The Australian Women's Register

Lorna Shacklock was a once only candidate for parliament: Liberal Party candidate, New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Illawarra, 1971. At the time of her candidacy, she was married with four children and had been actively involved in organizations in the Illawarra area. She was secretary of the Warilla Progress Association and the Shellharbour Youth and National Fitness Committee. She was active in the Warilla Public School Parents and Citizens Association, and a foundation member of the Warilla Ex-Servicemen’s Club. Lorna Shacklock was a radar operator for the 2/18 and 2/3 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Batteries during World War II.

Kerry Suwald was influenced to stand for parliament by her concern for the environment. She represented the Australian Greens in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly election for Cessnock in 2003 and House of Representatives election for Hunter in 2004.

Margaret Silva only ran for parliament once: Democratic Labor Party candidate, New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Heathcote, 1973. She was married to Bertrand Silva, with whom she had one son, and one daughter.

Kathleen Taperell ran only once for parliament (ALP candidate, New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Nepean, 1973) and went on to become a leading feminist and a senior public servant. From 1990, she has been Senior Adviser to the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Assistant Secretary in the Department. Her papers are deposited in the National Library of Australia.

Mary Simm was a Communist Party candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly election for Kurri, 1950 and for the New South Wales Senate in 1951.

Dora Skelsey was a once only candidate for parliament: Liberal Party candidate, New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Lakemba, 1959. She ran a catering business and a hotel in the city, and in 1959 was the owner and manager of a restaurant in Sylvania. Dora Skelsey was a Justice of the Peace and was active in charitable work and fund raising during and after World War II. She was a member of the Soroptimist Club of St George and was a keen sportswoman, playing both golf and bowls. She was married with one son.

Beth Smith is a committed Christian activist who stood for the Christian Democrat Party in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly election for Cronulla, 2003 and in the House of Representatives election for Cook, 2004. At the time of her first campaign, Beth Smith had been a resident in the Cronulla area for 11 years and a teacher for more than 30 years. Her campaign stressed the protection of Kurnell and opposition to over development in the Sutherland Shire.

Noreen Solomon has been an ALP party stalwart contesting the unwinnable seats of Cook in the 1993 House of Representatives election and Cronulla in the 1995 New South Wales Legislative Assembly election. She worked as an adviser to two Federal Ministers, and in 1995 was on the staff of Robert Tickner, M.H.R.., Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs. She has held executive positions at all levels of the ALP including the local branch and federal and state electorate councils.

Noreen had been active in her local area in Parents and Citizens Associations, as co-ordinator of the Cook/Hughes Women’s Electoral Lobby and as the first woman member of Cronulla Rotary. She played netball for a local team and was a delegate to the Sutherland Shire Netball Association. Noreen Solomon was born in Hay, completed her education at Gymea, a southern suburb of Sydney and is married and has two sons.

Tracie Sonda was a local councillor, who ran once for parliament. As an Independent candidate she was elected to the Sutherland Shire Council in 1999-2004 and was appointed Deputy Mayor from 1999-2000 and 2002-2004, then Mayor from 2000-2002. In 2003 she unsuccessfully contested the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Cronulla. Her campaign stressed family and quality of life and promised to reduce stamp duties on small business insurance if elected. Tracie Sonda was well known in her electorate, and her record as a councillor featured prominently in her campaign literature. Her achievements included major building programs at both Cronulla High School and Burraneer Bay Public School, and the remediation of drainage problems at the Sylvania Waters Athletic Track. Tracie works as a Child care centre operator.

Mersina Soulos, an expert in multicultural affairs, is a community activist who represented the Australian Greens party in the following elections:
New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Strathfield, 1999
House of Representatives, Lowe, 2001
New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Drummoyne, 2003.

Cathy Stanhope was a once only candidate for election to the Legislative Assembly – that was in 1988 when she stood as an ALP candidate for the seat of Mosman. She joined the ALP in 1983 and was National Secretary of the Women’s International Motorcycle Association in 1988. Cathy Stanhope was educated at Malvina High School, Ryde, gaining her HSC in 1980. She then enrolled in a Bachelor of Science degree at Macquarie University.

Pamela Stephenson has run for parliament only once: ALP candidate, New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Coffs Harbour, 2003. At the time of her campaign she was working for the Legal Aid Commission of NSW in the Coffs Harbour office, and she and her husband owned and operated a bakery at Woolgoolga.
Pamela is active in community affairs, serving on the Management Committee of the Coffs Harbour Neighbourhood Centre. Migrated to Queensland from the UK in 1990 and gained a degree in politics and government and then worked for the Queensland government. She is married to Rod Stephenson and they have one son.

Betty Stepkovitch was twice unsuccessful for the Democratic Labor Party, contesting the New South Wales Legislative Assembly elections for Coogee in 1971 and 1973. In 1971 she directed her preferences to Kevin Ellis, who won the seat. Betty Stepkovitch was married to John Stepkovitch, a prison officer and they have five children, and two foster children. She trained as a pharmacist before marriage.

Lorna Stone is successful Liberal Party candidate with a long history of community activity. In 1991 she was elected to the Sutherland Shire Council, remaining there until 1995 and then in 1997 she was elected to the seat of Sutherland in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly by-election. In 1999 Lorna successfully ran for the Assembly seat of Heathcote, but did not contest the 2003 election. She joined the Liberal Party in 1974 and has held many offices at every level of the Party.

