This publication followed a resolution by the Joint Library Committee to produce a handbook containing political biographies of all members of both Houses since Federation in 1901, along with other pertinent information.
An edition has been published after every federal election since 1917, except for the years 1928 (due to another election the following year), 1940 and 1943 (owing to wartime printing restrictions), 1946 and 1949 (for reasons unknown), and 1954 (following a very short Parliament).
Whitlam's desire to replace the phrase "Commonwealth of Australia" with the word "Australia" in all official usages led to the renaming of the Handbook's 18th edition in 1973 as the Australian Parliamentary Handbook.
For many years the Handbook was the only readily accessible source of statistical information about elections to the Australian Parliament.
The modern Handbook contains full biographies of all Members and Senators, details of the Ministry and Shadow Ministry, membership of all Parliamentary committees, statistical information on the composition of the Parliament, summaries of recent election results, the text of the Australian Constitution, results of referendums to change the Constitution, and historical information including the names and career details of all Members and Senators since 1901.