6 ▁in ▁the ▁recently ▁completed ▁Parliament ▁House ▁and ▁were ▁sw orn ▁in , ▁and ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁November ▁ 1 8 5 6 ▁the ▁first ▁Victor ian ▁Parliament ▁was ▁officially ▁opened ▁by ▁Act ing ▁Governor ▁Major - General ▁Edward ▁Mac ar thur . ▁The ▁Legisl ative ▁Council ▁consisted ▁of ▁thirty ▁members ▁representing ▁six ▁Provin ces , ▁each ▁province ▁returning ▁five ▁M embers . ▁The ▁Legisl ative ▁Assembly ▁consisted ▁of ▁si xty ▁members ▁representing ▁thirty - se ven ▁multi ▁and ▁single - member ▁elect or ates . ▁ ▁Exp ansion ▁of ▁suff rage ▁Although ▁the ▁White ▁Australia ▁policy ▁denied ▁the ▁vote ▁to ▁Ind igen ous ▁Austral ians ▁in ▁some ▁states , ▁Victoria ▁did ▁not ▁directly ▁legisl ate ▁voting ▁based ▁on ▁race . ▁Therefore , ▁Ind igen ous ▁Victor ian ▁men ▁were ▁entitled ▁to ▁vote ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁provided ▁they ▁met ▁the ▁other ▁requirements . ▁Furthermore , ▁Ind igen ous ▁Vict ori ans ▁who ▁en rolled ▁to ▁vote ▁in ▁Victoria ▁were ▁allowed ▁to ▁vote ▁in ▁federal ▁elections ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 1 . ▁ ▁V oting ▁was ▁initially ▁restricted ▁based ▁on ▁gender , ▁though . ▁Victoria ▁was ▁the ▁last ▁state ▁within ▁Australia ▁to ▁intention ally ▁recogn ise ▁female ▁vot ers . ▁The ▁Elect oral ▁Act ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁granted ▁the ▁vote ▁to ▁all ▁rate ▁pay ers , ▁which ▁included ▁some ▁women ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁Therefore ▁women ▁were ▁leg ally ▁allowed ▁to , ▁and ▁indeed ▁did , ▁vote ▁in ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 4