The Australian Women's Register

Kate Lundy became the youngest Labor representative in the Senate and the youngest woman ever elected to represent the ALP in Federal Parliament when, at age 28, she was elected Senator for the Australian Capital Territory in March 1996. In 1998 Kate was appointed Shadow Minister for Sport and Youth Affairs as well as Shadow Minister Assisting on Information Technology. Kate then became Shadow Minister for Information Technology and Sport after the 2001 federal election. In the reshuffle by Labor Opposition Leader Kim Beazley on 24 June 2005, Kate was given portfolio responsibility for Sport and Recreation.

Kate began her working career as a labourer in the construction industry at age sixteen and became active in the Building Workers Industrial Union (now the CFMEU), later becoming a workplace delegate and a full-time union organiser. Kate was also the youngest person, and first woman, to be elected as President of the ACT Trades and Labour Council.

Kate is recognised for her involvement in IT and the Internet. In 1996 she was awarded ‘Most Computer Literate Politician’ by the Australian Computer Society and in 1998, was named as one of ‘The 20 Most Powerful Internet Decision Makers’ by internet.au magazine. Kate was the first federal politician in Australia to publish a home page on the internet, which she continues to personally maintain.

Kate Lundy is a passionate sportswoman, especially rowing and scuba diving. She is a member and patron of the Canberra Rowing Club, and patron of a number of other sports and charity organisations. Kate Lundy lives in North Canberra with her husband David. They have a blended family of five children.

On 11 September 2010, Lundy was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Citizenship and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Cabinet as part of the Second Gillard Ministry. In a subsequent reshuffle in March 2012, Lundy was appointed as the Minister for Sport and she was also made Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Industry and Innovation.

On 1 July 2013, as part of the Second Rudd Ministry, Lundy retained the portfolio of Minister Assisting for Digital Economy. Kate was a member of several Parliamentary Committees, including the Senate Legislation and References Committees on Finance and Public Administration as well as Environment, Information Technology, Communications and the Arts. She was also a member of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories and Presiding Officers’ Information Technology Advisory Committee. She resigned from the Senate on 24 March 2015. Since her retirement from Parliament, she was appointed to the boards of the National Roads and Motoring Association (NRMA), the Australian Grand Prix and the Australian Cyber Security Research Centre.

This entry was prepared in 2006 by Roslyn Russell and Barbara Lemon, Museum Services, and funded by the ACT Heritage Unit.