The Australian Women's Register

Ada Laura Goodman was the daughter of Canon George Goodman, of Christ Church Geelong, who was an early member of the Anglican Church in Australia, and, together with his wife Margaret, a philanthropic worker. Miss Goodman was Honorary Secretary of the Geelong District Nursing Society from its inception in 1906 until her death in 1931, and also vice-president of the Geelong & Western District Ladies’ Benevolent Society. In the latter capacity she was superintendent of the Austin Cottages for many years. She was a member of the Geelong Church of England Girls’ Grammar School Council, and was organist and Sunday School teacher at Christ Church, where she was involved with all the clubs and societies. Miss Goodman was also Honorary Secretary of the Baby Health Centre from its establishment in Geelong in 1917.

Judyth Watson was an Australian Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia.  Elected on 8 February 1986, she served as member for Canning until 4 February 1989, when she was elected member for Kenwick. Watson held this seat until 14 December, 1996.

Iris Francis was born in Fremantle, Western Australia, in 1913, into a family with a long history of involvement in the arts. Her grandfather and father (who died when Iris was a week old) had sketched and carved, and her aunt, Pansy Francis, was an accomplished woodcarver. Iris studied at Perth Technical College, gaining a diploma in commercial art, after which she worked at Gibbney & Sons, a commercial art firm. In 1935 she was offered a permanent position at Perth Technical College, where she taught for twelve years until marrying Thomas Wilkinson. During World War II, Francis made topographical maps from aerial photographs for the army. She was also an accomplished cellist.

Francis was a member of the Perth Society of Artists, the West Australian Women’s Society of Fine Arts and Crafts, and the Studio Club, a group of six or seven women who met weekly to paint together and constructively critique each others’ work. They also exhibited together regularly, and Francis’s first exhibition was at the Newspaper House Gallery, Perth, in 1934. She worked in a variety of media, including oils, watercolour, ceramics, and linocuts. Melissa Harpley described her as ‘a fearless experimenter with technique and medium, subject-matter and modes of representation’, noting that ‘her clear graphic style was strengthened by her work as a commercial artist, as well as her ongoing experiments with the language of modernism.’ Iris Francis died in Perth on June 2, 2004.

Beryl Jones was an Australian Labor Party member of the Legislative Council of the Parliament of Western Australia. She was the member for South West Province 8 February 1986 – 4 February 1989. She was elected member for South West Region 4 February 1989 and served until 6 February 1993.

The first Women on Farms Gathering was held in Warragul, Victoria, in 1990. The Gatherings have been held annually in different rural locations across the state since that time, with organisation handed over to an autonomous committee of local women each year. Women from Queensland, Tasmania and New South Wales attended the fifth gathering in Tallangatta in 1993, and the movement spread to Queensland and New South Wales in 1993, and Tasmania in 1994. Held over a weekend, the Gatherings bring together rural women to learn new skills, share stories and, especially in the beginning, to reaffirm their identity as farmers. They were a vital thread in the women in agriculture movement, providing a public collective space for women to build an alternative knowledge about their disadvantaged position in farming, and fostering a political voice.

Shelly Archer was elected to the thirty-seventh Parliament of Western Australia for Mining and Pastoral Region on 26 February 2005 (for term commencing 22 May 2005), as an Australian Labor Party candidate. She resigned from the Australian Labor Party on 21 November 2007 and became an Independent. She retired on 21 May 2009.

Carolyn Burton was an Australian Labor Party candidate for the Western Australian Legislative Council. She was elected to the thirty-eighth Parliament of Western Australia for the North Metropolitan Region on 17 September 2008 to fill a vacancy upon the resignation of Hon Graham Giffard on 11 August 2008. She retired 21 May 2009.

Shelley Eaton is an Australian Labor Party candidate elected to the Legislative Council of the Thirty-Eighth Parliament of Western Australia for Mining and Pastoral Region on 17 September 2008, to fill a vacancy upon the resignation of Hon Vincent Catania on 12 August 2008. She retired on 21 May 2009.

In her role as an agricultural scientist with the Department of Primary Industries Victoria, Maria Rose was one of the femocrats whose work was vital in both empowering rural women, and supporting initiatives of the Women in Agriculture Movement, particularly the First International Women in Agriculture Conference, for which she was Program Co-ordinator.

The Geelong and Western District Ladies Benevolent Association is a non-sectarian philanthropic organisation, whose aims on formation were to provide emergency relief to the poor, in particular to women, and homes for ‘aged helpless females’.

The demands on their services rose and fell with economic circumstances such as the collapse of the land boom.  The advent of the aged pension, and later the extension of Government welfare, reduced the call on their services in the early – mid-twentieth century. The Association is still in existence, providing assistance during illness and other misfortunes.

