Barham, Jan (1958 - )

Jan Barham has shown her passionate concern for the environment throughout her public career. She ran as a member of the Australian Greens for Ballina in 2003 and in the House of Representatives for Richmond in 2001. Jan was also Deputy Mayor (2003) then Mayor (2004-5) of the Byron Shire Council. She has been a member of the council since 1999.

Jan Barham was educated at Figtree High School, Wollongong TAFE and East Sydney Technical College. Trained as a fashion designer, Jan Barham worked in fashion and clothing fields from 1987 to 1995.

In 1995 she was appointed Parliamentary adviser and researcher to Ian Cohen, MLC, a job she held until 1999. She was secretary of the Tweed Byron Greens in 1993-4 and in 1994 was assistant secretary to the NSW Greens.

She was closely involved in Native Title campaigns in the North Coast area that resulted in the first Indigenous Land Use Agreement in NSW and the establishment of the joint Aboriginal/National Parks and Wildlife Service management of the Arakwal National Park.

Elected to the Byron Shire Council in 1999, she became the first popularly elected Green mayor in Australia. She has been a member of Cape Byron Headland Trust Committee from 1997 and on the Management Committee of the Arakwal National Park from 2001.