Baylor, Gracia (1929 - )

Gracia Baylor was the first woman member of the Liberal Party to be elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in 1979 as member for Boronia and one of the first two women to be elected to the Upper House. She held her seat until 1985 when she resigned to contest the Legislative Assembly seat of Warrandyte. She was unsuccessful in her bid to enter the Lower House.

• Freeman, Gracia (former married name)
• Parry-Okeden, Gracia (maiden name)

Gracia Baylor, daughter of Herbert David Parry-Okeden, a grazier and businessman and Hilary May Webster, although born in Brisbane, was educated in Victoria and Tasmania as well as Brisbane as a result of her father serving in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War Two. At the National Gallery Art School in Melbourne she completed a Diploma of Fine Arts and subsequently trained as a secondary school teacher. In 1950 she married John du Frocq Freeman. She worked at Mercer House a training college for teachers in independent schools from 1951-57 and at Hamilton College from 1957-59. On remarriage in 1959 to Richard Patrick Baylor, a Solicitor, she had four children, three boys and a girl and became a law clerk in her husband's firm in Healesville

Her interest in politics was sparked when she recognised the need for a kindergarten in the town of Healesville. She served as a Healesville Shire Councillor from 1966-78 and ultimately became the first woman president of the Shire of Healesville from 1977-78. During her time in parliament she assisted in the establishment of the Queen Victoria Women's Centre.

She has been an active member of the National Council of Women at the national and state level, serving as president of the National Council of Women of Victoria from 1990-93 and of the National Council of Women Australia from 1997-2000.

Presided

• National Council of Women of Australia (1931 - )

  [1997 - 2000]

• National Council of Women of Victoria (1902 - )

  [1990 - 1993]

Online Resources

• 'Gracia Baylor, AM', in Victorian Honour Roll of Women 2003, 2003, http://www.women.vic.gov.au/web12/rwpgslib.nsf/Graphic+Files/2003_Honour_Roll
  /$file/2003_Honour_Roll.pdf. [ Details... ]

See also

• 'The Liberal Party of Australia Federal Women's Committee: History and Achievements 1945-2003', in The Liberal Party of Australia, 2003, http://www.liberal.org.au/documents/fwc_history.pdf. [ Details... ]
• Browne, Geoff, Biographical register of the Victorian Parliament, Government Printing Office on behalf of the Library Committee, Parliament of Victoria, Melbourne, 1985, 229 pp. [ Details... ]