How many members are in a typical state parliament?
Answer
Varies by state but typically 100-150 members combined in both houses
Explanation
State parliaments in Australia vary in size and structure but generally follow a similar Westminster pattern. Five of the six states have bicameral parliaments (with a lower house and an upper house), and Queensland is unicameral (with only a lower house, having abolished its upper house in 1922). Total state parliament membership ranges from about 47 to 93 across the six states.
Lower house sizes vary. The NSW Legislative Assembly has 93 members. The Victorian Legislative Assembly has 88 members. The Queensland Legislative Assembly (the single-chamber Parliament) has 93 members. The South Australian House of Assembly has 47 members. The Western Australian Legislative Assembly has 59 members. The Tasmanian House of Assembly has 35 members. Each lower house member represents a single electorate, elected typically through preferential voting (Tasmania uses single transferable vote in five 7-member regions).
Upper house sizes vary even more. The NSW Legislative Council has 42 members. The Victorian Legislative Council has 40 members. The South Australian Legislative Council has 22 members. The Western Australian Legislative Council has 37 members. The Tasmanian Legislative Council has 15 members. Upper houses are elected through proportional representation in multi-member regions, similar to the federal Senate. Each state's upper house operates as a house of review for legislation passed by the lower house.
The two self-governing territories have unicameral legislatures. The ACT Legislative Assembly has 25 members elected through proportional representation in five 5-member regions and performs both state and local government functions. The Northern Territory Legislative Assembly has 25 members elected through preferential voting in single-member electorates. Election cycles also vary: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, the ACT, and the Northern Territory use four-year fixed terms for their lower houses, while Tasmania uses four-year maximum terms. State Premiers and Chief Ministers are drawn from the majority party or coalition in the lower house. Upper houses generally cannot block supply (with specific constitutional limits in some states preventing direct repetition of the 1975 federal supply crisis).
Why this matters for your test
State parliaments vary in size and structure but mostly follow a bicameral Westminster pattern, and recognising the lower-house majority rule plus upper-house review helps new citizens follow state politics.
Source: Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond (2024)
