Yvonne Henderson was born in Yorkshire in 1948 to Patrick Finn, a bookseller, and Daphne Wood. The family emigrated to Western Australia in 1949. Yvonne attended John Curtin Senior High School and then the University of Western Australia, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Education. She married Jeremy Henderson in 1971, embarked on a teaching career, and became an increasingly active member of the State School Teachers' Union, as well as other community groups. Henderson was elected to the Legislative Assembly as the member for Gosnells in 1983, which she held until elected for Thornlie in 1989. Henderson held the seat of Thornlie until 1996, spending a total fourteen years in Parliament. During this time, Henderson was a vigorous campaigner for the rights of minorities, and was instrumental in getting the Equal Opportunity Bill through the Legislative Assembly.

Sources used to compile this entry: Black, David and Bolton, Geoffrey (eds), Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia, Vol. 2, 1930-1990, Western Australian Parliamentary History Project, Perth, Western Australia, 1990; Black, David and Phillips, Harry, 'Making a Difference: Women in the West Australian Parliament 1921-1999', Parliament of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 2000; Watson, Judyth [ed.], We Hold Up Half the Sky: The Voices of Western Australian ALP Women in Parliament, Australian Labour Party, Perth, Western Australia, 1994.