You don’t often see a senator leave their party on the first day of the parliamentary year, but that’s exactly what Lidia Thorpe did in February 2023. Her resignation from the Australian Greens wasn’t a quiet exit—it was a deliberate move to champion the Blak Sovereign Movement, a cause she says she couldn’t fully represent while inside the party.

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Senator for Victoria since: 2020 · First Aboriginal senator from Victoria: Yes · Former member of Australian Greens: Until February 2023

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Senator for Victoria since 2020 (ABC News)
  • First Aboriginal senator from Victoria (ABC News)
  • Resigned from Australian Greens on 6 February 2023 (ABC News)
2What’s unclear
  • Exact number of children
  • Net worth
  • Current marital status
  • Specific family relationship to Robbie Thorpe
3Timeline signal
  • 6 February 2023: Resigned from Greens, became independent senator (ABC News)
4What’s next
  • Independent senator until at least 2028 (ABC News)
  • Continues advocacy for Blak Sovereign Movement (ABC News)

Six confirmed facts give shape to her public profile.

The pattern: Thorpe’s public identity rests on political achievements, while personal details remain guarded.

Label Value
Full Name Lidia Thorpe
Political Affiliation Independent (former Australian Greens)
Senator Since 2020
State Represented Victoria
Indigenous Heritage Gunnai, Gunditjmara, Djab Wurrung
Previous Role Member of Victorian Legislative Assembly (Northcote)

What has happened to Lidia Thorpe?

The biggest shift in Thorpe’s career came on 6 February 2023, when she resigned from the Australian Greens and moved to the Senate crossbench as an independent. In her statement, she said she could not represent the “strong grassroots black sovereign movement” fully while remaining in the Greens (ABC News).

Why did Fatima Payman quit?

Fatima Payman, a former Labor senator, left her own party in 2024 after crossing the floor on a Palestine motion. While both came from different parties, the parallel is often drawn because both chose to prioritise personal conviction over party discipline. However, Payman’s resignation was not directly linked to Thorpe’s.

What is Fatima Payman doing now?

After leaving Labor, Payman sat as an independent senator and announced her intention to form a new political party focused on empowering marginalised communities. She remains in the Senate as of 2025.

Bottom line: Thorpe’s break with the Greens was immediate and public, driven by her commitment to Indigenous sovereignty. For voters watching party loyalty versus advocacy, her decision reflects a clear trade-off: institutional influence traded for unfettered voice.

How many children does Lidia Thorpe have?

Thorpe is a mother, but the exact number of her children is not publicly confirmed. She has not shared details about her immediate family in official biographies or interviews, and no reliable source has published that information.

Does Lidia Thorpe have children?

Yes, she is known to be a mother, but the number remains private.

Who is Lidia Thorpe’s husband?

Thorpe has not publicly disclosed her current marital status or the identity of a spouse or partner. Biographical sources do not list a husband.

Who are Lidia Thorpe’s parents?

Her parents are mentioned in biographical contexts, but their names are not widely published in standard references. Her mother is noted in some genealogical records, but no verified public profile names her father.

The implication: Thorpe keeps her personal life closely guarded, focusing public attention on her political work rather than family details.

Is Lidia Thorpe related to Robbie Thorpe?

Robbie Thorpe is an Aboriginal activist known for his advocacy on Indigenous rights and treaty. The exact family relationship between him and Lidia Thorpe has not been detailed in publicly available records. Both share the Thorpe surname and activism, but no confirmed documentation links them as close relatives.

Who is Robbie Thorpe?

Robbie Thorpe is a Gunnai and Gunditjmara man who has been a vocal campaigner for Aboriginal sovereignty and a long-time critic of the Australian Constitution. He has been involved in protests and public commentary but does not hold elected office.

What is Lidia Thorpe’s family tree?

Thorpe identifies as claiming Gunnai, Gunditjmara, and Djab Wurrung heritage. Her father’s identity is not widely reported, and her mother’s name appears in limited contexts. A full family tree is not publicly accessible.

Who is Lidia Thorpe’s father?

Her father is not identified in standard biographical sources.

What is Lidia Thorpe’s ethnicity?

Lidia Thorpe is of Aboriginal Australian heritage, specifically Gunnai, Gunditjmara, and Djab Wurrung peoples. This is confirmed in her own statements and official parliamentary profiles (ABC News).

The trade-off

Clarity on family connections is low because Thorpe has deliberately kept those details private. For a public figure with high-profile activism, the line between personal and political is firmly drawn—and she stays on the political side.

What is Lidia Thorpe’s net worth?

Thorpe’s net worth is not publicly disclosed. As a senator, her base salary is set under the Australian parliamentary remuneration framework, but individual senators’ personal finances are not part of the public record.

What is Lidia Thorpe’s salary as a senator?

Base annual salary for Australian senators is set at approximately AUD 211,000 (as of 2024-25), but additional allowances and expenses vary. Thorpe’s personal financial holdings remain private.

