Judy Hopwood is the daughter of William and Ruth Rasmussen. She was educated in Melbourne and trained in nursing Royal North Shore Hospital. Later she did postgraduate studies at the University of Technology Sydney. She held nursing positions in many areas, surgical, intensive care, medical etc) 1976-88, and was a Community nurse 1988-96.

She was Office manager/media advisor, to Federal Minister Philip Ruddock 1996-98 and became Executive Director of the Australian Podiatry Association 1998-2002. Judy Hopwood joined the Liberal Party in 1981 and has held many offices within the party, including branch and electorate conference president. She was President of the NSW Liberal Women's Forum from 1996 to 2000.
She was elected at a by-election in 2002, the first woman to win the seat of Hornsby. It was her first campaign as a candidate, though she had assisted with many others. Since her election she served on a number of committees.

She married Stephen Philip Hopwood in 1979, and they have two daughters,

Sources used to compile this entry: De Micheli, Catherine and Herd, Margaret (eds), Who's who in Australia 2003, 39 edn, Crown Content, North Melbourne, 2003, 2201 pp; http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf (accessed 11 November 2004, 29 July 2005); http://www.nsw.liberal.org.au/parliament/legislative_assembly/hornsby.cfm (accessed 11 November 2004); http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20020320047 (accessed 11 November 2004); Sydney Morning Herald 28 March 2002.