The Australian Women's Register

Gladys Hope Marks was a lifelong supporter of women’s rights. She was active in a range of feminist groups, including the National Council of Women of New South Wales. A gifted linguist, she taught French at the University of Sydney in the 1920s and 30s.

The New South Wales branch of the Australian Federation of University Women established the Gladys Marks memorial fund to assist mature women to complete courses at the university.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Di Farmer was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as Member for Bulimba at the election which was held on 21 March 2009.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Mandy Johnstone was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as Member for Townsville at the election which was held on 21 March 2009.

Margaret Ann Montgomery Bailey was the longest serving headmistress of Ascham School. She experimented with new learning methods, introducing the ‘Dalton plan’, a philosophy of learning which emphasises self-responsibility and independence, into the senior school in 1922.

She was educated at the Newnham School for Girls, Toowoomba, and attended the University of Sydney, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1900.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Desley Scott was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as the Member for Woodridge in 2001. She was re-elected in 2004, 2006 and 2009.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Barbara Stone was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as the Member for Springwood in 2001. She was re-elected in 2004, 2006 and 2009.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Carryn Sullivan was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as Member for Pumicestone in 2001. She was re-elected in 2004, 2006 and 2009. Before her entry into the state parliament, she served as a councillor for the Shire of Caboolture from 1991-94.

Originally a member of the National Party in Queensland, now the Liberal National Party since the merger of the Liberal and National Parties in Queensland in September 2008, Rosemary Menkens was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as the Member for Burdekin in 2004. She was re-elected in 2006 and 2009.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Vicky Darling was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as Member for Sandgate in 2006. She was re-elected in 2009 and currently holds the position of Deputy Government Whip.

A member of the Australian Labor party, Kate Jones was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as Member for Ashgrove in 2006. She was re-elected in 2009 and currently holds the ministerial portfolio of Climate Change and Sustainability.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Betty Kiernan was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as Member for Mt Isa in 2006. She was re-elected in 2009 and currently holds the position of Deputy Government Whip. Before her election to parliament she served as a local government councillor for the Shire of Cloncurry from 1981-1990.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Annastacia Palaszczuk was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as Member for Inala in 2006. She was re-elected in 2009, 2012 and 2015. She was a minister in the Bligh government, but was elected Leader of the Opposition in March 2012 after the landslide defeat of the Labor Government. In January 2015 Annastacia Palaszczuk led the Labor Party to an unexpected victory and became the first woman to take a party from opposition into government when she became Premier on 14 February 2015.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Grace Grace was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as Member for Brisbane Central at a by-election, which was held on 13 October 2007. She was re-elected at the 2009 election.

A member of the Liberal National Party, Tracy Davis was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as Member for Aspley at the election which was held on 21 March 2009.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Dianne Reilly was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as the Member for Mudgeeraba in 2001. She served in that capacity for eight years until she was defeated at the 2009 election.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Jo-Ann Miller was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as Member for Bundamba at a by-election, which was held in February 2000. She has served as Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Education, 2001-2004 and the Minister for Health, 2004-2006. She is a member of the current parliament.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Peta-Kaye Croft was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as Member for Broadwater in February 2001. She currently holds the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Services.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Jan Jarrett was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as Member for Whitsunday in 2001. She currently holds the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Employment and Economic Development.

A member of the One Nation Party, Rosa Lee Long was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as the Member for Tablelands in February 2001. She remained in parliament for eight years, suffering defeat at the 2009 election.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Carolyn Male was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as the Member for Glasshouse in 2001. After the electoral redistribution of 2008 she stood successfully for the seat of Pine Rivers at the 2009 election. She currently holds the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Education.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Rachel Nolan was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as the Member for Ipswich in 2001. She was the youngest woman to enter the Queensland Parliament. She held the position of Deputy Government Whip from 2004 until 2007. She currently holds the Ministerial portfolio of Transport.

A member of the National Party of Australia, Yvonne Chapman was elected to the seat of Pine Rivers in the Queensland Parliament in 1983. She held the ministerial portfolios of Transport and Ethnic Affairs from September 1989 until December 1989 and Welfare Services,( later Family Services) from February 1986 until December 1987.She was the first woman to be appointed to Cabinet in the Queensland Government. She lost her seat at the 1989 state election. Before her entry into state parliament she served as a councillor on the Pine Rivers Shire Council from 1976 until 1983, assuming the position of vice-chairman in 1982. In 1994 she was elected Mayor of the Pine Rivers Shire.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Lorraine Bird was elected to the Parliament of Queensland representing the electorate of Whitsunday in 1989. She remained in parliament until her defeat at the 1998 election. Before her election to parliament she served as a local government councillor for the Pioneer Shire from 1985-91.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Laurel Power was elected Member for Mansfield in the Parliament of Queensland in 1989. She remained in the parliament until July 1995.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Judy Spence was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as the representative for the electorate of Mount Gravatt in 1989. She is currently the Leader of the House in the Parliament as well as Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier and Minister for the Arts, Anna Bligh. She has held ministerial portfolios, which have included Police and Corrective Services and Seniors, since 1998.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Margaret Woodgate was elected to the Parliament of Queensland as Member for Pine Rivers at the election, which was held in 1989. In an electoral redistribution, the seat of Pine Rivers was abolished and Margaret Woodgate became Member for the new seat of Kurwongbah at the 1992 election. During her period in parliament she held the ministerial portfolios of Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Premier on the Status of Women, from July 1995 until February 1996. She resigned from the Parliament in 1997. Before her election to the state parliament Margaret Woodgate served in local government as a councillor for the Shire of Pine Rivers from 1985-88.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Joan Sheldon was elected to the Parliament of Queensland at a by-election which was held for the seat of Landsborough in 1990. She was the third woman to be elected to the Queensland Parliament and the first outside Brisbane. In the electoral redistribution before the 1992 election, Joan Sheldon stood successfully for the new seat of Caloundra and remained the Member until her retirement in 2004. On her election to the leadership of the Parliamentary Liberal Party on 11 November 1991, she gained the distinction of becoming the first woman to lead a political party in Queensland and the first to lead a Liberal Party in Australia. She held that position until June 1998. During her period in parliament she served as Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for the Arts and Women’s Policy from February 1996 until June 1998. She was Deputy Coalition Leader from November 1992 until June 1998.