Base senator salary (2024-25): ~AUD 211,000 · Public disclosure: None · Private net worth: Not known

The catch: without disclosure, anyone interested in potential conflicts of interest must rely on indirect transparency mechanisms.

Why this matters

Without disclosure, anyone interested in potential conflicts of interest—say, donations to the Blak Sovereign Movement—must rely on indirect transparency mechanisms like parliamentary interest declarations.

Where does Lidia Thorpe live?

Lidia Thorpe resides in Victoria, the state she represents. She maintains a home in Melbourne, though the exact address is not public for security and privacy reasons. She also spends time in Canberra when Parliament is sitting.

Does Lidia Thorpe live in Canberra?

Yes, like most federal senators, she lives in Canberra during parliamentary sitting periods. Her primary residence is in Victoria.

What is Lidia Thorpe’s home state?

Victoria. She was elected as a senator for Victoria and previously served in the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the electorate of Northcote (Museum of Australian Democracy).

The pattern: Thorpe’s connection to Victoria runs deep—her political career began there, and she continues to represent the state in federal parliament.

Timeline

  • – Elected to Victorian Legislative Assembly for Northcote at by-election (Museum of Australian Democracy)
  • – Became Senator for Victoria, first Aboriginal senator from the state (ABC News)
  • – Resigned from Australian Greens, became independent (ABC News)
  • – Represents the Blak Sovereign Movement in federal parliament (SBS NITV)

Clarity: Confirmed vs Unclear

Confirmed facts

  • Senator for Victoria since 2020
  • First Aboriginal senator from Victoria
  • Former Australian Greens member, resigned Feb 2023
  • Identifies as Gunnai, Gunditjmara, Djab Wurrung
  • Her Senate term ends in 2028 (ABC News)

What’s unclear

  • Exact number of children
  • Net worth
  • Current marital status or spouse identity
  • Full family relationships (e.g., link to Robbie Thorpe)
  • Father’s name
The upshot

Readers seeking a complete biographical picture will find a solid public record of her political career but a deliberate vagueness around personal finances and family. That’s intentional: Thorpe’s public persona is defined by her activism, not her private life.

Quotes from the key players

“I could not represent the strong grassroots black sovereign movement fully while remaining in the Greens.”

Lidia Thorpe, announcing her resignation, via ABC News

“The country is based on the lie of terra nullius. Colonisers settled without First Nations consent.”

Lidia Thorpe, quoted by SBS NITV

“There are no listed terrorist organisations under the Australian Criminal Code related to the Indigenous sovereign movement.”

RMIT FactLab, debunking false claims about Thorpe, RMIT FactLab

Two quotes from Thorpe herself, one from a fact-checker—the picture is of a politician who defines her own narrative and a media environment that occasionally distorts it.

What this means for Australian politics

For Australia’s political landscape, Thorpe’s independent seat means the Blak Sovereign Movement now has a permanent voice in federal parliament until at least 2028—one that doesn’t have to compromise on treaty-first advocacy. For voters, the choice is clear: a senator who prioritises sovereignty over party loyalty, or the traditional two-party system. The trade-off is between institutional alignment and unfiltered representation of a specific, powerful cause.

Additional sources

abc.net.au, sbs.com.au, youtube.com, senatorpaterson.com.au, reddit.com, en.wikipedia.org, abc.net.au, facebook.com, youtube.com

For readers interested in more context, Lidia Thorpes political journey provides a detailed account of her transition from the Greens to independence.

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Frequently asked questions

Who is Lidia Thorpe?

Lidia Thorpe is an Australian independent senator for Victoria, former member of the Australian Greens, and a leading voice for the Blak Sovereign Movement. She is the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to the Victorian Parliament and the first Aboriginal senator from Victoria.

What party does Lidia Thorpe belong to?

As of February 2023, she sits as an independent senator. She previously represented the Australian Greens.

Why did Lidia Thorpe leave the Greens?

She said she could not fully represent the grassroots black sovereign movement while remaining in the party, and wanted the freedom to speak from a sovereign perspective without party constraints.

Is Lidia Thorpe married?

Thorpe has not publicly disclosed her marital status. No spouse or partner is named in her official biographies.

What is the Blak Sovereign Movement?

The Blak Sovereign Movement is a political movement advocating for First Nations self-determination, treaty, and recognition of Aboriginal sovereignty. It is often shorthand for grassroots Indigenous activism outside the mainstream political process.

How can I contact Senator Lidia Thorpe?

You can contact her office through the official Australian Parliament House website or via her senatorial social media channels. Physical mail can be sent to Parliament House, Canberra.

Does Lidia Thorpe support the Voice to Parliament?

Thorpe was a prominent ‘No’ campaigner for the Voice referendum. She argued that the Voice did not go far enough toward treaty and sovereignty, advocating instead for a First Nations-led treaty process.