Jews have been a part of the Australian parliament since federation. In 2016 a record number of 6 MPs identified as Jewish. When Kerryn Phelps won the 2018 Wentworth by-election the number rose to 7, but subsequently dropped back to 6 following the 2019 Australian federal election.

Commonwealth House +NameElectorateState PartyYearsNotesSourceSir Isaac IsaacsIndiVic Protectionist1901–06Minister in the Deakin governmentChief Justice of AustraliaGovernor-General of AustraliaPharez PhillipsWimmeraVic Protectionist1901–06Elias SolomonFremantleWA Free Trade1901–03Mayor of FremantleVaiben Louis SolomonSouth AustraliaSA Free Trade1901–03Premier of South AustraliaMax FalsteinWatsonNSW LaborIndependent1940–49Syd EinfeldPhillipNSW Labor1961–63Joe BerinsonPerthWA Labor1969–75Minister in Whitlam governmentMoss CassMaribyrnongVic Labor1969–83Minister in Whitlam governmentBarry CohenRobertsonNSW Labor1969–90Minister in Hawke governmentDick KlugmanProspectNSW Labor1969–90Lewis KentHothamVic Labor1980–90Stood for election in Israel for MakiMichael DanbyMelbourne PortsVic Labor1998–2019Mark DreyfusIsaacsVic Labor2007–Minister in Gillard, Rudd and Albanese governmentsJosh FrydenbergKooyongVic Liberal 2010–22Minister in Abbott, Turnbull, and Morrison governments.Deputy leader of the Liberal PartyMike FreelanderMacarthurNSW Labor2016–Julian LeeserBerowraNSW Liberal 2016–Kerryn PhelpsWentworthNSW Independent2018–19Josh BurnsMacnamaraVic Labor2019–

Senate +NameState PartyYearsNotesSource Sam CohenVic Labour1961–69 Shadow minister for Education, Science, Communications and the Arts Senate - Biographies Peter Baume, ACNSW Liberal1974–91 Minister for Aboriginals (1980-82), Health (1982), Education (1982-83) Senate - Biographies Stirling GriffSA Centre AllianceIndependent2016–22 Australian Jewish Historical Society

State parliaments

New South Wales +NameElectoratePartyYearsNotesSourceMaurice AlexanderGoulburnIndependent1861–72Morris AsherHumeIndependent1859–60Amanda CohnMember of the Legislative CouncilGreens2023-Henry CohenWest MaitlandIndependent1874–80Ian CohenMember of the Legislative CouncilGreens1995–2011John CohenPetershamProtectionist Party Liberal Reform

Nationalist1898–1919Speaker of the Legislative AssemblyMorton CohenBlighLiberal1965–68Samuel CohenMorpethIndependent1860Albert CollinsNarrabri NamoiLiberal Reform Independent Liberal1901–10Charles CollinsNamoi

NarrabriIndependent Protectionist

Free Trade1885–87 1890–98Margaret DavisMember of the Legislative CouncilLiberal1967–78Syd EinfeldBondi WaverleyLabor1965–1981Also served in federal parliament Minister in state governmentSamuel EmmanuelArgyleIndependent1862–64Derek FreemanMember of the Legislative CouncilLiberal1973–84Hyman GoldsteinEastern Suburbs CoogeeNationalist1922–25 1927–28Mayor of RandwickRon HoenigHeffronLabor2012–Mayor of Botany BaySolomon HyamBalmain Member of the Legislative CouncilProtectionist1885–87 1892–1901Mayor of BalmainSir Asher JoelMember of the Legislative CouncilCountry Party1958–78Samuel JosephWest Sydney Member of the Legislative CouncilIndependent1864–68 1882–85

1887–93John KayeMember of the Legislative CouncilGreens2007–16Abe LandaBondiLabor1930–32 1941–65Minister in state governmentPaul LandaMember of the Legislative Council

PeatsLabor1973–84Leyser LevinHumeIndependent1880–85Lewis LevyLiverpool Plains West MaitlandIndependent1871–72 1874Sir Daniel LevySydney-Fitzroy Darlinghurst

Sydney

Paddington

WoollahraLiberal Reform Nationalist

United Australia1901–37Speaker of the Legislative AssemblyErnest MarksNorth SydneyNationalist1927–30Solomon MeyerCarcoarIndependent1874–76Ernest MitchellMember of the Legislative CouncilUnited Australia Party1934–43Jacob Levi MontefioreMember of the Legislative CouncilIndependent1856–60 1874–77Phillip G. MyersArgyleIndependent1880–81Harris NelsonOrangeIndependent1872–77Simeon PhillipsDubboFree Trade Liberal Reform1895–1904Joseph RaphaelWest SydneyIndependent1872–74Eric RoozendaalMember of the Legislative CouncilLabor2004–13Minister in state governmentJulian SalomonsMember of the Legislative CouncilIndependent1870–71 1887–99Minister in state government

Chief Justice of New South WalesSir Saul SamuelMLC for counties of Roxburgh, Phillip and Wellington Orange

Wellington

Member of the Legislative CouncilIndependent1854–56 1859–80Minister in state government Received baronetLeon SniderMember of the Legislative CouncilLiberal

