Helen Margaret Applin was born in Bristol in 1961, and came to Western Australia in 1963 with her parents, who were both teachers. She attended Perth Modern School, then completed a Bachelor of Business at the Western Australian Institute of Technology in 1986. From 1980 to 1988 she worked at the Australian Tax Office, and married Allan Hodgson in 1984. Helen Hodgson then lectured in taxation law at Curtin University, until her election to the Legislative Council of the Parliament of Western Australia in 1997. A member of the Australian Democrats, she represented the North Metropolitan Region from May 1997 until defeated in 2001.

Sources used to compile this entry: Black, David and Phillips, Harry, 'Making a Difference: Women in the West Australian Parliament 1921-1999', Parliament of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 2000, Used as source.