This list of Indigenous Australian politicians includes Indigenous Australians who have been members of Australian legislaturesfederal, state or territory. It does not include those elected to local councils (including mayors), Governors/Governors-General, leaders of political parties (outside of parliament), Indigenous Australians actively involved in political institutions and those who have run unsuccessfully for office.
There have been 53 Indigenous members of the ten Australian legislatures, beginning when Neville Bonner entered the Australian Senate on 15 August 1971. Of these, 23 have been elected to the Northern Territory assembly, eleven to the Australian Federal Parliament, six to the parliament of Western Australia, five to the parliament of Queensland, two each to the parliaments of Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales, and one each to the parliament of South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory assembly. Three have served in multiple parliaments.
, Indigenous Australians make up 10.5% of the Senate and 1.9% of the House of Representatives. The total representation is at 4.8%, which is above their representation in the total population (3.3%).
Out of the 53 Indigenous Australians elected or appointed to any Australian parliament, 24 have been women.
Nobody of acknowledged Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ancestry has yet been a member of the Norfolk Island assembly.
Note: There is considerable debate surrounding the complexity of Indigenous identity. Therefore, this list only includes those who identify themselves as Indigenous Australian. Also note that "origin" or "ancestry" refers to the Indigenous groups, communities, countries, place names or languages which that person identifies with. Some individuals do not have any specific Indigenous group identity and some have multiple identities.
Federal Parliament Sixteen Indigenous Australian people have been members of the Parliament of Australia (the Federal Parliament), eleven in the Senate and five in the House of Representatives. Nine of them are in it today.
No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Origin Term start Term end Term length Ref 1 Liberal Senate Queensland Jagera 11 June 1971 11 February 1983 Independent 11 February 1983 5 March 1983 2 Democrats Senate New South Wales Gumbaynggirr 1 July 1999 30 June 2005 3 Liberal House Hasluck (WA) NoongarWangaiYamatji 21 August 2010 21 May 2022 4 Labor Senate Northern Territory Gija (WA)IwaidjaYawuru (WA) 7 September 2013 9 May 2016 Nova Peris elected as first Indigenous woman in Federal Parliament , ABC News, 9 September 2013. 5 Liberal National Senate Queensland JageraMununjali 21 May 2015 2 July 2016 6 Labor Senate Western Australia Yawuru 28 April 2016 26 January 2024 7 Labor House Barton (NSW) Wiradjuri 2 July 2016 3 May 2025 8 Labor Senate Northern Territory Yanyuwa 2 July 2016 incumbent 9 Greens Senate Victoria Djab WurrungGunaiGunditjmara 4 September 2020 6 February 2023 Vic confirms Thorpe as new Senator , Canberra Times, 4 September 2019. Independent 6 February 2023 incumbent 10 Greens Senate Western Australia YamatjiNoongar 14 September 2021 2 June 2025 Motivated to make change , National Indigenous Times, 14 September 2021. Labor 2 June 2025 incumbent 11 Labor Senate Victoria Muthi MuthiWemba-Wemba 6 April 2022 incumbent 12 Country Liberal Senate Northern Territory Warlpiri 21 May 2022 incumbent 13 Labor House Robertson (NSW) Wiradjuri 21 May 2022 incumbent 14 Labor House Lingiari (NT) Tiwi 21 May 2022 incumbent 15 Liberal Senate South Australia Arrernte 1 July 2022 incumbent
Five other members of the federal parliament have acknowledged Indigenous ancestry, but are or were not generally regarded as Indigenous themselves.
