Parliamentary Leaders
| Leader | Period of Service | |
| McWilliams, William James (Tas) | 24 Feb 1920 to 5 Apr 1921 | |
| Page, Earle Christmas Grafton (NSW) | 5 Apr 1921 to 13 Sept 1939 | |
| 7 Apr 1939 to 26 Apr 1939 | Prime Minister | |
| Cameron, Archie Galbraith (SA) | 13 Sept 1939 to 16 Oct 1940 | |
| Fadden, Arthur William (Qld) | 16 Oct 1940 to 12 Mar 1941 | (Acting Party Leader)* |
| 12 Mar 1941 to 26 Mar 1958 | ||
| 29 Aug 1941 to 7 Oct 1941 | Prime Minister | |
| 7 Oct 1941 to 16 Sept 1943 | Opposition Leader | |
| McEwen, John (Vic) | 26 Mar 1958 to 1 Feb 1971 | |
| 19 Dec 1967 to 10 Jan 1968 | Prime Minister | |
| Anthony, John Douglas (NSW) | 2 Feb 1971 to 17 Jan 1984 | |
| Sinclair, Ian McCahon (NSW) | 17 Jan 1984 to 9 May 1989 | |
| Blunt, Charles William (NSW) | 9 May 1989 to 6 Apr 1990 | |
| Fischer, Timothy Andrew (NSW) | 10 Apr 1990 to 1 July 1999 | |
| Anderson, John Duncan (NSW) | 1 July 1999 to 23 June 2005 | |
| Vaile, Mark Anthony James (NSW) | 23 June 2005 to 3 Dec 2007 | |
| Truss, Warren Errol (Qld) | 3 Dec 2007 to 12 Feb 2016 | |
| Joyce, Barnaby Thomas Gerard (NSW) | 12 Feb 2016 to 27 Oct 2017 | |
| 6 Dec 2017 to 26 Feb 2018 | ||
| Scullion, Nigel Gregory (Sen, NT) | 27 Oct 2017 to 6 Dec 2017 | (Interim Party Leader)** |
| McCormack, Michael Francis (NSW) | 26 Feb 2018 to 21 Jun 2021 | |
| Joyce, Barnaby Thomas Gerard (NSW) | 21 Jun 2021 to current |
| Deputy Leader | Period of Service | |
| Jowett, Edmund (Vic) | 24 Feb 1920 to 5 Apr 1921 | |
| Gregory, Henry (WA) | 5 Apr 1921 to 2 Dec 1921*** | |
| Fleming, William Montgomerie (NSW) | 27 June 1922 to 16 Dec 1922*** | |
| Gibson, William Gerrand (Vic) | 16 Jan 1923 to 12 Oct 1929 | |
| Paterson, Thomas (Vic) | 19 Nov 1929 to 30 Nov 1937**** | |
| Thorby, Harold Victor Campbell (NSW) | 30 Nov 1937 to 21 Sept 1940 | |
| Fadden, Arthur William (Qld) | 16 Oct 1940 to 12 Mar 1941 | |
| 12 Mar 1941 to 22 Sept 1943***** | Vacant | |
| McEwen, John (Vic) | 22 Sept 1943 to 26 Mar 1958 | |
| Davidson, Charles William (Qld) | 26 Mar 1958 to 1 Nov 1963 | |
| Adermann, Charles Frederick (Qld) | 25 Feb 1964 to 8 Dec 1966 | |
| Anthony, John Douglas (NSW) | 9 Dec 1966 to 2 Feb 1971 | |
| Sinclair, Ian McCahon (NSW) | 2 Feb 1971 to 17 Jan 1984****** | |
| Hunt, Ralph James Dunnet (NSW) | 17 Feb 1984 to 23 July 1987 | |
| Lloyd, Bruce (Vic) | 23 July 1987 to 23 Mar 1993 | |
| Anderson, John Duncan (NSW) | 23 Mar 1993 to 1 July 1999 | |
| Vaile, Mark Anthony James (NSW) | 1 July 1999 to 23 June 2005 | |
| Truss, Warren Errol (Qld) | 23 June 2005 to 3 Dec 2007 | |
| Scullion, Nigel Gregory (Sen, NT) | 3 Dec 2007 to 13 Sep 2013+ | |
| Joyce, Barnaby Thomas Gerard (NSW) | 13 Sep 2013 to 12 Feb 2016 | |
| Nash, Fiona Joy (Sen, NSW) | 12 Feb 2016 to 27 Oct 2017++ | |
| McKenzie, Bridget (Sen, Vic) | 7 Dec 2017 to 26 Feb 2018 | |
| Littleproud, David Kelly (QLD) | 26 Feb 2018 to current |
Notes and Sources
* Page and McEwen tied in the ballot for the leadership. To break the deadlock, the party room agreed to proceed with the election of its deputy leader – for which Fadden had overwhelming support – and then appoint the deputy as acting leader. With the deepening war crisis and Prime Minister Menzies overseas, the party room confirmed Fadden as leader on 12 March 1941. It also agreed to leave the deputy’s position vacant. John McEwen – His Story, pages 8, 27, 28; Fadden, They called me Artie, pages 43-45; Ellis, Country Party, page 257; The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 March 1941, page 6.
