - The Nationals - 6 MLAs and 3 MLCs elected giving them party status and the balance of power.

1987 - First Upper House in Australia where all Members elected simultaneously.

1989 - Establishment of Legislative Council Standing Committees.

1989 - Prior to the 1989 election was the only occasion in the modern Parliament when there was a serious suggestion that Supply should be denied in the Legislative Council to force a premature election.

1989 (August) - Official Corruption Commission (OCC) - 1996 amended to become the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) - 2003 amended to become the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC).

1991 - Royal Commission into Commercial Activities of Government and Other Matters (WA INC. Royal Commission)

1993 - Greens (WA) first success at State level with Hon Jim Scott gaining a seat in the Legislative Council representing the South Metropolitan Region.

1994 - Commission on Government established.

1995 (May) - Royal Commission into the Use of Executive Power - appointed (Easton petition).

1997 - Industrial Relations legislation - Proceedings of the Legislative Council interrupted by union protesters refusing to leave the public gallery causing the Legislative Council to meet elsewhere in Parliament House, which was the Select Committee room and is now the Parliamentary Library.

1997 - Lib/Nat coalition lost control of the Legislative Council with Greens (WA) and Democrats holding balance of power.

1997 (22 May) - First Democrats to be elected (Dec 1996) - Hon Helen Hodgson and Hon Norm Kelly.

2001 - Hon John Cowdell - First ALP Member to be elected President of the Legislative Council.

2004 - Parliament House extensions.

2004 - Kalgoorlie Regional Parliament (Legislative Council) and Albany Regional Parliament (Legislative Assembly).

2006 - Geraldton Regional Parliament (Legislative Assembly).

2007 - 175th Anniversary of the Legislative Council.