The House of Representatives was established by the 1959 constitution drawn up by Edward Henry Windley, then Governor of the Gambia.
It came into operation for the 1960 election, replacing the Legislative Council.
[1] A constitutional conference in London in July 1961 agreed to some changes to the composition of the House, that were implemented for the 1962 election.
[1] In 1982, the number of indirectly-elected chiefs was increased by one to 5, while in 1992 there were 8 nominated members, representing special interest groups such as women, business and trade unions.
Following the 1994 coup d'état, the House of Representatives was abolished and was replaced by the National Assembly in 1997.