No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Ancestry Term start Term end Ref 1 Labor House Bendigo (Vic) Palawa (Tas) 7 June 1969 2 December 1972 Kennedy, (Andrew) David – Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 22 August 2015. 2 Liberal House Longman (Qld) unknown (WA) 2 March 1996 24 November 2007 Liberal National Fisher (Qld) 7 September 2013 9 May 2016 3 Labor House Bonner (Qld) not stated 24 November 2007 21 August 2010 4 Palmer United Senate Tasmania Palawa 1 July 2014 24 November 2014 Independent 24 November 2014 14 May 2015 JLN 14 May 2015 14 November 2017 1 July 2019 incumbent 5 Labor House Leichhardt (Qld) unknown 3 May 2025 incumbent
Timeline
Parliament of the Australian Capital Territory One Indigenous Australian person has been a member of the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly.
No. Name Party Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref 1 Labor Ginninderra Gamilaraay (NSW–Qld) 1 June 2011 15 October 2016
One other member of the Parliament of the Australian Capital Territory has acknowledged Indigenous ancestry, but is not generally regarded as Indigenous himself.
No. Name Party Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref 1 Liberal Brindabella Noongar (WA) 15 October 2016 incumbent
Parliament of New South Wales Four Indigenous Australians have been a members of the Parliament of New South Wales. No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref 1 Labor Legislative Assembly Canterbury Wiradjuri 22 March 2003 6 May 2016 2 Labor Legislative Council Statewide 24 March 2007 28 February 2019 Legislative Assembly Auburn 23 March 2019 incumbent 3 Liberal Legislative Assembly Wollondilly 26 March 2011 17 December 2018 4 Labor Legislative Assembly Campbelltown Yuin 28 March 2015 incumbent
Parliament of the Northern Territory Twenty-four Indigenous Australian people have been members of the unicameral Parliament of the Northern Territory. No. Name Party Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref 1 Country Libreral Tiwi Tiwi 19 October 1974 13 August 1977 2 Labor MacDonnell Arrernte 13 August 1977 6 March 1981 3 Labor Arnhem Yolŋu 3 December 1983 25 August 1995 4 Labor Arafura Tiwi 7 March 1987 20 September 1992 5 Labor Arafura Tiwi 7 November 1992 17 August 2001 6 Labor Arnhem Arrernte 7 October 1995 18 June 2005 7 Labor Millner 18 August 2001 8 August 2008 8 Labor Barkly Jingili 18 August 2001 8 August 2008 9 Labor Arafura Tiwi 18 August 2001 4 June 2009 Independent 4 June 2009 4 August 2009 Labor 4 August 2009 6 August 2012 10 Labor MacDonnell Arrernte 18 June 2005 4 August 2009 Independent 4 August 2009 9 September 2011 Country Liberal 9 September 2011 25 August 2012 Namatjira 25 August 2012 4 April 2014 Independent 4 April 2014 27 April 2014 Palmer United 27 April 2014 29 November 2014 Independent 29 November 2014 8 August 2016 11 Labor Arnhem Yanyuwa 18 June 2005 6 August 2012 12 Labor Stuart WarlpiriNgulikanMarra 23 September 2006 6 August 2012 13 Country Liberal Braitling Gamilaraay (NSW–Qld) 9 August 2008 27 August 2016 14 Country Liberal Arafura Tiwi 25 August 2012 4 April 2014 Independent 4 April 2014 27 April 2014 Palmer United 27 April 2014 8 September 2014 Country Liberal 8 September 2014 27 August 2016 15 Country Liberal Arnhem Jawoyn 25 August 2012 4 April 2014 Independent 4 April 2014 27 April 2014 Palmer United 27 April 2014 29 November 2014 Independent 29 November 2014 27 August 2016 16 Labor Johnston 25 August 2012 31 January 2020 17 Country Liberal Stuart Warlpiri 25 August 2012 27 August 2016 18 Labor Arafura Tiwi 27 August 2016 17 December 2022 19 Labor Karama 27 August 2016 24 August 2024 20 Labor Arnhem NunggubuyuAnindilyakwa 27 August 2016 incumbent 21 Labor Namatjira Eastern ArrernteGurindji 27 August 2016 incumbent 22 Independent Nhulunbuy Yolŋu 27 August 2016 22 August 2020 Mulka 22 August 2020 19 August 2026 23 Labor Daly Yaegl (NSW) 11 September 2021 incumbent 24 Labor Arafura Tiwi 18 March 2023 incumbent 25 Labor Mulka Yolŋu 12 September 2026 incumbent
