Talk:Lancelot Stirling

MLA for Mount Barker?
The Dictionary of Australian Biography says he represented the seat of "Mount Barker" as an MLA. I can't see that there is a Mount Barker electorate in SA, but perhaps there was and it has since been abolished. Grateful for some confirmation please. &mdash;Moondyne 07:30, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

51-year record
Quote: His record of 51 years in parliament has not been exceeded in Australia..

Comment: This needs some qualification, at least. Billy Hughes was continuously a member of the federal parliament for 51 years and 7 months, and was a member of the NSW colonial parliament for 6 or 7 years prior to that, totalling 58 years. Even excluding the colonial service, his 51 years and 7 months (March 1901-October 1952) may well exceed Stirling's. Maybe Stirling had the record for a member of a state parliament, but I'd be surprised if he had it for any Australian parliamentarian. -- JackofOz (talk) 03:25, 15 January 2009 (UTC)


 * Looking into this further, I see the text was taken from the 1949 edition of ADB, which was published 2 years before Hughes died. Stirling's current ADB article makes no such claim, and also appears to show a break in service between 1887 and 1888, and between 1890 and 1891. Still, 1881-1932 (with some breaks) was a mightly long stint in parliament, but I'm pretty convinced that Hughes trumped him.  I'm removing the claim.  If anyone can come up with a cite for him being the longest serving state parliamentarian, that would be good.  --  JackofOz (talk) 06:49, 15 January 2009 (UTC)