The Australian Women's Register

A member of the Australian Democrats Party, Natasha Stott Despoja was the youngest woman to enter the federal Parliament in Australia as Senator for South Australia in 1995. She was elected Deputy leader of the Party in 1997 and in April 2001 she was elected leader of the Democrats, the youngest person ever to hold such a position in the Australian Parliament. She resigned the leadership position in 2002 and retired from Parliament in June 2008.

Local historian Christine Adams was born and raised in Broken Hill, New South Wales. After living in South Australia and Queensland, she returned to Broken Hill with her husband Paul in 2003.

Bronwen Standley-Woodroffe is an artist and co-owner of the Horizon Gallery at Silverton and Broken Hill, New South Wales.

Heather Powell was the first female union secretary in Broken Hill, serving with the Clerks’ Union for 23 years from 1977. In 1994 she was elected to the Barrier Industrial Council (BIC) executive. Heather retired in 2001.

With her husband Rod, mosaic artist Julie Horsburgh owns Jarrah Mosaics at Broken Hill, New South Wales.

A member of the Barkandji people, Muriel Riley is an artist and resident of Broken Hill.

A member of the Barkandji people, Fiona Bates is an artist, tour guide, and member of the Broken Hill Aboriginal Justice Group.

Pam Lord moved to Thackaringa Station in outback New South Wales with her husband John in 1948. Conducting regular hospital visits since 1965, she has offered more than forty years of continuous service to the Flying Doctors auxiliary in Broken Hill.

Margot White was born and raised in Broken Hill, New South Wales, where she worked as a comptometrist and as a clerk. Margot is a dedicated member of the Broken Hill Family History Group and does other voluntary work in the community.

Christine Landorf is an architect and academic who grew up in Broken Hill. With David Manfredi, she designed the Visitors’ Centre there and three of her students – Angus Barron, Steve Kelly and Dario Palumbo – designed the Broken Hill Miners’ Memorial. Together, the Memorial and the Visitors’ Centre received the Royal Australian Institute of Architects’ Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design.

Mary Maguire was one of the first female presenters for ABC Local Radio in Broken Hill, New South Wales.

Edith Quin emigrated to Australia from England and, with her husband, was one of the first graziers in the Wilcannia district.

Gladys Vance was Superintendent of Nurses at the Broken Hill Hospital from 1943 until her retirement in 1967. She was awarded Her Majesty’s Coronation Medal as well as the Citizen Certificate for the City of Broken Hill.

The Broken Hill Women’s Memorial stands as a tribute to the solidarity of Broken Hill women who supported their menfolk during union disputes in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Dorothy Dickson left Australia in 1949 and made a career in the British film industry under her stage name, Dorothy Alison. She won two BAFTA awards (1952 and 1956) and one Logie award for her role in the film version of A Town Like Alice (1981).

Beryl Carmichael is an elder of the Ngiyaempaa people and has served on the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council, the Western Lands Advisory Council, and the New South Wales Reconciliation Council. She lives in Menindee in far western New South Wales.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Vickie Chapman was elected to the seat of Bragg in the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia at the election which was held on 9 February 2002. She was re-elected in 2006 and in 2010. She was Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 2006-09. Educated at the Parndana Area School, Pembroke School and Adelaide University, Vickie ran her own small legal firm before entering Parliament.

A member of the Liberal Country League, Kay Brownbill was elected to the seat of Kingston in the House of Representatives of the Australian Parliament at the 1966 federal election. She was the third woman to be elected to the House of Representatives, but was in Parliament for only one term as she was defeated at the 1969 election. She was made an OBE in 1980 for services to the community.

Clara Harrod and her sister Emma were among the first white women to settle in the Barrier Ranges district of New South Wales.

Francis Egan was co-proprietor of the Barrier Café at Broken Hill, New South Wales, during the First World War. In 1915 she famously tarred and feathered the president of the Hotel, Club and Restaurant Employees’ Union (the HC & REU) after he threatened the livelihood of herself and her family by refusing to give her union membership.

Marion Strang established a home for the elderly at Broken Hill, New South Wales, in the 1930s.

Gymnast Marina Sulicich represented Australia at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.

Vera Leckie grew up on a series of remote sheep and cattle stations in outback New South Wales in the early twentieth century.

Rhoda Kernot opened the La Balfour hospital in Broken Hill, New South Wales, in 1924.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Lea Stevens was elected as the Member for Elizabeth in the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia at a by-election, which was held on 9 April 1994. The name of the seat was changed to Little Para in March 2006 after a redistribution. She held the portfolio of Minister for Health from 2002-05. She was re-elected in 2006.

Robyn Geraghty was elected as the Member for Torrens at a by-election for the seat in the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia in May 1994. She was re-elected at the elections of 1997, 2002, 2006 and 2010. She holds the position of Government Whip.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Frances Bedford was elected to the seat of Florey in the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia at the election, which was held on 11 October 1997. She was re-elected in 2002, 2006 and 2010.