The Australian Women's Register

An activist for health, equality and the Australian Democrats. Candidate for Vaucluse in 1991, for the House of Representatives, Wentworth in 1984 and 1987, and Councillor for Waverley Municipal Council from 1987-91.

Jacinta Allan was the first member of the Australian Labor Party and the first woman to be elected to the seat of Bendigo East in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament at the election of 1999. She was re-elected in 2002 and held the ministerial portfolio of Education Services and Employment and Youth Affairs. On her re-election again in 2006, she held the portfolios of Rural and Regional Development and Skills and Workforce Participation. Successful again at the November 2010 election, but as the ALP was narrowly defeated, she was a member of the Opposition until the ALP’s return to government and her re-election in November 2014. She held the portfolios of Public Transport and Employment and Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly from December 2014. In June 2022, she became Deputy Premier. Following the resignation of Premier Daniel Andrews on 23 September 2023, Allan was elected unopposed as the Leader of the Labor Party and 49th Premier. She is the second woman, after Joan Kirner, to lead the state of Victoria.

Although she only stood for election once (Council for the Defence of Government Schools candidate for Heathcote in 1971), Edna McGill spent a lifetime campaigning for public education.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Liz Beattie served as the Member for Tullamarine in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament from 1999 until 2002 when an electoral redistribution created the seat of Yuroke. She was re-elected to the Victorian Parliament as the Member for Yuroke in 2002. She held the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Sport and the Commonwealth Games in 2002. After the 2002 election she assumed the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Education. She was re-elected in November 2006 and held the position of Parliamentary Secretary assisting the Premier on Multicultural Affairs from August 2007-January 2010. She was re-elected in November 2010 when the Labor Government was defeated, but retired at the 2014 election when the ALP returned to government.

An Australian Greens activist and candidate for Monaro in 1995, 1999 and 2003, for the House of Representatives, Riverina in 2001, for the Senate in New South Wales (NSW) in 1998 and for the Tallaganda Shire Council in 1995.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Andrea Coote was elected to the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament in 1999 as the Member for Monash Province. She has held positions which included Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Council), Manager of Opposition Business ( Council), Shadow Minister for Ageing and Carers, Shadow Minister for Victorian Communities and Spokesperson for the Arts. She was elected to the new Legislative Council Province of Southern Metropolitan at the state election, which was held on 25 November 2006. She was re-elected in 2010, but retired at the 2014 election.

Described by her son, Simon Morcom, as a “Lifelong fighter for peace and justice, tempered with an off-key sense of humour. A mentor and an inspiration,” Elfrida Morcom was a Communist Party of Australia candidate for Collaroy in 1956 and 1965 and candidate for the Warringah Shire Council in 1965.

An activist against immigration to Australia, Carolyn O’Callaghan was an Australians Against Further Immigration candidate for Bathurst in 1995 and for the New South Wales Senate in 1996.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Mary Gillett served as the Member for Werribee in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament from 1996-2002 when the seat was abolished. From 2002 until 2006 she served as the Member for Tarneit. Her ministerial appointments have included Parliamentary Secretary for Volunteers, Commonwealth Games and from 2002 Parliamentary Secretary for Women’s Affairs.

A once-only candidate who was an Independent candidate for Canterbury in 1988 and for the Canterbury City Council Mayoral Election in 1987.

A peace, environment and health activist, Margaret Perrott was a Democratic Socialist candidate for Illawarra in 1999 and a Socialist Alliance candidate in the House of Representatives for Cunningham in 1996 and 1998, and for Throsby in 1993, 2001 and 2004.

Elizabeth Robinson was a remarkable woman and an Independent candidate for Newcastle in 1932.

Lucia van Oostveen was part of the Natural Law Party’s attempt to bring the principles of Maharishi Vedic Science into Australian politics. She was a Natural Law Party candidate for Granville in 1995 and a candidate in the House of Representatives for Fowler in 1996.

Haete Weiner is an environmental activist and a once-only candidate. She was the Green’s candidate for Vaucluse in 1999.

A member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), Ann Barker served as the Member for Bentleigh from 1988-92 in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament. She was defeated at the 1992 election, stood unsuccessfully as the ALP candidate for Oakleigh in the 1996 election. but returned to parliament as the Member for Oakleigh in 1999. She held the position of Parliamentary Secretary, Training and Higher Education from 2002-06 and served as Acting Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1999-2006. She was re-elected at the November 2006 election and served as Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 2006-2010. She was re-elected in November 2010 when the Labor Government was defeated, but retired from Parliament at the 2014 election, when the ALP returned to Government.

A member of the National Party, Jeanette Powell served as a local government councillor for the Shire of Shepparton from 1990-94 and as Shire president from 1993-4 before being elected to the Victorian State Parliament in 1996. She initially served in the Legislative Council representing the North-Eastern Province from 1996-2002. In November 2002 she was elected as the Member for Shepparton District in the Legislative Assembly. She was re-elected in November 2006 and again in November 2010. She held the ministerial portfolios of Local Government and Aboriginal Affairs in the Baillieu/Napthine Government. She retired from parliament at the November 2014 election.

