The members of the Australian Parliament assembled for the first time in Melbourne on 9 May 1901. One hundred and eleven members, comprising 36 senators and 75 members of the House of Representatives, had been elected in polls held in all states on the 29th or 30th March.
111 First Australian Parliament Geocache series. BYO PEN
John Chanter was born in Adelaide, South Australia. He moved to Moama, New South Wales in 1881 as an auctioneer and commission agent, and was elected the town’s first mayor in 1891. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1885-1901. A strong supporter of federation, Chanter played an active role in the establishment of the New South Wales Australian Natives Association and was its first president 1900-01.
In 1901 Chanter was elected as a Protectionist to represent the federal seat of Riverina in the House of Representatives at the first federal election. Defeated in the election of 1903, he petitioned the High Court and regained the seat at a by-election in 1904. A supporter of the Barton and Deakin governments, he opposed the Fusion Government of 1909 and for a period represented Riverina for the Labor Party and then as a Nationalist. Chanter held the seat intermittently until his final defeat in 1922. He was Chairman of Committees in the first House of Representatives (1901-03) and again in 1914-22.