Parliament of Queensland Five Indigenous Australian people have been members of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland. No. Name Party Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref 1 Country Cook Guugu Yimithirr 7 December 1974 12 November 1977 2 Labor Algester NunukulQuandamooka 31 January 2015 incumbent Labor's Leeanne Enoch to become one of two Indigenous MPs , ABC News, 1 February 2015. 3 Labor Cook 31 January 2015 29 March 2015 Independent 29 March 2015 25 November 2017 4 Labor Cook Torres Strait Islander 25 November 2017 26 October 2024 5 Labor Bundamba Gubbi Gubbi 28 March 2020 incumbent
Parliament of South Australia One Indigenous Australian person has been a member of the Parliament of South Australia. No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref 1 Labor Legislative Council Statewide Palawa (Tas) 17 October 2012 incumbent
Parliament of Tasmania Two Indigenous Australian people have been a member of the Parliament of Tasmania. No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref 1 Labor House of Assembly Bass Noongar (WA) 20 July 2002 18 March 2006 2 Labor House of Assembly Bass Palawa 3 March 2018 13 May 2021
One other member of the Parliament of Tasmania has acknowledged Indigenous ancestry, but is not generally regarded as Indigenous himself.
No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Ancestry Term start Term end Ref 1 Independent Legislative Council Huon 25 May 1996 24 February 2014 Tasmanian Parliamentary History - FAQ – Tasmanian Parliamentary Library. Retrieved 22 August 2015. Liberal House of Assembly Franklin 15 March 2014 18 February 2016
Parliament of Victoria
Two Indigenous Australian people have been members of the Parliament of Victoria. No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref 1 Greens Legislative Assembly Northcote Djab WurrungGunaiGunditjmara 18 November 2017 24 November 2018 2 Labor Legislative Council Northern Metropolitan Yorta Yorta 13 October 2020 incumbent
At least two members have had acknowledged Indigenous ancestry, but were not generally regarded as Indigenous themselves.
No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Ancestry Term start Term end Ref 1 Labor Legislative Council Waverley Palawa (Tas) 5 May 1979 2 October 1992 Kennedy, Cyril James – Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 22 August 2015. 2 Labor Legislative Assembly Bendigo Palawa (Tas) 3 April 1982 1 March 1985 Bendigo West 1 March 1985 2 October 1992
Parliament of Western Australia Four Indigenous Australian people have been members of the Parliament of Western Australia, all of whom were elected to the Legislative Assembly until Rosetta Sahanna was elected to the Legislative Council in 2021. No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Origin Term start Term end Ref 1 Labor Legislative Assembly Kimberley 23 February 1980 27 July 1996 Independent 27 July 1996 10 February 2001 2 Labor Legislative Assembly Kimberley 10 February 2001 9 March 2013 3 Labor Legislative Assembly Victoria Park Yamatji 11 March 2006 13 March 2021 4 Labor Legislative Assembly Kimberley Gija 9 March 2013 13 March 2021 5 Labor Legislative Assembly Kimberley YawuruNimanburruBardi 13 March 2021 incumbent 6 Labor Legislative Council Mining and Pastoral Wilinggin 22 May 2021 21 May 2025
One other member of the Parliament of Western Australia has acknowledged Indigenous ancestry, but is not generally regarded as Indigenous himself.
No. Name Party Chamber Constituency Ancestry Term start Term end Ref 1 Liberal Legislative Assembly Dawesville Yamatji 11 March 2017 13 March 2021
Notable unsuccessful candidates Many Indigenous Australians have also stood unsuccessfully for office. This is a list of other notable Indigenous Australians to have run in state, territory or federal elections.