- Entry type: Person
- Entry ID: AWE0015
Levy, Anne
(1934 – )- Nationality Australian
- Born 29 September, 1934, Perth Western Australia Australia
- Occupation Parliamentarian
Summary
Anne Levy was the first woman to preside in any house of any Parliament in Australia. She was elected to the South Australian Legislative Council in 1975 where she remained until 1997. In 1986 she became the President of the Legislative Council – the first woman to be a Presiding Officer of a House of Parliament in Australia. She held various Ministerial positions between 1989-1993, including first ever Minister for the Status of Women in Australia.
Details
Born in Perth, Anne Levy moved to Adelaide at the age of six and has since resided there. She was awarded her Bachelor of Science with Honours in 1957 and her Master of Science in 1963, both from the University of Adelaide. There she worked as a Tutor and Senior Tutor in Genetics from 1960-1975.
Levy was elected Member of the Legislative Council of the Parliament of South Australia in 1975. She was re-elected in 1982 and 1989. She served on many Parliamentary Committees, including the Industries Development Committee (of which she was Chair) 1983-85, and the Statutory Authorities Committee, 1994-97. She was elected President of the Legislative Council, 1986-88. From 1989-1993 she served with the Bannon and later Arnold Governments as Minister for the Arts, Minister of Local Government, Minister of State Supply, Minister of Consumer Affairs, and Minister for the Status of Women. She retired in 1997.
Levy was also a Member of the Council of the University of Adelaide, 1975-96; Patron of the Humanist Society, and 1986 Australian Humanist of the Year; Member of the Abortion Law Repeal Association, 1969 onwards; Founding member of the Family Planning Association, 1972-84; Patron of Supporting Mothers Association (SA); Founding and life member of the National Foundation for Australian Women (Board member 1993-95 and President 1996-99); Honorary Life Member of the Women’s Electoral Lobby; Elected member of the Management Committee of the Women’s Legal Service (SA); and Founding member of Emily’s List (Australia).
Levy worked primarily in areas of homosexual law reform, abortion law reform, euthanasia, rape law reform, childcare, maternity leave, equality in education for girls, equal pay and affirmative action. She married Keith Barley in 1956 and the pair had two children, Mathew (born 1959) and Rachel (born 1962).
Events
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1965 - 1975
Adelaide University
Senior Tutor -
1975 - 1997
Legislative Council, Australian Labor Party
-
1986 - 1989
Legislative Council
President -
1979 - 1979
Joint Committee on Subordinate Legislation
Member -
1994 - 1997
Statutory Authorities Review Committee
Member
Published resources
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Resource Section
- Some significant dates in the history of women in South Australia, 2015, http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/women_and_politics/sa1.htm
- Who are my representatives? Government in South Australia, 1997
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Resource
- Excerpts from Maiden Speech, Carolyn Pickles, 1986
- Trove: Levy, Anne (1934-), http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-727080
Archival resources
- State Library of South Australia
- National Library of Australia, Oral History and Folklore Collection
- National Library of Australia
- Flinders University Library, Special Collections
- National Library of Australia, Pictures Collection
- State Records of South Australia