The Australian Greens trace their origins to the progressive struggles of the 1970s, including the antiwar, antinuclear, and environmental movements. After forming as a federal party in 1992, the Greens built their support base over the next decade, electing party leader Bob Brown to the Senate in 1996. In 2004, they made their big breakthrough, winning a nationwide primary vote of 7.2 percent and four seats.

As the Australian Labor Party shifted to the right, the Greens established themselves as Australia’s main left-wing political party. As well as championing the environment, the Greens’ members and politicians played an important role in opposing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and taking a principled stance in support of the rights of refugees.

In the 2010 federal election, Adam Bandt won the seat of Melbourne, becoming the first Greens candidate elected to the House of Representatives. Bandt has won four successive election campaigns and presently holds his seat by a margin of 72 percent after preferences — the third-largest margin of any Australian MP.