Diane Street was a candidate for parliament only once – representing the Liberal Party in the 1981 elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Balmain. She joined Liberal Party 1975 and when she ran for election, she candidly admitted that she did not have any hope of winning. Diane Street ran on a campaign of environmental reform. At that time she told the Sydney Morning Herald that she had been through a handful of pre-selection attempts and would keep going until she won a seat. In the event it was her only candidature. She was however more successful in local politics being elected Alderman of the Willoughby Council from 1977 to 1980. She was married to John Street, an accountant, and they lived in Castlecrag on the north shore of Sydney.

Isabel Strutt is a local community activist whose campaign for election to parliament probably assisted her election as a local councillor. As a Christian Democrat Party candidate she was unsuccessful in obtaining the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of the Northern Tablelands in 2003, but the following year was elected to the Uralla Shire Council.

Peta Seaton has extensive experience as a political adviser and shadow minister in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. As a Liberal Party candidate she successfully contested the Southern Highlands 1996 by-election and was re-elected in 1999 and 2003. Peta has been Shadow Minister for Environment 1999-2002; Parliamentary Secretary to Shadow Cabinet from 2002; Chair Opposition Policy and Reform Committee; and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, the Illawarra, and reform of government 2004. She retired at the 2007 election.

Ann Sutherland was an unsuccessful Australia Party candidate on two occasions: New South Wales Legislative Assembly elections for Coogee in 1973 and 1974. She was a housewife with a 21-month-old daughter, when she stood for the 1974 by election. Much of that campaign debate concerned the growth of high rise unit blocks in the electorate, and the fact that Mrs Sutherland lived in one, and liked it, became a talking point. She was, however, concerned with overdevelopment and accused the Askin Liberal government of being unduly influenced by large property development companies. The results of the full election six months earlier were overturned after a recount and the disappearance of a ballot box.

Karen Russell is a committed Christian who represented the Christian Democrat Party in the House of Representatives election for Dobell, 1998 and the New South Wales Legislative Assembly election for The Entrance, 1999. She gave up architecture in 1993 in order to manage a Christian bookstore. The shop doubles as a youth drop-in centre. Karen is married to Geoff Russell and they have two children. They are members of The Entrance District Baptist Church.

Susie Russell is a Greens party activist who contested the following elections:
New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Port Macquarie, 1995, 1996 (by election)
House of Representatives, Lyne, 1996, 2003
Senate, NSW, 1998, 2004.
She has been an activist since high school, for many causes, including women’s rights, abortion law reform, education funding and the environment. Since moving to the North coast of NSW in the early 90s, Susie Russell has been one of the regional co-ordinators of the North East Forest Alliance. She was President of the North Coast Environment Council 2000-2002 and in 2003 was Deputy President. She is that organisation’s representative on the executive of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Susie has spent time working as a researcher and advisor on environmental legislation for Greens MLC Ian Cohen.

Jenny Ryde was a long term activist for human rights, social justice, peace and the environment. She was involved in organising such events as the International Women’s Day March and the Reclaim the Night, Palm Sunday and Hiroshima Day marches. She lives in the inner suburbs of Sydney.

She was a candidate for the Australian Greens in the following elections:
New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Drummoyne, 1995
New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Port Jackson, 1999
House of Representatives, Grayndler, 1996
House of Representatives, Sydney, 1998.
In her 1999 campaign she advocated drug law reform, and she was in favour of needle exchanges and safe injecting rooms for addicts.

After working as a teacher, and small business person and being active in community services and local charity, Janelle Saffin stood unsuccessfully for the seat of Lismore (New South Wales Legislative Assembly) in 1991. However in 1995 she was elected to the Legislative Council of the New South Wales Parliament and remained in office until 2003. In 2007 she was elected to the House of Representatives of the Australian Parliament as the Member for Page, New South Wales and was re-elected in 2010, but was defeated the 2013 election. She joined the Australian Labor Party in 1982 and held senior positions in her local branch. Janelle was a delegate to Country and State conferences and was a member of the Corrective Services Advisory Council. She was also President of the North Coast Breast Screening Program and a committee member of the Northern Rivers Social Development Council.

She is married to Jim Saffin, and has one son and three stepsons. Janelle Saffin completed a Dip Prim T (Northern Rivers CAE), BLegalStud (Macq), and Mbus.

A tireless committee member, Marianne Saliba has made a substantial contribution to her local community. She was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Illawarra in 1999 and 2003. She was a member of multiple parliamentary, caucus and community committees and social organizations. She retired from parliament at the 2007 election, and subsequently re-entered local politics in 2011.

A student activist and ALP member, Alice Salomon’s first time as a candidate was in the unwinnable seat of Vaucluse in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 2003.

Salti Wafaa is an active member of the Greens Party who was motivated to join them and stand for election by her strong desire for a sustainable future. She contested the 2003 election for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Granville and the 2004 election for the House of Representatives seat of Reid. When she ran for Reid, she stressed the need for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq, a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers, more spending on health and education and ratification of the Kyoto protocol. Wafaa Salti had spent most of her life in the western suburbs of Sydney when she ran for the seat of Granville. She completed a B.Bus.

Violette Samaha ran for election only once. That was as a Liberal candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly election for Campbelltown in 1984. She joined the Liberal Party in 1983 and in the 1984 election directed her preferences to an Independent candidate, in the hope of taking the ALP candidate to preferences.

Rona Samuels was an Australian Democrats candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly election for The Hills, 1981 and the House of Representatives election for Mitchell, 1983.