Michelle Roberts was elected to the Thirty-Fourth Parliament of Western Australia as the Australian Labor Party member for the Legislative Assembly seat of Glendalough at the by-election held on 19 March 1994 to fill the vacancy consequent upon the resignation of Dr Carmen Mary Lawrence. The electorate was abolished in the redistribution of 1994.  She was elected to the Thirty-Fifth Parliament for Midland (new seat) on 14 December 1996 and subsequently re-elected in 2001, 2005 and 2008.

Rita Saffioti was elected to the Thirty-Eighth Parliament of Western Australia as the Australian Labor Party member for the new Legislative Assembly seat of West Swan on 6 September 2008.

Sally Talbot was elected to the Legislative Council of the Thirty-seventh Parliament of Western Australia as the Australian Labor Party member for South West Region on 26 February 2005 (for term commencing 22 May 2005). Se was re-elected 6 September 2008 for term commencing 22 May 2009.

Wendy Duncan is a National Party of Australia candidate who was elected to the Legislative Council of the Thirty-Seventh Parliament of Western Australia for Agricultural Region on 29 January 2008 to fill vacancy upon resignation of Hon Murray Criddle. She was re-elected 6 September 2008 for term commencing 22 May 2009. She has served Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Regional Development and Lands, and Minister Assisting the Minister for State Development as well as Minister Assisting on Country Transport.

Giz Watson was born Elizabeth Mary Watson at Eastleigh, England, in 1957. She migrated to Australia with her family in 1967, completing her secondary education at Penrhos College. She graduated from Murdoch University with a degree in environmental science in 1981, after which she worked as a self-employed builder. She joined the newly formed Greens (Western Australia) in 1990, and worked as convenor and co-convenor of the party until her election to the Legislative Council of the Parliament of Western Australia for the North Metropolitan Region in 1997. She was re-elected in 2001, 2005 and 2008.

Sue Ellery, a current (2009) Western Australian Parliamentarian, has served since 2001 in the Legislative Council for the Australian Labor Party.

Legislative Assembly, Independent. Janet Woollard was elected to the Thirty-Sixth Parliament of Western Australia as an independent member of the Legislative Assembly in the seat of Alfred Cove on 10 February 2001 in succession to Hon Douglas James Shave who she defeated. She was re-elected in 2005 and 2008.

Legislative Council, Liberal Party of Australia. Donna Faragher is a Liberal party of Australia candidate elected to the Legislative Council of the Thirty-seventh Parliament of Western Australia for East Metropolitan Region on 26 February 2005 (for term commencing 22 May 2005). She was re-elected 6 September 2008 for term commencing 22 May 2009. She has held the portfolios of Minister for the Environment and Minister for Youth from 23 September 2008 till the present November 2009).

Alison Xamon was elected to the Legislative Council of the Thirty-eighth Parliament of Western Australia as Greens member for the East Metropolitan Region on 6 September 2008 for term commencing 22 May 2009.

Adele Farina is a member of the Australian Labor Party who was elected to the Legislative Council of the Thirty-sixth Parliament of Western Australia for South West Region on 10 February 2001. She was re-elected in 2005 (for term commencing 22 May 2005), and then again on 6 September 2008 for term commencing 22 May 2009.

Yvonne Henderson was an Australian Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia. She was elected on 19 February 1983 and served until 14 December, 1996.

Legislative Assembly, Australian Labor Party. Elected to the Thirty-Eighth Parliament of Western Australia for Nollamara (new seat) on 6 September 2008.

Liza Harvey was elected to the Thirty-Eighth Parliament of Western Australia as the Liberal Party member for the new Legislative Assembly seat of Scarborough on 6 September 2008.

Alyssa Hayden was elected the Liberal Party member to the Legislative Council of the Thirty-eighth Parliament of Western Australia for the East Metropolitan Region on 6 September 2008 for term commencing 22 May 2009.

Alannah MacTiernan was elected to the Thirty-Fourth Parliament of Western Australia as the Australian Labor Party member for the East Metropolitan Region (Legislative Council) on 6 February 1993 for a term commencing on 22 May 1993. She resigned on 21 November 1996. She was then elected to the Thirty-Fifth Parliament for Armadale on 14 December 1996 in succession to Hon Elsie Kay Hallahan (retired). MacTiernana was re-elected 2001, 2005, and 2008. She served as the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure from 16 February 2001 – 6 September 2008.

Robyn McSweeney was elected to the Legislative Council of the Thirty-sixth Parliament of Western Australia for as the Liberal member for the South West Region on 10 February 2001. She was re-elected in 2005 (for term commencing 22 May 2005) and again on 6 September 2008 for term commencing 22 May 2009. She has held the following portfolios: Minister for Child Protection; Community Services; Seniors and Volunteering: 23 September 2008 – present (November 2009)  and the Minister for Women’s Interests: 9 February 2009 – present (November 2009).

Andrea Mitchell was elected to the Thirty-Eighth Parliament of Western Australia as the Liberal Party member for the Legislative Assembly seat of Kingsley on 6 September 2008 in succession to Judith Hughes who she defeated. She has been a member of the Joint Standing Committee on the Commissioner for Children and Young People from 13 November 2008.