**Joyce was advised by the New Zealand High Commission in Canberra on 10/8/17 that he may be a New Zealand citizen by descent in light of his father’s New Zealand heritage, potentially bringing into question his right to serve in the Australian Parliament, as per Section 44 of the Australian Constitution. Joyce requested that the matter be referred for adjudication to the High Court of Australia and immediately took the necessary action to renounce any right to New Zealand citizenship that he might have. On 27/10/17 the High Court ruled him ineligible to be a Parliamentarian. A by-election for his seat of New England, NSW, was announced for 36 days later, on 2/12/17. While Joyce remained the Party’s Federal Leader pending his return at the by-election, Scullion became Interim Parliamentary Leader. The Liberal Party’s Deputy Leader and Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, became Acting Prime Minister during three absences overseas by the Prime Minister during the by-election period, while the position of Deputy Prime Minister remained vacant. Joyce resumed his portfolio and Deputy Prime Minister responsibilities from 6/12/17 after winning the New England by-election in a landslide.
*** Gregory resigned as deputy leader over a disagreement on Coalition strategy. As the parliament rose for the summer recess on 10 December (and was subsequently prorogued twice) and did not resume until 28 June 1922, the deputy leader’s position was not filled until the pre-sessional Country Party meeting on 27 June 1922, when Fleming was elected. His tenure was short-lived as he lost his NSW seat of Robertson at the election on 16 December 1922. Gibson was elected to replace him at the pre-sessional party meeting on 16 January 1923. The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 December 1921, page 17, 17 January 1923, page 13; The Argus, Melbourne, 28 June 1922, page 11; Commonwealth Parliamentary Handbook, 2005, page 589.
**** The eldest of Page’s three sons, Earle junior, was killed by lightning while moving cattle on the family property, Heifer Station, Grafton, in January 1933. As a result Page was absent from parliament for nine months until 4 October 1933. The party room appointed Paterson acting leader in the meantime. Truant Surgeon, Page, page 263; Ellis, A Pen in Politics, pages 162, 163; Australian Dictionary of Biography (www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs) Bridge, C, Page, Sir Earle Christmas Grafton (1880-1961), vol 11, 1988, pages 118-122; Commonwealth Parliamentary Debates, 4 October 1933, page 3195.
***** With the confirmation of Fadden as leader, the party room agreed that ‘with the party reuniting and in light of international events, there was no need for a Deputy to be appointed’. The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 March 1941, page 6.
****** Anthony as Trade minister embarked on a series of international visits in 1976, including to the Soviet Union. He returned unwell to Australia in July. Unable to shake his illness, ultimately identified as hepatitis, he was granted leave from parliament from 20 October and did not return until 1 February 1977. During that period, the party room appointed Ian Sinclair acting leader and Peter Nixon acting deputy. Doug Anthony interviews with author; Commonwealth Parliamentary Handbook, 21st edition, Commonwealth Parliamentary Library, 1982.
+ Scullion is a member of the Northern Territory Country Liberal Party and sits with the National Party in the Commonwealth Parliament. He was the first Senator to hold the Deputy Leader’s position, all others, as with Leaders, having come from the Party in the House of Representatives.
++ Nash was ruled ineligible to be a Senator by the High Court of Australia on 27 October 2017, due to her father’s British heritage.