Country Party1943–65

Northern Territory +NameElectoratePartyYearsNotesSourceJon IsaacsMillnerLabor1977–81Leader of the Opposition

Queensland +NameElectoratePartyYearsNotesSourceLouis GoldringFlindersIndependent1888–93Mayor of HughendenJacob HorwitzWarwickLiberal Party1878–87Mayor of WarwickFrancis Benjamin KatesDarling Downs CunninghamIndependent1878–81 1883–88

1899–1903Isidor LissnerKennedy CairnsMinisterialist1883–93 1896–99

South Australia +NameElectoratePartyYearsNotesSourceSir Lewis CohenNorth Adelaide AdelaideIndependent ADL1887–93 1902–06Mayor of AdelaideMorris Lyon MarksThe Burra and ClareIndependent1857–58Maurice SalomMLC for South AustraliaIndependent1882–91Emanuel SolomonWest Adelaide

MLC for South AustraliaIndependent1862–65 1867–71Judah Moss SolomonCity of Adelaide MLC for South Australia

West AdelaideIndependent1858–60 1861–65

1871–75Mayor of AdelaideSaul SolomonEast TorrensIndependent1887–90Vaiben Louis SolomonNorthern TerritoryIndependent National Defence League1890–1901 1905–08Premier of South Australia Also served in federal parliament

Tasmania +NameElectoratePartyYearsNotesSourceJoseph CohenLauncestonIndependent1860–61John DaviesHobart Town Devon

FranklinIndependent1884–1913Mayor of Hobart

Victoria +NameElectoratePartyYearsNotesSourceSir Benjamin BenjaminMLC for Melbourne ProvinceIndependent1889–92Mayor of MelbourneDavid BornsteinBrunswick EastLabor1970–75Edward CohenEast MelbourneIndependent1861–65 1868–77Mayor of MelbourneHarold CohenCaulfield MLC for Melbourne SouthNationalist United Australia Party1929–35 1935–43Minister in state governmentHenry CohenMLC for Melbourne ProvinceNationalist1921–37Minister in state governmentPhilip DalidakisMLC for Southern Metropolitan RegionLabor2014–19Minister in state governmentCharles DyteBallarat EastIndependent1864–71Benjamin FinkMaryborough and TalbotIndependent1883–89Theodore FinkJolimont and West RichmondIndependent1894–1904Adolphus GoldsmithMLC for Ripon, Hampden, Grenville and PolwarthIndependent1851–53Paul HamerBox HillLabor2018–Max HirschMandurangMinisterial1902–03Jennifer HuppertMLC for Southern MetropolitanLabor2009–10Sir Isaac IsaacsBogongIndependent1892–1901John Alfred IsaacsOvensIndependent1894–1902Walter JonaHawthornLiberal1964–85Minister in state governmentDaniel Barnet LazarusSandhurstIndependent1893–97 1900–02Mayor of SandhurstNathaniel LeviMaryborough East Melbourne

MLC for North Yarra ProvinceIndependent1860–65 1866–68

1892–1904Jonas LevienSouth Grant BarwonIndependent1871–77 1880–1906Minister in state governmentArchie MichaelisSt KildaUnited Australia Party Liberal1932–52Speaker of the Legislative AssemblyMartin PakulaMLC for Western Metropolitan

Lyndhurst

KeysboroughLabor2006–2022Minister in state governmentPharez PhillipsMLC for North Western ProvinceIndependent1896–1901Sidney RicardoSouth BourkeIndependent1857–59Samuel SamuelDundasIndependent1892–92Helen ShardeyElectoral district of CaulfieldLiberal1996–2010Baron SniderSt Kilda MLC for Higinbotham ProvinceLiberal1955–66David SouthwickCaulfieldLiberal2010–Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in Victoria since 2021Emanuel SteinfeldMLC for WellingtonIndependent1892–93Joseph SternbergMLC for Northern Province MLC for BendigoIndependent Nationalist1891–1902 1904–1928Marsha ThomsonMLC for Melbourne North FootscrayLabor2006–18Minister in state governmentEvan ThornleyMLC for Southern MetropolitanLabor2006–08Ephraim ZoxEast MelbourneIndependent1877–99

Western Australia +NameElectoratePartyYearsNotesSourceJoe BerinsonMLC for North-East Metropolitan Province MLC for North Central Metropolitan Province

MLC for North MetropolitanLabor1980–93Also served in federal parliament Minister in the Whitlam governmentHarry BoanMetropolitan Province Metropolitan-Suburban ProvinceWA Liberal Party Nationalist1917–18 1922–24Matthew MossNorth Fremantle MLC for West ProvinceIndependent WA Liberal Party1895–97 1900–01

1902–14Minister in state governmentSir Charles NathanMLC for Metropolitan-Suburban ProvinceNationalist1930–34Lionel SamsonMLC for Western AustralianIndependent1849–56 1859–68Elias SolomonSouth FremantleIndependent1892–1901Mayor of Fremantle Also served in federal parliament

See also

Lists of Jews in politics List of Jewish governors of Australia List of LGBTQ holders of political offices in Australia List of Indigenous Australian politicians List of Asian Australian politicians History of Islam in Australia Religion in Australia Racism in Australia

References

Further reading