| 1961 - 1964 | Small business secretary and office manager |
| 1970 | Tutor with the Faculty of Education at the University of Sydney |
| 1974 - 1976 | Senior Tutor with the Psychology Department at Monash University |
| 1974 - 1985 | Member of Guides Victoria State Executive |
| 1974 - 1991 | Member of Guides Victoria State Council |
| 1977 - 1983 | Lecturer with the School of Behavioural Sciences at the Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences |
| 1978 - 1999 | Member of the Monash University Council |
| 1983 | Kellogg Travelling Fellow and Visiting Fellow with the Institue of Gerontology at the University of Michigan |
| 1983 - 1985 | Senior Lecturer with the School of Behavioural Sciences at the Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences |
| 1985 | Visiting Scholar with the Gerontology Center at Pennsylvania State University |
| 1985 - 1987 | Membership Officer of the Hawthorn West Branch of the Liberal Party |
| 1985 - 1987 | Member of the Hawthorn and East Yarra Province Electorate Committee |
| 1985 - 1987 | Delegate from the Hawthorn West Branch of the Liberal Party State Council |
| 1986 - 1987 | Vice-President of the Hawthorn West Branch of the Liberal Party |
| 1986 - 1987 | Principal Lecturer and Chair with the School of Behavioural Sciences at the Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences |
| 1 July 1987 | Elected to the Senate for Victoria |
| 24 September 1987 - 8 May 1990 | Member of the Senate Standing Committee for Scruting of Bills |
| 24 September 1987 - 14 February 1991 | Member of the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee for Employment, Education and Training |
| 1988 - 1991 | Member of Guides Victoria State Executive |
| 24 February 1988 - 30 June 1993 | Member of the Senate Standing Committee for Regulations and Ordinances |
| November 1989 | Delegate at the 3rd Commonwealth Conference on Delegated Legislation in London |
| 11 April 1990 - 28 April 1992 | Parliamentary Secretary to the Chair of the Social Policy and Health Group |
| 11 April 1990 - 11 March 1996 | Member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry |
| 24 August 1990 - 20 August 1992 | Member of the Senate Estimates Committee: C |
| 28 April 1992 - 7 April 1993 | Parliamentary Secretary to the Chair of the Family, Social and Health Policy Group |
| 5 October 1992 - 23 October 1992 | Member of the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee for Community Affairs |
| 1993 | Member of Guides Victoria State Council |
| 7 April 1993 - 26 May 1994 | Shadow Minister for Senior Citizens and Aged Care and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition on Women's Affairs and the Arts |
| 6 May 1993 - 10 October 1994 | Member of the Senate Estimates Committee: C |
| 26 May 1994 - 14 February 1995 | Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Community Services, Senior Citizens and Aged Care |
| 10 October 1994 - 29 April 1996 | Member of the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee for Community Affairs: References Committee |
| 10 October 1994 - 1 July 1996 | Member of the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee for Community Affairs: Legislation Committee |
| 14 February 1995 - 11 March 1996 | Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Health and Human Services |
| 29 May 1995 - 29 April 1996 | Participating member of the Economics: Legislation Committee |
| 1 May 1996 - 10 November 1998 | Temporary Chair of Committees |
| 2 May 1996 - 30 June 1996 | Member of the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee for Employment, Education and Training: References Committee |
| 8 May 1996 - 5 December 1996 | Member of the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee for Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation Committee |
| 8 May 1996 - 6 December 1996 | Member of the Senate Standing Committee for Regulations and Ordinances |
| 20 May 1996 - 5 December 1996 | Chair of the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee for Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation Committee |
| 28 June 1996 - 9 November 1998 | Participating member of the Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: References Committee |
| 1 July 1996 - 30 April 1998 | Participating member of the Community Affairs: Legislation Committee |
| 5 December 1996 - 4 February 1997 | Participating member of the Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation Committee |
| 4 February 1997 - 22 February 1997 | Member of the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee for Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation Committee |
| 4 February 1997 - 9 November 1998 | Member of the Senate Standing Committee for Regulations and Ordinances |
| 5 February 1997 - 22 September 1997 | Chair of the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee for Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation Committee |
| September 1997 - December 1997 | Parliamentary Adviser at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York |
| 27 January 1998 - 9 November 1998 | Member of the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee for Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation Committee |
| 5 February 1998 - 9 November 1998 | Chair of the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee for Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation Committee |
| 30 April 1998 - 14 May 1998 | Member of the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee for Community Affairs: Legislation Committee |
| 30 April 1998 - 3 December 1998 | Member of the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee for Community Affairs: References Committee |
| 21 October 1998 - 26 November 2001 | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs |
| 16 February 2000 - 26 November 2001 | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| April 2000 | Official visit to New Zealand |
| April 2001 | Official visit to Papua New Guinea |
| June 2001 - July 2001 | Official visit to Samoa |
| August 2001 - September 2001 | Leader of the Delegation to the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa |
| 26 November 2001 - 6 October 2003 | Minister for Health and Ageing |
| 2002 | Life Member of Guides Victoria |
| 7 October 2003 | Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women |
