The Australian Women's Register

Margaret Manion was a lecturer (1972-1978) before becoming a Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Melbourne. She has been an Emeritus Professor since 1995. She was the first woman chair of the Academic Board from 1987-1988, and Pro-Vice-Chancellor from 1985-1988. Loreto Order SL, then Chair, appointed March 1979. She was awarded an AO in 1989.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Jenny Macklin was elected to the House of Representatives of the Australian Parliament representing the electorate of Jagajaga, Victoria in 1996. She was re-elected in 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013. On 22 November 2001, Macklin was elected unopposed as Deputy Leader of the Federal Opposition and retained that position until November 2006. She was Shadow Minister for Employment, Education, Training and Science. With the election of a Labor Government in 2007, she took on the ministerial portfolio of Families, Housing, Community Service and Indigenous Affairs. She continued to hold that position after the 2010 election. Her final portfolios before the defeat of the Labor government in September 2013, were Disability Reform; Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Trish Worth was elected to the House of Representative of the Australian Parliament as the Member for Adelaide, South Australia in 1993. She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing on 26 November 2001 in the Howard Government. She was defeated at the 2004 election.

Senator the Honourable Kay Patterson was elected to the Senate for Victoria in 1987. On 7 October 2003 she was appointed Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women. Her other ministerial appointments have included being Minister for Health and Ageing, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. Prior to entering Parliament she was Principal Lecturer and Chair with the School of Behavioural Sciences at the Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences.

Nancy Burbidge worked at the CSIRO between 1946-1973, rising from systematic botanist to Curator of the Herbarium. From 1973 to 1977 she was scientific leader of the Flora of Australia project. Burbidge published several books on Australian plants.

Lorna Hayter studied agriculture at the University of Sydney. In 1927 she joined the New South Wales Department of Agriculture. During World War II Hayter was a member of the Women’s Australian National Services, and became Assistant Controller with the Australian Army Women’s Service. Later she hosted the Australian Broadcasting Commission weekly national program Farm and Home and became women’s editor of the Land Newspaper. On 31 December 1979, Lorna Hayter was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to agriculture and the community.

Ann Symonds was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1982-1998.

Chris McDiven is a former teacher, now a business woman and State President, New South Wales Division, of the Liberal Party.

Vera Jennings was among the first group of 58 students to graduate in the Arts Honours course at the University of Melbourne in 1920-21.

Jennings then joined the English Department as a tutor (1929-) before becoming an Acting Lecturer (March 1942-), a Lecturer (1947-) and finally a Senior Lecturer (1951-). She retired on 28 February 1965.

A South African by birth, Gaye Tennent received her later education in London and at the University of Melbourne. Early crippled by poliomyelitis, she graduated B.A. (Hons) in 1930 and M.A. in English with a Dip. Ed. In 1934. She became a school teacher and later a tutor at Janet Clarke Hall, Vice-Principal at the Women’s College and tutor and lecturer in the University English Department.

Vida Goldstein ran for the Australian Senate in 1903. Though she was not elected, she was the first woman to be nominated for the Australian Parliament.

Spence ran as a South Australian delegate to the Federal Constitutional Convention in 1897, the first woman political candidate in Australia. She was also active in the Women’s Suffrage League and the South Australian National Council of Women.

Joan Bielski was a long time activist for equality for women in employment, education and public life. A founding member of the Council for Civil Liberties, she was also a foundation member of Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL) in 1972 and continued her active involvement throughout her life.

In 1988 she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to women and girls education. In 2004 she was awarded the Order of Australia for her services to women in politics and public life.

Joan Bielski was a long time supporter of the National Foundation for Australian Women.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Sharman Stone was elected to the House of Representatives of the Australian Parliament representing the electorate of Murray, Victoria in 1996. She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage on 21 October 1998 and served in that capacity until October 2004, when she became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration. She also served as Vice-President of the Executive Council. She was Minister for Workforce Participation from January 2006 until December 2007. She was re-elected in 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Judith Troeth was elected as a Senator for Victoria in the Parliament of Australia in 1993. She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy from October 1997 until October 1998, when she moved to become Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. She held that position until October 2004. She retired at the 2010 federal election, but remained in the Senate until her term expired on 30 June 2011.

Mervyn Davis commenced A Catalogue of Botanical Collectors and Delineators in 1955. She was elected first individual member and delegate for Australia to the International Federation of Landscape Architects in 1959, a position she held for ten years. Davis was the first woman elected a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation in 1964, and in 1969 she was elected as the first Fellow of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects.

On 14 June 1980, Mervyn Davis was appointed a Member of the British Empire for her work in the public service.

Vivienne Abraham was active in the Australian peace movement for several decades. She was Honorary Secretary of the Peace Pledge Union (1946-52), acting editor and editor of the ‘Peacemaker’ and Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (1982-89).

Meredith Stokes has been associated with the women’s movement and various organisations for nonviolence activists over many years. She has also been involved in broadcasts for the Canberra community radio station 2XX.

Anna Vroland was an activist and writer who campaigned for Aboriginal rights in the 1940s and 1950s.

Mrs Matenson has worked extensively on her family history and done genealogical research, publishing several booklets, the first in 1988, and won a certificate from the Tasmanian Government. Her second “A Melbourne Family 1848-1948” won the first prize of the Alexander Henderson Award 1989. Her most recent book was self published.

Helen Coonan is a former Australian politician, who was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate representing New South Wales from July 1996 to August 2011. On 26 November 2001, she was appointed Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer in the Howard Government. She was re-elected in 2001 and 2007. From 2004-07, she served as Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

Since leaving politics in 2011, Coonan has transitioned into the corporate world, and vouches for the seminal importance of the law, including legal training, legal practise and legal experience as a common thread underpinning her capacity to perform across a diverse professional and public landscape for a very long time.

Go to ‘Details’ below to read a reflective essay written by Helen Coonan for the Trailblazing Women and the Law Project.

Chris Gallus was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on 26 November 2001.

She was elected to the House of Representatives (Liberal Party) in 1990 for the seat of Hawker, which was later abolished, and for the seat of Hindmarsh in 1993 and subsequent elections.

Elected to the Senate for South Australia in 1984 (Liberal Party), Amanda Vanstone was appointed Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women on 30 January 2001.

Amana Vanstone was honoured with an AO in the Australia Day Honours list in 2020 for distinguished service to the Parliament of Australia, to the people of South Australia, and to the community.

Margaret Reynolds was a Senator for Queensland from 1983 until 1999. First elected to the Senate in 1983, she was re-elected in 1984, 1987 and 1993. Reynolds worked as primary and remedial teacher then a tutor before entering parliament. She also served on the Townsville City Council from 1979-1983. Reynolds’ responsibilities have included: Federal Government representative on the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation 1992-1995; Minister assisting PM on Status of Women 1988-1990; Chair of the Parliamentary Adviser to the United Nations; and Minister for Local Government 1987-1990. Reynolds has been a member of the Australian Labor Party since 1971, and has held many positions in the ALP.

Reynolds retired from parliamentary politics in 1999. She is now the National President of the United Nations Association of Australia and an Adjunct Professor and Sessional Lecturer in the School of Political science and international studies, University of Queensland.

Jackie Kelly was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister in the third Howard Ministry on 26 November 2001. She was elected MHR (Lib) for Lindsay, New South Wales on 19 October 1998.

Bronwyn Bishop, Minister for Aged Care (1998-2001), was elected MHR (Lib) for Mackellar, New South Wales on 26 March 1994.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Karin MacDonald was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory, representing the electorate of Brindabella, in 2001. She was re-elected in 2004.