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Elections to the Tasmanian Legislative Council, 1851-2025
The Legislative Council was created as a nominee body in 1825, with
six members, all government officials, appointed by the Governor. In
1828 the Council was enlarged to 15 members, still appointed but
including non-official members.
In 1851 the imperial Australian Colonies Government Act created a
Council of 24 members, eight nominees and 16 elected by the voters.
The first elections to the Council were held in October-November
1851. The franchise was restricted to white male British subjects
over 21 who owned freehold property worth 100 pounds or more. Ex-
convicts could not vote. The Council Extension Act of 1854 enlarged
the Council from 16 elected members to 22, with six new members elected
in March 1855.
In 1856 Tasmania was granted full responsible government with a
bicameral legislature. The Legislative Council became the upper house of
the new parliament. In 1909, the House of Assembly adopted the Hare-Clark system of
proportional representation, but the Council continued to be elected from
single-member Divisions - the reverse of the situation in the other states.
Today the Council has 15 members, elected for six-year terms, with two or three Divisions going to the polls
each year. The whole Council can never be dissolved. Many Tasmanian voters prefer to
elect independent members to the Council. Its current composition is four Labor,
three Liberal, one Greens and eight independents.
Legislative Council elections 1851-56
Legislative Council elections 1856-2025, by year
Legislative Council elections 1856-2025, by Division
Presidents of the Legislative Council
The Legislative Council chamber, 2024 |
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