Additional sources:
The Sydney Morning Herald, 26 February 1920, page 2; 6 April 1921, page 10; 3 December 1921, page 17; 17 January 1923, page 13; 20 November1929, page 17; 13 March 1941, page 6; 23 September 1943, page 4. Australian Dictionary of Biography, various volumes – see www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs; Graham, BD, The Formation of Australian Country Parties; Davey, P, The Nationals; Commonwealth Parliamentary Handbook, 6th issue 1901-1930, 7th issue 1932, 8th issue, 1931-1935, 16th edition 1965-1968, 21st edition 1982; 28th edition 1999; 30th edition 2005; Who’s Who in Australia, various volumes; Golding, P, Black Jack McEwen, page 333; Transcript, Doug Anthony news conference, Canberra, 2 February 1971; Lundie, R, Commonwealth Parliamentary Library Research Service, Canberra.
Senate Leaders
| Leader | Period of Service |
| Hardy, Charles (NSW) | 1935 to 1938 |
| Cooper, Walter Jackson (Qld) | 1949 to 1960 |
| Wade, Harrie Walter (Vic) | 1960 to 1964 |
| McKellar, Gerald Colin (NSW) | 1964 to 1969 |
| Drake-Brockman, Thomas Charles (WA) | 1969 to 1975 |
| Webster, James Joseph (Vic) | 1976 to 1980 |
| Scott, Douglas Barr (NSW) | 1980 to 1985 |
| Collard, Stanley James (Qld) | 1985 to 1987 |
| Stone, John Owen (Qld) | 1987 to 1990 |
| Boswell, Ronald Leslie Doyle (Qld) | 1990 to 2007 |
| Scullion, Nigel Gregory (NT) | 2007 to 2008 |
| Joyce, Barnaby Thomas Gerrard (Qld) | 2008 to 2013 |
| Scullion, Nigel Gregory ( NT) | 2013 to 2017 |
| McKenzie, Bridget (VIC) | 2017 to current |
Party Whips, House of Representatives
| Name | Electorate (State) | Period of Service |
| Page, Earle Christmas Grafton | Cowper (NSW) | Jan 1920-Apr 1921 |
| Gibson, William Gerrand | Corangamite (Vic) | Apr 1921-Jan 1923 |
| Stewart, Percy Gerald | Wimmera (Vic) | Jan 1923-Feb 1923 |
| Prowse, John Henry | Forrest (WA) | Feb 1923-Aug 1924 |
| Hunter, James Aitchison Johnston | Maranoa (Qld) | Aug 1924-Nov 1934 |
| Thompson, Harold Victor Campbell | New England (NSW) | Nov 1934-Nov 1937 |
| Nock, Horace Keyworth | Riverina (NSW) | Nov 1937-Sept 1940 |
| Corser, Bernard Henry | Wide Bay (Qld) | Sept 1940-Apr 1951 |
| Davidson, Charles William | Dawson (Qld) | Apr 1951-Jan 1956 |
| Turnbull, Winton George | Mallee (Vic) | Feb 1956-Nov 1972 |
| England, John Armstrong | Calare (NSW) | Nov 1972-Nov 1975 |
| Corbett, James | Maranoa (Qld) | Nov 1975-Aug 1980 |
| Fisher, Peter Stanley | Mallee (Vic) | Aug 1980-Apr 1983 |
| Hicks, Noel Jeffrey | Riverina (NSW) | Apr 1983-Oct 1998 |
| Forrest, John Alexander | Mallee (Vic) | Nov 1998-Aug 2006 |
| Hull, Kay Elizabeth | Riverina (NSW) | Aug 2006 to Jul 2010 |
| Coulton, Mark Maclean | Parkes (NSW) | Sep 2010 to Aug 2016 |
| Christensen, George Robert | Dawson (Qld) | Aug 2016 to Mar 2017 |
| Drum, Damian Kevin | Murray (Vic) | Mar 2017 to Dec 2017 |
| Landry, Michelle Leanne | Capricornia (Qld) | Dec 2017 to Sep 2018 |
| Drum, Damian Kevin | Murray (Vic) | Sep 2018 to current |
Notes and Abbreviations
Since its formation as the Australian Country Party in January 1920, the party has declared parliamentary party positions, including that of whip, vacant after each election for the House of Representatives. Up to the 1950s, the whip was also referred to as the secretary of the party. From the mid-1970s the party elected a deputy whip. The contemporary party elects a chief whip and a whip. The above list nominates those parliamentarians who have been elected to the senior whip position.