Violet Jones enlisted with the Australian Army Nursing Service on December 15, 1941. She was attached to the 115 General Hospital in Heidelberg, Victoria.

A member of the Australian Labor Party since 1975, Elaine Carbines stood unsuccessfully in the Legislative Assembly seat of Bellarine at the Victorian state election, which was held on 30 March 1996. She was successful at her second attempt. She was elected as the Member for Geelong Province in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament in 1999. She held the position of Parliamentary Secretary, Education and Training from March-December 2002, and was Parliamentary Secretary, Environment, from December 2002. She was an unsuccessful candidate at the November 2006 Victorian state election when the Legislative Council was re-organised into regions rather than provinces. She stood in the Western Victoria Region.

A long term local government councillor and a seasoned campaigner for her party, Maria Heggie was the Liberal party candidate for Cabramatta in 1984, 1988 and 1991. She was Alderman for Fairfield City Council in 1980-2004 and Mayor from 1987-1988.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Helen Shardey was elected as the Member for Caulfield in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament in 1996. She was re-elected in 1999, 2002 and 2006. In 2002 she was appointed Shadow Minister for Community Services, and in 2005 became Shadow Minister for Health.
Before her election to the State Parliament, Helen Shardey was an unsuccessful candidate in the Legislative Assembly seat of Box Hill at the Victorian state election, which was held on 1 October 1988.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Sue Wilding served as the member for Chelsea Province in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament from 1992-99. She was also a Councillor for the Shire of Hastings from 1981-93, which included two terms as Shire President from 1984-85 and 1989-90. She was defeated at the 1999 state election, which was held on 18 September 1999.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Leonie Burke served as the Member for Prahran in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament from 1996-2002. She was a Prahran City Councillor from 1986-93 which included a term as Mayor from 1990-92.

Susan Davies served as the member for Gippsland West as an Independent in the Legislative Assembly in the Victorian Parliament from 1997-2002. She stood for re-election in 2002, but was unsuccessful. She had previously been a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and stood as the ALP candidate for Gippsland West in the 1996 state election, but resigned in January 1997. She rejoined the ALP to contest the federal election in 2004 for the seat of La Trobe, in which she was unsuccessful.

Although no longer involved in parliamentary politics, Susan remains active in the community that she served. In 2006 she was a Director of the Bass Coast Community Foundation, which she established in 2001, and in 2005 she initiated the Wonthaggi Energy Innovation Festival, which is an extension of the Wonthaggi Human Powered Grand Prix (of which she is a Patron and Management Committee Member.)

Susan Davies was National Manager of HIPPY Australia (HIPPY= Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters), with the Brotherhood of St Laurence. HIPPY is an early childhood enrichment program which works with refugee, migrant, aboriginal and other families helping parents improve their children’s “school readiness” skills. She left that position in 2008.

Since that time she has been living full-time and working on her small beef farm in Outtrim (South Gippsland, Victoria), and has continued as a Director on several boards, including West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (Victorian Government appointment), South Gippsland General Practice Alliance (Independent appointment) and since 2009, as Chair of Energy Innovation Co-operative Ltd. Energy Innovation Co-op works within South Gippsland/ Bass Coast and Cardinia Shires, to achieve the vision of “Energy self-reliant and zero carbon emission local communities”.

She also belongs to “Grow Lightly”, a local food-producer’s network focusing on sustainable local food production and sale plus Korumburra Landcare group, participating in indigenous re-vegetation projects along local waterways.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Wendy Smith served as the Member for Silvan Province in the Legislative Council of the Parliament of Victoria from 1996-2002.
Her earlier community service included a period as a Councillor for the City of Kew from 1983-88. She was a candidate in the Legislative Assembly seat of Albert Park at the state election, which was held in 3 October 1992.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Maree Luckins served as the member for Waverley in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament from 1996-2002. Before her election to the State Parliament in 1996, she was an unsuccessful candidate in the Legislative Assembly seat of Dandenong North at the election, which was held on 3 October 1992. She unsuccessfully contested the Legislative Assembly seat of Narre Warren in the Victorian state election, which was held on 30 November 2002.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Andrea McCall served as the Member for Frankston in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament from 1996-2002.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Louise Asher held the Ministerial portfolios of Tourism and Small Business from 1996-99 in the Kennett Government, which was in power in Victoria from 1992-99. She served as the Member for Monash Province in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament from 1992-99 and moved to the Legislative Assembly as the Member for Brighton in 1999 and was re-elected in 2002 and 2006. She held the positions of Shadow Minister for Industry and Employment and Major Projects from January 2004 to December 2006 and was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Minister for Urban Water, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Shadow Minister for Tourism and Major Events from 2006-10. She was re-elected in 2010 and was appointed the Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business as well as Minister for Tourism and Major Events in the new Liberal Government. In addition she retained the position of Deputy leader of the Liberal Party.

On the defeat of the Liberal Government in November 2014, and Asher’s re-election, she resigned as deputy leader of the Liberal Party.