Members of the Australian Senate, 1956–1959

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Members of the Australian Senate, 1956–1959

Senate composition at 1 July 1956:
- Government: 30 seats (1-seat minority)
- Liberal: 24
- Country Party: 6
- Opposition: 28 seats
- Labor: 28
- Crossbench: 2 seats
- ALP (Anti-Communist)/DLP: 2

Changes in composition:
- The 1956–1959 Senate had two groups of members:
- Half were elected at the 9 May 1953 election, serving 1 July 1953 to 30 June 1959.
- The other half were elected at the 10 December 1955 election, serving 1 July 1956 to 30 June 1962.

Casual vacancies:
- Filling casual vacancies followed a complex process. As a rule, senators have six-year terms, but someone appointed to a casual vacancy serves only until the next election for the House of Representatives or the Senate, whichever comes first.