The Australian Women's Register

City Councillor and former Deputy Mayor of Broken Hill, Darriea Turley has a strong family connection to the Barrier Ranges region of New South Wales. Her father’s family owned the Fowler’s Gap Hotel and had extensive property holdings at Pooncarie. Her maternal grandfather migrated from Arabia and ran a camel train between Bourke, Broken Hill, Port Augusta and Alice Springs. With his Scottish Catholic wife, he made his home at Broken Hill.

The youngest of four siblings, Darriea was educated at St Peter’s and Paul’s School, Willyama. Encouraged by her mother and her brother to excel in her studies and go on to university, Darriea left Broken Hill to study but returned part way through and took up a nursing course at the Broken Hill Hospital. Realising that nursing was not her vocation but that she had a strong interest in the mental, social and physical wellbeing of patients, she commenced a Diploma of Welfare. In 1990 she became the first HIV/AIDS community worker in the Broken Hill region, and began to implement prevention and education programs. She was awarded the Gallipoli Fellowship in 1991 and travelled to Florence, Italy, to attend the 7th International Conference on AIDS. She visited HIV/AIDS services in England, and in 1994 won the Cavell Trust Scholarship to attend the 10th International Conference on AIDS in Japan. In 1993 Darriea completed a Graduate Diploma in Sexual Health Counselling, and in 1996 she was appointed Sexual Health Coordinator for the Far West Area Health Service. She held the position for ten years, and currently works as Community Engagement Manager for the Greater Western Area Health Service, strengthening community participation in the provision of health care programs.

Darriea’s passionate political involvement has obvious roots. Both parents were members of the Australian Labor Party. Her father was a staunch unionist and great orator, though he passed away when she was eleven years old. As a teenager, Darriea was handing out how-to-vote cards in Broken Hill and was involved in political rallies there, the most notable of which occurred during a visit from Doug Anthony, former leader of the Country Party and Deputy Prime Minister. Elected to local government in 1995, Darriea was Deputy Mayor of Broken Hill in 1997-1998 and 2001-2002. She ran for mayor in 2004, but her campaign was stifled by deliberate cross-referencing among male candidates. Voting results were extremely close despite this, but the incumbent Mayor held his post.

From 2004-2006 Darriea was a member of the New South Wales Local Government Association Executive. She has served on dozens of local committees including the Broken Hill Base Hospital Planning Committee, the Broken Hill Line of Lode Committee, the Australian Local Government Women’s Association, West Darling Arts, the Broken Hill Youth Advisory Committee and the Tourism Review Committee. Darriea is currently Chair of the National Rural Women’s Coalition and a member of the Premier’s Council for Women. She has been Vice-Chair of the New South Wales State Record Authority and a member of the CEDAW Working Group; the Commission on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women Working Group; the Australian Local Government Women’s Association National Board; the Australian Local Government Women’s Association New South Wales (president 2004-2006); the National Steering Committee for implementing The Way Forward; the Centrelink National Community Reference Group; the Arts Advisory Committee, Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery; and the Broken Hill Sister Committee.

Darriea lives in Broken Hill with her husband, Darryl. They have two sons, Jonathon and Curtis.