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Rankin, Annabelle Jane Mary (1908 - 1986)

Dame, DBE
Related EntriesArchival/Heritage ResourcesPublished Resources
Parliamentarian
Born: 28 July 1908  Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.  Died: 30 August 1986  Queensland, Australia.

Annabelle Rankin was appointed to the Order of the British Empire - Dames Commander on 13 June 1957 for political and public services. Rankin was a Senate member for Queensland for the Liberal Party from July 1947 to May 1971, and Minister for Housing from January 1966 to March 1971.


Career Highlights
The Federal electoral division of Rankin (created 1984), was named after the first Queensland woman elected to the Senate. Annabelle Rankin was one of three Queensland Liberal-Country Party candidates, elected to the Senate in 1946.

Rankin, who grew up in a political household (her father Colin Dunlop Wilson was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly), became known throughout Queensland from her association with church activities, girl guides, the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and the Red Cross. She was also a member of the Country Women’s Association, the Victoria League and the Royal Empire Society.

Rankin became the first woman party whip (opposition), when she took up her seat in the Senate in July 1947, a position she held until the next election. Then in 1952 (until 1966), she became Government whip. On Australia Day 1966, the then prime minister, Harold Holt, appointed Rankin Minister for Housing, making her the first woman to be appointed to federal ministerial position involving administration of a department.

After leaving politics Rankin became High Commissioner to New Zealand in 1971. She was the first woman to be appointed Head of Mission, and remained in this diplomatic post until 1974. Having never married Dame Rankin retired to Queensland, where she passed away on 30 August 1986.

 
Sources used to compile this entry: Radi 200 Australian Women and http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/a96fe1c4248c683cca2569de00200129!OpenDocument accessed 2002-06-07.
 
Related Entries for Rankin, Annabelle Jane Mary

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Published Resources

Books

  • Browne, Waveney, A woman of distinction : the honourable Dame Annabelle Rankin D.B.E., Boolarong Publications, Ascot, Qld., 1981, 136 pp. [ Details... ]

Newspaper Articles

  • 'Biographical cuttings (available reading room NLA)'. [ Details... ]

Online Resources

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Structure based on ISAAR(CPF) - click here for an explanation of the fields.Prepared by: Anne Heywood
Created: 24 April 2002
Modified: 16 November 2006

Published by National Foundation for Australian Women on Australian Women's Archives Project Web Site
Comments, questions, corrections and additions: awap@womenaustralia.info
Prepared by: Acknowledgements
Updated: 19 June 2008
http://womenaustralia.info/biogs/IMP0047b.htm

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