Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council, 1832–1870
# Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council, 1832–1870

Western Australia was a crown colony from its establishment in 1829 as the Swan River Colony until the advent of representative government in 1870. During this time executive and legislative power was vested in the Governor of Western Australia, but from 1832 he had Executive and Legislative Councils to assist and advise him. The Western Australian Legislative Council met for the first time on 7 February 1832. This is a list of members of the Western Australian Legislative Council between 1832 and 1870.

## Official members, 1832–1870

The Western Australian Legislative Council was initially composed of five ex officio members; that is, members by virtue of their official government positions. These official positions were: the Governor, the Commandant, the Colonial Secretary, the Surveyor-General and the Advocate-General. The Collector of Revenue was added in 1847, and the Comptroller-General in June 1852.

This is a list of official members of the Western Australian Legislative Council between 1832 and 1870. Due to gaps in official records, some dates are approximate and the list may omit some members who were acting in official positions.

| Period | Official members | Official members | Official members | Official members | Official members | Official members | Official members |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Period | Governor | Commandant | Colonial Secretary | Surveyor General | Advocate General | Collector of Revenue | Comptroller General |
| 7 February 1832 – 1834 | James Stirling | Frederick Irwin | Peter Broun | John Septimus Roe | William Mackie | Not a member until 1847 | Not a member until 1852 |
| 1834–3 January 1839 | James Stirling | Frederick Irwin | Peter Broun | John Septimus Roe | George Fletcher Moore | Not a member until 1847 | Not a member until 1852 |
| 3 January 1839 – 27 January 1846 | John Hutt | Frederick Irwin | Peter Broun | John Septimus Roe | George Fletcher Moore | Not a member until 1847 | Not a member until 1852 |
| 27 January 1846–November 1846 | Andrew Clarke | Frederick Irwin | Peter Broun | John Septimus Roe | George Fletcher Moore | Not a member until 1847 | Not a member until 1852 |
| November 1846–May 1847 | Andrew Clarke | Frederick Irwin | George Fletcher Moore (acting) | John Septimus Roe | Richard West Nash (acting) | Not a member until 1847 | Not a member until 1852 |
| May–June 1847 | Andrew Clarke | Frederick Irwin | Dr Richard Robert Madden Richard Robert Madden | John Septimus Roe | George Fletcher Moore | Not a member until 1847 | Not a member until 1852 |
| June 1847–12 August 1848 | Andrew Clarke | Frederick Irwin | Dr Richard Robert Madden Richard Robert Madden | John Septimus Roe | George Fletcher Moore | Henry Sutherland | Not a member until 1852 |
| 12 August 1848–January 1849 | Charles Fitzgerald | Frederick Irwin | Dr Richard Robert Madden Richard Robert Madden | John Septimus Roe | George Fletcher Moore | Henry Sutherland | Not a member until 1852 |
| January 1849–March 1850 | Charles Fitzgerald | Frederick Irwin | Revett Henry Bland (acting) | John Septimus Roe | George Fletcher Moore | Henry Sutherland | Not a member until 1852 |
| March–October 1850 | Charles Fitzgerald | Frederick Irwin | Thomas Yule (acting) | John Septimus Roe | George Fletcher Moore | Henry Sutherland | Not a member until 1852 |
| October 1850–March 1851 | Charles Fitzgerald | Frederick Irwin | Charles Piesse | John Septimus Roe | George Fletcher Moore | Henry Sutherland | Not a member until 1852 |
| March 1851 – 1852 | Charles Fitzgerald | Frederick Irwin | Thomas Yule (acting) | John Septimus Roe | George Fletcher Moore | Henry Sutherland | Not a member until 1852 |
| 1852 | Charles Fitzgerald | Frederick Irwin | Thomas Yule (acting) | John Septimus Roe | Bartholemew Vigors (acting) | Henry Sutherland | Edmund Henderson |
| January 1852 – 1854 | Charles Fitzgerald | Frederick Irwin | William Sanford | John Septimus Roe | Bartholemew Vigors (acting) | Henry Sutherland | Edmund Henderson |
| 1854–1855 | Charles Fitzgerald | G. M. Reeves | William Sanford | John Septimus Roe | Richard Burnie | Henry Sutherland | Edmund Henderson |
| 1855 | Charles Fitzgerald | John Bruce | William Sanford | John Septimus Roe | Richard Burnie | Richard Broun | Edmund Henderson |
| 1855–July 1855 | Charles Fitzgerald | John Bruce | William Sanford | John Septimus Roe | Richard Burnie | Anthony O'Grady Lefroy | Edmund Henderson |
| July–23 July 1855 | Charles Fitzgerald | John Bruce | Frederick Barlee | John Septimus Roe | Richard Burnie | Anthony O'Grady Lefroy | Edmund Henderson |
| 23 July 1855 – 1857 | Arthur Edward Kennedy | John Bruce | Frederick Barlee | John Septimus Roe | Richard Burnie | Anthony O'Grady Lefroy | Edmund Henderson |
| 1857–1859 | Arthur Edward Kennedy | John Bruce | Frederick Barlee | John Septimus Roe | George Stone (acting) | Anthony O'Grady Lefroy | Edmund Henderson |
| 1859–28 February 1862 | Arthur Edward Kennedy | John Bruce | Frederick Barlee | John Septimus Roe | George Stone | Anthony O'Grady Lefroy | Edmund Henderson |
| 28 February 1862 – 31 January 1863 | John Hampton | John Bruce | Frederick Barlee | John Septimus Roe | George Stone | Anthony O'Grady Lefroy | Edmund Henderson |
| 31 January 1863–May 1866 | John Hampton | John Bruce | Frederick Barlee | John Septimus Roe | George Stone | Anthony O'Grady Lefroy | William Newland |
| May 1866–1 November 1868 | John Hampton | John Bruce | Frederick Barlee | John Septimus Roe | George Stone | Anthony O'Grady Lefroy | George Hampton (acting) |
| 2 November 1868–30 September 1869 | John Bruce (acting) | John Bruce | Frederick Barlee | John Septimus Roe | George Stone | Anthony O'Grady Lefroy | Henry Wakeford |
| 30 September 1869 – 1870 | Frederick Weld | John Bruce | Frederick Barlee | John Septimus Roe | George Stone | Anthony O'Grady Lefroy | Henry Wakeford |

