Parliament of South Australia (GRG92)

Representative government came to South Australia following acceptance of the Constitution and Electoral Law Bills of 1855-56 by the Imperial Government.

Among the provisions included in the 1855 Constitution were:

- A bicameral Parliament consisting of a Legislative Council of 18 Members and a House of Assembly of 36 Members, the Legislative Council to be elected by the entire colony voting as one district; the House of Assembly to consist of 17 districts varying in representation from one to six Members.

- The inauguration of a system of responsible Government.

- The franchise for the Legislative Council to be based on a property qualification - freehold of the value of 50 Pounds Sterling, leasehold of the annual value of 20 Pounds Sterling having three years to run or a right of pre-emption, or occupation of a house of the annual value of 25 Pounds Sterling.

- All adult males to be entitled to vote at House of Assembly elections.

- Voting at parliamentary elections to be by secret ballot. (1)

The new Constitution Bill was assented to by Queen Victoria on 19 May 1856 and proclaimed in South Australia by her representative, Governor Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell, on 24 October 1856.

The first bicameral Parliament of South Australia, led by the Hon. BT Finniss, met on 22 April 1857.

In 1895 the Constitution Act was amended by the Womens Franchise Act which extended Parliamentary franchise to women for the first time in Australia.

Earlier, the South Australian Colonisation Act, 1834, had provided for a Council of Government. The Council came into being with the arrival of the first Governor, Captain John Hindmarsh, K.H., R.N., on 28 December 1836. The five-member Council which "exercised both legislative and executive powers", was appointed by the Crown and in addition to the Governor included a Resident Commissioner. (2)

Difficulties resulting from the division of control between the Governor and the Resident Commissioner in relation to the sale of land were partially resolved in 1838, when the Governor also assumed the latter role under the Amending Act 1 and 2 Victoria c.60.

Following the investigation of a Select Committee in 1841, Governor Sir George Grey was authorised by the Act of 1842, 5 and 6 Victoria c.61, to constitute a seven member Legislative Council. The four "non-official" members were also nominated by the Crown, "South Australia was governed by this type of Legislative Council from 1843 to 1851". (3)

The Imperial Enabling Act of 1851 authorised the Legislative Council to from a new twenty four Members Council. Four official and four non-official Members were nominated by the Crown, while the remaining 16 members were elected by those "men of substance" in the community who were deemed eligible to vote. "The Governor no longer presided over the deliberations of the Legislative Council, and the Members now elected their own Speaker". (4)

For a list of books held by the Legislative Council Library see Council Paper No. 13 of 1854 (bound in the South Australian Parliamentary Papers).

Parliamentary Buildings

The Council of Government, precursor to the Legislative Council, met from 1837 to 1843 at Government House. The 1843 move to a seven member Legislative Council, together with the opening of proceedings to the public, led to the construction of a small single roomed Council Chamber on North Terrace.

The expansion to a twenty four member Legislative Council in 1851 soon highlighted the inadequacy of the "diminutive Council Chamber" and a larger replacement was completed "in or a bout" July 1855, at a total cost of around 17,000 Pounds Sterling.

In 1980 this building became the Constitutional Museum, with a later name change to "Old Parliament House".

The imposing white marble Parliament House, which stretches from Old Parliament House to King William Road, was built in two stages between 1883 and 1939.

The tender for the construction of the western wing was let in 1883 and by 1885 only the foundations and granite base were in place. Following an acrimonious dispute, the Government cancelled the contract and called fresh tenders. The new building was eventually opened on 5 June 1889.

The vacant plot to the east remained "a somewhat unsightly piece of ground" (8) until 1936, when work began on completing the original design by adding the new Legislative Council Chamber.

The project was only brought to finality by the generosity of the Hon. Sir J. Langdon Bonython K.E.M.G, who, two years earlier, had donated 100,000 Pounds Sterling towards the total cost of 257,592 Pounds Sterling. (9)

Sources:

1. "The Parliament of South Australia". G.B. Combe, M.C., 1960, p.6
2. Ibid, p.5
3. Ibid, p.6
4. Ibid, p.7
5. Ibid, p.7
6. Ibid, p.9
7. "Record of the opening Ceremony of the New Legislative Council Building", 5 June 1939
8. Ibid
9. Ibid