Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
# Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly

The Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria. The presiding officer of the upper house of the Parliament of Victoria, the Victorian Legislative Council, is the President of the Victorian Legislative Council.

A Speaker is elected at the beginning of each new parliamentary term by the Legislative Assembly from one of its members. The Assembly may re-elect an incumbent Speaker by passing a motion; otherwise, a secret ballot is held. The Assembly can dismiss the Speaker by a majority vote, and the Speaker can resign.

In practice, the Speaker is usually a member of the governing party or parties, who have the majority in the Assembly. The Speaker continues to be a member of a political party, and may or may not attend party meetings. The Speaker also continues to carry out ordinary electorate duties as a member of Parliament and must take part in an election campaign to be re-elected as a member of Parliament.

The Deputy Speaker, also elected by the Assembly, supports and assists the Speaker and fulfils the role as Speaker in their absence or during a vacancy in the position.

## Speakers of the Victorian Legislative Assembly

Speakers :

| No. | Name | Took office | Left office | Party | Time |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Francis Murphy | 21 November 1856 | 24 January 1871 | — | 14 years, 64 days |
| 2 | Charles MacMahon | 25 April 1871 | April 1877 | — | 6 years, 0 days |
| 3 | Charles Gavan Duffy | 22 May 1877 | 9 February 1880 | — | 2 years, 263 days |
| (2) | Charles McMahon | 11 May 1880 | 29 June 1880 | — | 49 days (6 years, 49 days) |
| 4 | Peter Lalor | 22 July 1880 | 29 September 1887 | — | 7 years, 69 days |
| 5 | Matthew Davies | 4 October 1887 | April 1892 | — | 4 years, 183 days |
| 6 | Thomas Bent | 11 May 1892 | September 1894 | — | 2 years, 123 days |
| 7 | Graham Berry | 4 October 1894 | September 1897 | — | 2 years, 335 days |
| 8 | Francis Mason | 25 October 1897 | September 1902 | — | 4 years, 335 days |
| 9 | Duncan Gillies | 14 October 1902 | 12 September 1903 | Liberal | 333 days |
| 10 | William Beazley | 16 September 1903 | 10 May 1904 | Labor | 237 days |
| 11 | Frank Madden | 29 June 1904 | October 1917 | Liberal | 13 years, 122 days |
| 12 | John Mackey | 29 November 1917 | 6 April 1924 | Nationalist | 6 years, 129 days |
| 13 | John Bowser | 30 April 1924 | 5 March 1927 | Nationalist | 2 years, 309 days |
| 14 | Oswald Snowball | 6 July 1927 | 16 March 1928 | Nationalist | 254 days |
| 15 | Alexander Peacock | 4 July 1928 | 7 October 1933 | Nationalist | 5 years, 95 days |
| 15 | Alexander Peacock | 4 July 1928 | 7 October 1933 | United Australia | 5 years, 95 days |
| 16 | Maurice Blackburn | 11 October 1933 | 1 August 1934 | Labor | 294 days |
| 17 | William Everard | 2 August 1934 | 6 September 1937 | United Australia | 3 years, 35 days |
| 18 | Tom Tunnecliffe | 19 October 1937 | 15 February 1940 | Labor | 2 years, 119 days |
| 19 | William Slater | 1 May 1940 | 20 October 1942 | Labor | 2 years, 172 days |
| 20 | George Knox | 21 October 1942 | 9 October 1947 | United Australia | 4 years, 353 days |
| 20 | George Knox | 21 October 1942 | 9 October 1947 | Liberal | 4 years, 353 days |
| 21 | Thomas Maltby | 2 December 1947 | 13 April 1950 | Liberal | 2 years, 132 days |
| 22 | Archie Michaelis | 20 June 1950 | 31 October 1952 | Liberal | 2 years, 133 days |
| 23 | Keith Sutton | 17 December 1952 | 22 April 1955 | Labor | 2 years, 126 days |
| 24 | William McDonald | 15 June 1955 | 19 March 1967 | Liberal | 11 years, 277 days |
| 25 | Vernon Christie | 16 May 1967 | 18 June 1973 | Liberal | 6 years, 33 days |
| 26 | Kenneth Wheeler | 19 June 1973 | 28 May 1979 | Liberal | 5 years, 343 days |
| 27 | Jim Plowman | 29 May 1979 | 26 April 1982 | Liberal | 2 years, 332 days |
| 28 | Tom Edmunds | 27 April 1982 | 24 October 1988 | Labor | 6 years, 180 days |
| 29 | Ken Coghill | 25 October 1988 | 26 October 1992 | Labor | 4 years, 1 day |
| 30 | John Delzoppo | 27 October 1992 | 13 May 1996 | Liberal | 3 years, 199 days |
| (27) | Jim Plowman | 14 May 1996 | 2 November 1999 | Liberal | 3 years, 172 days (6 years, 139 days) |
| 31 | Alex Andrianopoulos | 3 November 1999 | 24 February 2003 | Labor | 3 years, 113 days |
| 32 | Judy Maddigan | 25 February 2003 | 18 December 2006 | Labor | 3 years, 296 days |
| 33 | Jenny Lindell | 19 December 2006 | 20 December 2010 | Labor | 4 years, 1 day |
| 34 | Ken Smith | 21 December 2010 | 4 February 2014 | Liberal | 3 years, 45 days |
| 35 | Christine Fyffe | 4 February 2014 | 22 December 2014 | Liberal | 321 days |
| 36 | Telmo Languiller | 23 December 2014 | 25 February 2017 | Labor | 2 years, 64 days |
| 37 | Colin Brooks | 7 March 2017 | 2 August 2022 | Labor | 6 years, 142 days |
| 38 | Maree Edwards | 2 August 2022 | Incumbent | Labor | 359 days |
