Parliamentary and Local Government Career

• Local Government: Fairfield City Council (New South Wales), 1971-80. Elected Mayor in 1974, 1977-1980
• State Government: MLA Fairfield (New SouthWales), 1981, 1984; MLA Smithfield (New South Wales), 1988
• Federal Government: House of Representatives, Member for Prospect (New South Wales), 1990
• Retired: 2004

Janice Crosio served on the Fairfield City Council (NSW) from 1971 to 1980 and became the first female Mayor of that council in 1974. She was re-elected in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980. She transferred to the NSW State parliament in 1981 when she was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Fairfield. She held that seat from 19 September 1981 to 22 February 1988, moving to Smithfield from 27 April 1988 until she resigned on 17 February 1990.

Crosio was Minister for Natural Resources from 5 April 1984 to 6 February 1986; Minister for Local Government from 6 February 1986 to 25 March 1988; Minister for Water Resources from 4 July 1986 to 25 March 1988 and Assistant Minister for Transport from 26 November 1987 to 25 March 1988.

After entering federal parliament in 1990 she was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Environment, Sport and Territories from 23 December 1993 to 25 March 1994 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Security from 25 March 1994 to 11 March 1996. In 2001, she was elected Chief Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives.

Crosio was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal in 1977 and the Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1980.

Events

3 January 1939

Born Janice Ann Gustard

1971 - 1980

Alderman of the Fairfield City Council, New South Wales

1972

Deputy Mayor of the Fairfield City Council, New South Wales

1974 - 1975

Mayor of the Fairfield City Council (first woman), New South Wales

1976 - 1993

President of Meals on Wheels

1977

Awarded the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal

1977 - 1980

Mayor, Fairfield City Council, New South Wales

30 December 1978

Member of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) (MBE)

1980

Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic

1981 - 1988

Member of the Legislative Assembly (Australian Labor Party) for Fairfield, New South Wales

1984

First woman elected a Cabinet Minister, New South Wales

1984 - 1986

Minister for Natural Resources, New South Wales

1986 - 1988

Minister for Local Government, New South Wales

1986 - 1988

Minister for Water Resources, New South Wales

1987 - 1988

Assistant to New South Wales State Minister for Transport

1988 - 1990

Member of the Legislative Assembly (Australian Labor Party) for Smithfield, New South Wales

1990

Member of the House of Representatives (Australian Labor Party) for Prospect, New South Wales

1993

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Arts and Administrative Services, New South Wales

1993 - 1994

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Environment, Sport and Territories, New South Wales

1994 - 1996

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Security, New South Wales

2000

Member of the Co-ordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians of Inter-Parliamentary Union

Sources used to compile this entry: Herd, Margaret (ed.), Who's who in Australia 2002, 38 edn, Crown Content, Melbourne, 2002, 2020 pp; http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/biography.asp?id=7T4 accessed 14/11/01; http://www.alp.org.au/people/people.html?seat=prospect accessed 14/11/01.