The Australian Women's Register

Sherryl Garbutt completed her BA and DipEd at the University of Melbourne and her B.Ed. at La Trobe University. She worked as a secondary school teacher (1970 -1976) before she went to work as an Electorate Officer to the Hon. Pauline Toner, Member for Greensborough, in 1982. She was elected to the seat of Greensborough in 1989 at a by-election following the death of Pauline Toner.

After winning the Greensborough by-election, Garbutt became a member of the Education Caucus Committee and the Conservation and Environment Caucus Committee from 1989-92. She was also a member of the Natural Resources & Environment Parliamentary Committee (1991-1992) and the Community Development Committee (1992-1996).
In 1992 Garbutt became the Shadow Minister for Community Services and a year later the Shadow Minister for Women’s Affairs. She held both these positions until 1996 when she was made Shadow Minister for Environment, Conservation & Land Management and Shadow Minister for Water Resources from 1996-1999.

The mother of two adult children, her interests include bushwalking, camping and travel.