## Unofficial nominee members, 1839–1867

In 1839 provision was made for the addition of four non-official nominee positions on the Legislative Council. The first four nominee members were sworn in on 4 March 1839. This is a list of non-official nominee members of the Legislative Council between 1839 and 1867.

| Period | Nominee members | Nominee members | Nominee members | Nominee members |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 4 March 1839 – 1840 | William Locke Brockman | George Leake | Thomas Peel | William Tanner |
| 1840-May 1840 | vacant | George Leake | Thomas Peel | William Tanner |
| May 1840-31 March 1841 | Edward Barrett-Lennard | George Leake | Thomas Peel | William Tanner |
| 31 March–April 1841 | Edward Barrett-Lennard | George Leake | vacant | William Tanner |
| April–July 1841 | Edward Barrett-Lennard | George Leake | Thomas Yule | William Tanner |
| July 1841 – 1842 | Edward Barrett-Lennard | George Leake | William Mackie (acting) | William Tanner |
| 1842–June 1842 | vacant | George Leake | William Mackie (acting) | William Tanner |
| June–July 1842 | vacant | George Leake | Thomas Yule | William Tanner |
| July 1842 – 1843 | William Mackie | George Leake | Thomas Yule | William Tanner |
| 1843–March 1844 | William Mackie | George Leake | Thomas Yule | vacant |
| March 1844 – 1846 | William Mackie | George Leake | Thomas Yule | Francis Singleton |
| 1846–1847 | William Mackie | George Leake | Thomas Yule | vacant |
| 1847–June 1847 | William Mackie | George Leake | vacant | vacant |
| June–September 1847 | William Mackie | George Leake | vacant | Walter Andrews |
| September 1847 – 1848 | William Mackie | George Leake | vacant | vacant |
| 1848–October 1848 | William Mackie | George Leake | Richard Nash | vacant |
| October 1848–31 May 1849 | William Mackie | George Leake | Richard Nash | Samuel Moore |
| 31 May–July 1849 | William Mackie | vacant | Richard Nash | Samuel Moore |
| July–December 1849 | William Mackie | vacant | Richard Nash | vacant |
| December 1849 – 1850 | William Mackie | Lionel Samson | Richard Nash | vacant |
| 1850–December 1850 | William Mackie | Lionel Samson | Richard Nash | Marshall Waller Clifton |
| December 1850–May 1851 | William Mackie | Lionel Samson | Thomas Brown (acting) | Marshall Waller Clifton |
| May 1851–May 1852 | William Mackie | Lionel Samson | Thomas Brown | Marshall Waller Clifton |
| May 1852–March 1855 | William Mackie | Lionel Samson | William Clifton | Marshall Waller Clifton |
| March 1855–October 1856 | William Mackie | Lionel Samson | John Wall Hardey | Marshall Waller Clifton |
| October 1856–March 1857 | William Mackie | vacant | John Wall Hardey | Marshall Waller Clifton |
| March–June 1857 | Samuel Pole Phillips (acting) | Edward Hamersley | John Wall Hardey | Marshall Waller Clifton |
| June 1857–April 1859 | Samuel Pole Phillips | Edward Hamersley | John Wall Hardey | Marshall Waller Clifton |
| April–October 1859 | Samuel Pole Phillips | Edward Hamersley | John Wall Hardey | vacant |
| October 1859 – 1867 | Samuel Pole Phillips | Edward Hamersley | John Wall Hardey | Lionel Samson |

## Unofficial nominee members, 1868–1870

During the 1860s there was much public debate about the possibility of instituting representative government. This culminated in June 1865 with the submission of a petition to the Legislative Council asking for a larger and partially elected Legislative Council. As a compromise, the Legislative Council sought permission to add two more nominee members. This permission was received in September 1867, but the Governor then went further by allowing the colony to informally elect six persons whom he would then nominate to the Legislative Council. The colony was divided into six districts: Perth, Fremantle, Guildford, Eastern Districts, Murray and Champion Bay. The first five of these district elected representatives who were then nominated to the Legislative Council as promised. The Champion Bay district, which had led the push for representative government, refused to participate in what it saw as a sham election, so the Governor nominated to the final seat his ally John Wall Hardey, who had polled only four votes in the Guildford district election. This arrangement prevailed until July 1870, when the Legislative Council was reconstituted under a system of representative government.

| Period | Unofficially elected | Unofficially elected | Unofficially elected | Unofficially elected | Unofficially elected | Nominated |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Period | Perth | Fremantle | Guildford | Eastern Districts | Murray | Nominated |
| July 1868–May 1870 | Julian Carr | Walter Bateman | William Locke Brockman | Samuel Pole Phillips | James Lee Steere | John Wall Hardey |
| May–August 1870 | Julian Carr | Edward Newman | William Locke Brockman | Samuel Pole Phillips | James Lee Steere | John Wall Hardey |
