Members of the Northern Territory Legislative Council, 1957–1960

This is a list of members of the Northern Territory Legislative Council from 23 January 1957 to 20 February 1960.

The council consisted of 14 members. Five 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, James Archer, served as presiding officer (or president) of the council.

The 1957 election had stressed the need for reform of the council, with virtually unanimous support in the council for elected members to constitute a majority. In 1958, a year after the first meeting of the council, every elected member resigned in frustration with the refusal of the federal government to announce such a reform. The resignations triggered by-elections on 28 June for all seats — in effect, although not in application of the Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1947, another general election. All previous members were elected unopposed, except for Len Purkiss, who was re-elected with an increased majority in Tennant Creek.

Name Party Electorate/Title Years in office Colin Adams Appointed Director of Mines 1955–1970 James Archer Appointed Administrator 1956–1961 Hugh Barclay Appointed Director of Lands 1948–1963 Harold Brennan Independent Batchelor 1955, 1956–1958, 1958–1971 Paddy Carroll Labor Darwin 1957–1958, 1958–1960 Harry Giese Appointed Director of Welfare 1954–1973 Neil Hargrave Independent Alice Springs 1954–1958, 1958–1969 Alfred Humphry Appointed Director of Health 1954–1958 Alexander Lawrie Appointed Assistant Administrator 1957–1958 Reg Marsh Appointed Assistant Secretary, Department of Territories 1955–1957, 1958–1962 Wilhelm Petrick Independent Stuart 1951–1958, 1958–1962 Len Purkiss Independent Tennant Creek 1951–1965 Claude Reseigh Appointed 1959 Lionel Rose Appointed Director of Animal Industry Branch 1954–1958, 1962–1965 Charles Stahl Appointed Acting Government Secretary 1952–1953, 1954–1955, 1958 Richard Ward Independent Labor Darwin 1957–1958, 1958–1963 Ronald Webb Appointed Chief Quarantine Officer 1958–1960 James Whittam Appointed Director of Animal Industry Branch 1958–1963

See also 1957 Northern Territory general election 1958 Northern Territory by-elections

References