The Australian Women's Register

An ALP candidate whose other life as a historian and teacher was distinguished. Judith Mackinolty was a candidate for the Hills Shire Council elections in c.1962 and in the 1973 New South Wales Legislative Assembly elections for the Hills.

Jean Manuel was a dedicated local activist in southern Sydney, with a wide range of voluntary and community interests. She was a Councillor on the Sutherland Shire council from 1965-80, including stints as the Deputy Shire President from 1968-71 and 1977-78 and Shire President from 1978-79. Jean was less successful in state politics, having been an unsuccessful Independent candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly elections for Woronora in 1973 and for Sutherland in 1988.

An active local councillor and small businesswoman, well known in her electorate. Valerie Marland was Alderman of Queanbeyan City Council from 1966-1995 and Councillor on the Southern Tablelands County Council from 1967 -. She was also a Liberal party candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Monaro in 1976.

May Matthews was a prominent figure in the labor movement over a generation. She represented Federal Labor in the 1932 elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Ryde.

A once only candidate, who went on to successfully follow her profession. Therese McGee stood as an ALP candidate in the 1981 New South Wales Legislative Assembly elections for Northcott.

An active and committed environmentalist, Sonya McKay represented the Australian Greens in the House of Representatives election for Blaxland in 2001 and at the New South Wales Legislative Assembly election for East Hills in 2003. She conducted her campaign on the local issues of opposition to the Holsworthy airport proposal, opposition to the privatisation and expansion of Bankstown airport and prevention of overdevelopment of the electorate area. Sonya McKay was also a strong advocate of increased funding for health and public education. At the time of her campaign for East Hills she was enrolled in a Master of Environmental Law degree at the University of Sydney (B.A., LL.B). Sonya McKay was born and educated in the western suburbs of Sydney.

Heather Meers was born and bred in Waverley and taught at Dover Heights High School before her marriage to John Meers, with whom she has two children. She later worked as a primary school teacher/librarian and was active in local community groups. At the time of her campaigns, she was the Secretary of the management committee of a local neighbourhood centre, where she conducted a conversation group for migrants. In 1984 and 1988 she stood as an Australian Democrats candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly elections for Waverley. Her election leaflet committed her to fight for cleaner beaches, reduction of public housing waiting lists, improved psychiatric care for the mentally ill and more community and youth centres.

A tireless worker for the rights of women, children and ‘the little people’, Gertrude Melville became known as the ‘grand old lady of the Labor Party’. She was their candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Elections for the Eastern Suburbs in 1925 and for Hurstville in 1932 (Federal Labor party). Gertrude Melville was finally elected to parliament as a Member Legislative Council in 1952 to 1958. Prior to her attempts to enter parliament, she was Alderman in the Cabramatta-Canley Vale Municipal Council from 1944 to 1948, including a period as Mayor (1945-48).

In 1970, Jean Mitchell became the first woman elected to the Uralla Shire Council. The following year she unsuccessfully stood as an Independent candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly election for Armidale. She was nominated by a group of independents to stand again the sitting MLA, Davis Hughes, when the ALP failed to stand a candidate. Her campaign was directed by Peter Wright, who was then the President of the New State Movement. She said her candidature was a result of an economic crisis brought about by the instability of the coalition government.

Jean was a qualified nursing sister and had been an acting Hospital Matron. She had been a member of the Council of the Armidale Presbyterian Ladies’ College and was well known in the area for community and welfare work and for her service as a show judge. She was married to Wendell James Mitchell, with whom she had one son Hugh.

An indefatigable and very successful campaigner, Clover Moore was Alderman of the South Sydney City Council from 1980 to 1981 and Alderman of the Council of the City of Sydney 1981-87. She was elected Lord Mayor of Sydney in 2003. Clover was also elected as an Independent to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Bligh in 1988, 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003. In 2007 she was elected to the new seat of Sydney and relinquished it in 2012.

In the 1990s Clover Moore held the balance of power in the Legislative Assembly, with two other independents. She is renowned for her hard work and her community attachments. She continues to hold the position of Lord Mayor of Sydney.

A once only candidate in an unwinnable seat, Lee Morthorpe stood for the ALP in the 1995 elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Davidson. She was born in Gundagai in country NSW and educated at Gundagai High School, the Australian National University (BA) and Charles Sturt University (DipEd). While at university, Lee was involved in student politics and was a member of the ANU Student Representative Council in 1988. She represented the ACT at the national Fencing Championships in 1988.
Lee joined the ALP in 1993 and has held office in her local branch. She is married to an officer of the RAN, and has two children.

An activist, particularly in regard to women’s issues, Judith Mundey represented the Communist Party of Australia in the 1967 and 1968 elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Phillip and in the 1980 House of Representatives election for Sydney. She became the first woman President of the Communist Party of Australia 1979-82, having been Secretary of the Sydney District Committee of the party 1973-79. She was also one of a group of women who established the Women’s Liberation Movement in Australia in 1969.

Judy Mundey was born in Sydney and educated at Eastlakes and Mascot Public Schools, and at St George Girls’ High School. She later completed an Arts degree and a Law degree at Macquarie University. In 1965 she married Jack Mundey, of BLF and Green Bans fame, and they had one son.

A Greens senator and environmental activist, Kerry Nettle first attempted to enter politics in 1999 when she contested the New South Wales Legislative Assembly election for Miranda. In 2001 she was elected as Senator for New South Wales, taking her seat on 1 July 2002. She is an active member of a great many Senate committees and is a member of the Senate Select Committee on the Administration of Indigenous Affairs since 2004.

