The Parliamentary History Advisory Committee was established in 1984, with the initial objective of developing publications for the 1990 centenary of the proclamation of Western Australia as a self-governing colony and of the establishment of its bicameral legislature.
Today the committee oversees the collection and development of Western Australia’s parliamentary history program. The committee is chaired on a rotational basis by the Presiding Officers of the Parliament of Western Australia with staff representation from the three parliamentary departments. The committee engages in partnerships with various organisations to assist it with its mission.
The committee works closely with the State Library of Western Australia on the parliamentary oral history program, which records personal perspectives of former members and parliamentary staff on political history and the functioning of Parliament. Published histories can be found in the State Library collection.
Queries about the parliamentary history committee can be referred to the Executive Officer by contacting receptionservices@parliament.wa.gov.au.
Works produced by the Parliamentary History Advisory Committee
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Western Australian Parliament: Experiences of representation and the associated representational dilemmas, Lola Williamson, 2022; developed for the 2022 Parliamentary Research Program
- Biographical register of members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Volume one, 1870-1930, David Black and Geoffrey Bolton; assisted by Ann Mozley and Patricia Simpson, 1990, revised 2001
- Biographical register of members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Volume two. 1930-1990, David Black and Geoffrey Bolton; assisted by Patricia Simpson, 1990, revised 2004, 2011 (extended to 1930-2010)
- A citizen's guide to the Western Australian Parliament, Harry C. J. Phillips, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2015
- Compulsory voting: the Australian experiment, Harry C. J. Phillips, 2001
- Electoral law in the state of Western Australia : an overview, Harry Phillips, 2008, 2013
- Election statistics: Legislative Assembly of Western Australia 1890-1996, David Black, assisted by Valerie Prescott, 1997
- The House on the hill : a history of the Parliament of Western Australia, 1832-1990, David Black, 1991
- House to house: the story of Western Australia's Government & Parliament Houses over 175 years, Phillip Pendal & David Black, 2004
- An index to parliamentary candidates in Western Australian elections, 1890-1989, David Black, 1991, revised 2006, revised 2010
- Legislative Council of Western Australia, elections and electoral law 1867-1890, David Black and Brian de Garis, 1992
- Legislative Council of Western Australia: membership register, electoral law and statistics 1890-1989, David Black, 1989
- Making a difference - a frontier of firsts: women in the Western Australian Parliament 1921-2012, David Black and Harry Phillips, 2012
- Making a difference: women in the Western Australian Parliament 1921-1999, David Black and Harry Phillips, 2000
- Ministerial portfolio listings - Western Australia: including official offices held 1832-1890, prior to responsible government, 1992
- Parliament: mirror of the people? Members of the Parliament of Western Australia 1890-2007, Phillip Pendal, David Black and Harry Phillips, 2007
- Parliamentary Committees in the Western Australian Parliament: an overview of their evolution, functions and features. Volume 1: 1870-2000, Phillips, Harry C. J, 2017
- Parliamentary Committees in the Western Australian Parliament: an overview of their evolution, functions and features. Volume 2: 2001-2021, Phillips, Harry C. J, Corbett, Niamh 2023
- Perspectives on the sporting links of the Members of the Parliament of Western Australia: 1890-2009, Harry C.J. Phillips, 2009
- Proportional representation in Western Australia: its principles, history, outcomes and education, Harry C. J. Phillips, 2012
- The quest for 'one vote one value' in Western Australia's political history, Harry C. J. Phillips (with the assistance of Kirsten Robinson), 2006
- Representing the people: parliamentary government in Western Australia, Harry Phillips, 1998
- Second reading: parliamentary government in Western Australia, Harry C.J. Phillips, 1991, 2003
- Speakers and Presidents of the Western Australian Parliament, Harry C.J. Phillips, 2004
- Supplement to An index to parliamentary candidates in Western Australian elections, 1990-1995, David Black (editor), 1995
- The voice of Edith Cowan, Australia's first woman parliamentarian, 1921-24, Harry C. J. Phillips, 1996
- Women in the WA Parliament: an annotated bibliography, Dr Niamh Corbett, 2024
- Women Parliamentarians in Australia 1921-1996 : a register of women members of commonwealth, state and territory parliaments in Australia, David Black, 1996
- Women Parliamentarians in Australia 1921-2009, Janet Wilson and David Black, 2009