The Australian Women's Register

A socially and politically active health professional, Penny Bartholomew ran as an Australian Democrats candidate for Illawarra in 1999.

Thelma Bate was unsuccessful in her attempts to enter State and Federal Parliament, but worked for the community and for equality regardless of gender, race or creed throughout her life. She ran as a member of the Country Party in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Dubbo, 1947 (known as Harvey), in the Senate in 1951 and 1953 for Gwydir (now known as Kirkby) and in Kirkby’s 1953 by election for the House of Representatives.

A candidate committed to the preservation of public land, Barbie Bates ran as a candidate in the House of Representatives for Chifley in 2001, for Penrith in 2003 as a member of the Save Our Suburbs Party and as a candidate in the House of Representatives for Lindsay (Save the ADI site party) in 2004.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Denise Allen was elected as the Member for Benalla in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria at a by-election in 2000 after an initial unsuccessful attempt at the 1999 election. She was defeated at the 2002 election. In a change of party membership, she stood unsuccessfully as a candidate for the People Power Party in the Legislative Council Region of Northern Victoria at the Victorian state election, which was held on 25 November 2006.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Rosy Buchanan was elected as the Member for Hastings in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria in 2002. She was defeated at the 2006 election.

Cath Grant is a multi-media artist working from a studio in Murwillumbah, northern New South Wales. She has mounted numerous exhibitions, and encourages the work of other artists by hosting collaborative projects and exhibitions in her gallery. She is representative of the thriving arts community in the northern New South Wales region.

As well as her own work, Cath exhibits the artwork of her three children. In 2007 she curated ‘The Art of Love’ exhibition at The Casuarina Convention Centre (June 22nd – August 3rd), featuring the work of over thirty local artists including two of her own children, Joshua and Thomas Worsley.

Michele Adair is a local and political activist who has achieved much success in her local area. She was an Australian Democrats candidate for Barton in the House of Representatives in 2001, an Independent candidate associated with the Save Our Suburbs Party for Georges River in 2003 and a candidate for the Kogarah Municipal Council in 2004.

A once-only candidate, untraced. She was an Independent candidate for Drummoyne in 1988.

Sylvia Adam was a once only candidate, who nominated for the Wakehurst seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as an Australian Democrats candidate in 1995.

Brenda Adams ran for election only once: Australian Democrats candidate for Lakemba in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1978.

Pam Allan was Alderman for the Parramatta City Council (1983-1987) and a union activist, before she was elected to State Parliament as the Australian Labor Party member for Wentworthville in 1988. As a result of a redistribution in 1991 she was elected to the new seat of Blacktown. She returned to the recreated seat of Wentworthville at the 1999 election. She served as Minister for the Environment from April 1995 to April 1999. She retired from State Parliament in 2007.

Carolyn Allport ran for parliament only once (Independent Candidate for Camden, New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1995), but has continued in elected office in her union for more than a decade.

Doris Anderson was a one-time candidate: Democratic Labor Party member for Vaucluse, New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1973. She was married to Joe Anderson and mother to one son.

An active and life long member of the ALP, Irene Anderson was interested in social justice, particularly for women. She was an ALP candidate for Kirribilli in 1973.

An untraced candidate who had run for the Democratic Labor Party for Lakemba in 1968
and in the House of Representatives for Banks in 1969. No mention of her found on New South Wales Electoral Roll or Ryerson Index.

Marie Andrews has been a long-term unionist and Labor representative in the Legislative Assembly. She was successfully elected as a member for Peats in 1995, 1999 and 2003. She represented the electorate of Gosford from 2007 until the 2011 election, when she retired from Parliament.

An activist in local government and party politics, Jacquie Argent was an ALP candidate for Oxley in 1999, a member of the Hastings Council to 1999 and Deputy Mayor from 1998-1999.

A prominent figure in New South Wales (NSW) local government, Barbara Armitage is credited with preventing Bondi Beach from becoming a high-rise precinct. She was an ALP candidate for Vaucluse in 1995, Alderman for the Waverley Municipal Council from 1979-1997 and Mayor of Waverley between 1987 and 1997. Barbara was appointed an OAM in 2002.

A once-only candidate in the unwinnable seat of Wakehurst in 1995 for the ALP.

Pam Arnold had a long and successful career in local government as a Councillor for Shoalhaven from 1995-2004. She also ran as an Independent candidate for the South Coast in 2003.

Sue Arnold is a committed environmentalist. She ran as a member of the Timbarra Clean Water Party for Ballina in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly (1999) and was a Democrat candidate in the New South Wales Senate in 1990 and in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Coffs Harbour in 1991.

Gloria Arora was an active Liberal Party member in the 1990s. She ran as their candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Liverpool in 1991 and in the House of Representatives for Fowler in 1990 and 1993.

Suzanne Ashmore-Smith was a once-only candidate (ALP for Bligh in 1978), who later had a varied and successful career.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Kaye Darveniza was elected as the Member for Melbourne West Province in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament in 1999. She held the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier from December 1999-December 2006. After her election to the newly formed Legislative Council Region of Northern Victoria at the state election, which was held on 25 November 2006, she was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary, Regional Development from December 2006-August 2007. She held the portfolio of Parliamentary Secretary, Regional and Rural Development from August 2007-January 2010. From January-December 2010 she was Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, when the ALP government was defeated. She retired from parliament on 29 November 2014.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Lily D’Ambrosio was elected as the Member for Mill Park in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria in November 2002. She was re-elected at the 2006 election, in November 2010 and again in November 2014. She currently holds the Ministerial portfolios of Industry and Energy and Resources in the Labor government, which assumed office in November 2014.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Jo Duncan was elected as the Member for Gisborne in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament in September 1999. On the abolition of the electorate of Gisborne in a redistribution in 2002, Duncan was elected as the Member for Macedon in the same year. She was re-elected in 2006 and again in November 2010. She retired from parliament in November 2014.

Dianne Hadden was the Independent member for Ballarat Province in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament until 2006. She was elected as a Labor Member in 1999, but resigned from the Australian Labor Party in 2005. She unsuccessfully contested the 2006 state election, held on 25 November, as an Independent in the Legislative Assembly seat of Ballarat East.