Sandra Nori, a member of the Australian Labor Party, was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the Member for McKell in 1988. That seat was abolished in 1991 and she won the newly established seat of Port Jackson in 1991 and was re-elected in 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003. She held the ministerial portfolios for Tourism and Small Business 1999-2003; for Women 2002-2007; Sport and Recreation 2003-2007.
She retired from the New South Wales Parliament in 2007.

A community activist, Patricia Oakman was an ALP candidate in the 1973 elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Clarence. She had better luck in local politics being elected to the Bellingen Shire Council in 1969. She held the position of Shire President from 1971-73 and 1976-80.

Norah O’Kelly and her husband Charles, managed a large block of furnished flats in Darlinghurst for more than twenty years. They were active members of the Liberal Party and took part in many campaigns in parliamentary and local elections. Norah contested the 1962 elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of King. Her candidacy seemed to have been motivated by her belief that “every Liberal everywhere should have the right and opportunity of voting for a Liberal”.

Meg Ponting ran for parliament motivated by her determination to protect her community. As an Independent she contested the 1988 New South Wales Legislative Assembly election for McKell. Following her move to live in the Rocks area of Sydney, she and others were outraged by the Department of Housing issuing eviction notices to long term residents of the area and Meg Ponting agreed to run, one of 5 independents, as a nuisance candidate in order to highlight the situation.

Meg Ponting was born in Sydney and educated to Intermediate Certificate level in public schools. She worked as a Public Servant in the Maritime Services Board. She married B. G. Ponting and they had three children. She lived in The Rocks till her death in 2010.

Mary Quirk was the first Labor woman elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, and was an assiduous local member until deselected in 1950. She was first elected in 1939 during the Balmain by election and was re-elected in 1941, 1944 and 1947. In 1950 Mary contested the seat again, this time as an Independent, but failed.

Genevieve Rankin’s commitment to social justice, peace and the environment has directed her career in local government, education and community activism. She first ran for parliament in 1991 as an ALP candidate for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Sutherland. She re-contested the seat in 1995, but again failed. However Genevieve Rankin was successfully elected to the Sutherland Shire Council in 1991-2004 and was appointed Mayor from 1994-95.

Margaret Ratcliffe was a committed Christian activist. She first stood for election in 1995 as a Call to Australia party candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly elections for Gordon. This was followed by two attempts at obtaining the seat of Bradfield in the House of Representatives in 1996 and 1998. The following year she changed political allegiance and contested the seat of Denison on behalf of the Christian Democrat Party.

Victoria Resch ran for election once only, and is a successful professional. In 1991, she was encouraged by Richard Jones, MLC and Elisabeth Kirkby, MLC to stand in Vaucluse (New South Wales Legislative Assembly) for the Democrats in order to maximise the vote for the upper house. She was interviewed on the Ray Martin Show and appeared in a large “Meet the Democrats” meeting within days of nominating. Victoria Resch was born in Sydney, educated at Abbotsleigh School, Wahroonga and at the Universities of NSW (B.A. (Hons)) and Macquarie. In her youth she played a number of roles on television and through this, knew Elisabeth Kirkby. She has been a psychologist in private practice in the eastern suburbs of Sydney for more than twenty years and has one daughter.

A distinguished public health worker and country Labor activist, Christine Robertson maintained her interest in social justice and health care in the NSW Legislative Council. As an ALP candidate she contested the following elections:
New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Tamworth, 1988, 1991, 1995
NSW Legislative Council, 1999
NSW Legislative Council 2003 – elected.
Christine’s political appointments included:
Temporary Chairman of Committees;
Chairman, Standing Committee on Law and Justice; Member, Standing Committee on State Development; and Member, Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission. She retired in 2011.

Ilse Robey was a widely travelled, well educated candidate for the Australian Democrats who contested the following elections:
New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Gordon, 1978, 1981
House of Representatives, Bradfield, 1980.

Joan Skaife was a once only candidate for election to the Legislative Assembly: a Liberal Party candidate for the seat of Tuggerah in 1981. At the time of her candidature she was active in Wyong Little Athletics and was a long term member of Wyong Bowling Club. Joan Skaife was educated at Oatley Public School and Sutherland High School and ran a small business in the fashion industry.

A lifelong activist in social and industrial politics, Grace Scobie became disillusioned with Labor politics during the First World War, and subsequently concentrated on women’s organizations and children’s welfare. She stood for the Soldiers and Citizens Party in the election for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Eastern Suburbs in 1920. Twelve years later she was an Independent seeking election to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Bondi.

Noreen Solomon has been an ALP party stalwart contesting the unwinnable seats of Cook in the 1993 House of Representatives election and Cronulla in the 1995 New South Wales Legislative Assembly election. She worked as an adviser to two Federal Ministers, and in 1995 was on the staff of Robert Tickner, M.H.R.., Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs. She has held executive positions at all levels of the ALP including the local branch and federal and state electorate councils.

Noreen had been active in her local area in Parents and Citizens Associations, as co-ordinator of the Cook/Hughes Women’s Electoral Lobby and as the first woman member of Cronulla Rotary. She played netball for a local team and was a delegate to the Sutherland Shire Netball Association. Noreen Solomon was born in Hay, completed her education at Gymea, a southern suburb of Sydney and is married and has two sons.

Betty Stepkovitch was twice unsuccessful for the Democratic Labor Party, contesting the New South Wales Legislative Assembly elections for Coogee in 1971 and 1973. In 1971 she directed her preferences to Kevin Ellis, who won the seat. Betty Stepkovitch was married to John Stepkovitch, a prison officer and they have five children, and two foster children. She trained as a pharmacist before marriage.