The Australian Women's Register

Esther Scholem moved to the Blue Mountains of New South Wales in 1991 and became involved professionally and voluntarily in community activities there. She is a Past President of the Blue Mountains Migrant Residents Association, on the Management Committees of the Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre and the Blue Mountains Wildplant Rescue Service. She is a member of the Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group and Australians for native Title and Reconciliation (ANTAR).

She campaigned for more funding for community services and for the Blue Mountains area to be treated as a region in its own right and not just a part of the Greater Western Sydney Region. As an Australian Democrat she stressed the need to create a fairer civil society based on social justice, environmental sustainability and economic responsibility.