The Australian Women's Register

Rosemary Foot is an outstanding woman, who became the first woman to hold a leadership position in the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales: she was elected to the seat of Vaucluse in 1978 and re-elected in 1981 and 1984. She was appointed an AO in 1999 for her services to the community.

A passionate activist for women, Elizabeth (Bessie) Frewin was one of the earliest women candidates for all levels of government. She was an ALP candidate in the House of Representatives for Warringah in 1934 and 1940 and for the North Sydney Council in 1938, 1941 and 1948. Bessie was also a Lang Labor candidate in the 1947 elections to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Bondi.

An ALP candidate, Tanya Rachelle Gadiel was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Parramatta in 2003. She was re-elected in 2007, but retired before the 2011 election. She served as Deputy Speaker in the Christina Keneally Labor Government.

Roberta Galagher was a stalwart Liberal Party member from its formation and ran as their candidate in the 1947, 1950, 1953 and 1956 elections to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for King. Prior to this she was an Independent candidate in the House of Representatives for Robertson in 1943.

Bridget Gilling was a lifelong activist and fighter for social justice. She ran as an Independent in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Bligh in 1971, but the following year she joined the Australia Party. She then stood as their candidate for election into the House of Representatives for Warringah (1972) and for the New South Wales Senate in 1974.

Mollie Gray only ran for election once: a Democratic Labor Party candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Lane Cove in 1959.

Gabrielle Harris was a successful politician whose career was surprisingly short. An ALP candidate, she was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Parramatta in the 1994 bi-election. She was re-elected in 1995 and 1999 and served as the Minister for Sport and Recreation during this time. She retired from all political work in 2003.

Kim Appleby is a successful local councillor, having been elected, to the Auburn Council from 1999 to 2003. She was however unsuccessful in her one attempt to enter State parliament. She was an Independent in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Auburn by-election of 2001.

Jennifer Boswell ran for election to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Charlestown on behalf of the Christian Democrat party in 1999 and then again in 2003.

Felicity Boyd was an active member of the Australian Democrats. She stood for them in three elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Davidson in 1991 and for Port Stephens in 1999 and 2003.

Kerry Chikarovski is the only woman ever to have held the leadership of the Opposition in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. After her retirement from politics, she published her autobiography, Chika, in 2004. Since 2003 she has been Director, Infrastructure and Planning Australia Pty Ltd.

Anne Margaret Cohen, a Liberal Party candidate, was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Minchinbury in 1988 and to the Badgerys Creek Assembly seat in 1991. She failed to gain re-election to the latter in 1995.

Margaret Alayne Elizabeth Davis was an early Liberal member of the Legislative Council of NSW. In 1962 (-1963) she was elected to the Bankstown Municipal Council, and in 1966 was indirectly elected to the Legislative Council. She resigned from that position in 1978 to run for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Waverley. She did not gain election.

Sue Dethridge was a popular and influential local councillor for the Bellingen Shire Council from 1987-2003. She served as Mayor from 1991-1999. Dethridge stood unsuccessfully as an Independent for Coffs Harbour in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1995.

Margaret Dombkins is a community activist and an outstanding scholar. She ran for election as a Liberal Party candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Kogarah in 1995 and then as an Independent in the Kogarah Municipal Council elections of 1999.

Catherine Winifred (Kate) Dwyer was one of the most prominent women in New South Wales in the early twentieth century. An avid Labor activist, Dwyer stood for election for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Balmain in 1925.

Julia Featherstone is a multitalented woman, whose two election campaigns were part of a life filled with activity and creativity. She was an Australia Party candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly elections for Bligh in 1973 and to the House of Representatives for Wentworth in 1974.

Patricia Forsythe was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1991 until 2006. A member of the Liberal Party, she first ran for parliament in 1984 in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Newcastle. She didn’t run again until 1991 and was elected to the Legislative Council of New South Wales. She was re-elected in 1999. She resigned from parliament on 22 September 2006 to take up the position of Executive Director of the New South Wales Business Chamber.

In 1927 Susan Francis stood as a Labor candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly elections for Bondi. She then stood as a Lang Labor candidate in the Waverley Municipal Council elections of 1932.

A life-time activist for Peace, Barbara (Babs) Fuller-Quinn has been a political and local government figure of distinction: She was elected to the Waverley Council as Alderman from 1977-83 and stood as an ALP candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Vaucluse in 1976 and 1978.

Barbara Fuller-Quinn passed away in May 2020. When she died her family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern.

Gladys Gander was a once only candidate for election to Parliament: a One Nation Party candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly elections for Newcastle in 2003.

Doreen Ghent stood only once for election: as a Liberal candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly elections for Bass Hill in 1971. In 1941 she married John Wentworth Ghent (d. 22 September 2000) who stood for the seat of Bankstown at the same election.

Deirdre Grusovin was a member of the New South Wales parliament for twenty five years. Initially she was elected to the NSW Legislative Council (1978) and remained in office until 1990. During this time Deirdre was appointed Minister for Consumer Affairs and Assistant Minister for Health 1986-88 and Minister for Small Business 1987-88. In 1990 she ran in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Heffron by election and was again successful. She was re-elected in 1991, 1995 and 1999, retiring in 2003.

Edna Kavanagh was an early candidate for election and only ran once: as a Communist Party of Australia candidate in the 1930 New South Wales Legislative Assembly election for Dulwich Hill. She lived most of her life in the fruit growing districts of NSW, at Little Hartley, Bilpin, Young. She had one son, Bill.

Janice Knight ran for election only once. That was in 1991 as an ALP candidate for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Northern Tablelands.

Madge Graham Lee was a Liberal candidate in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Liverpool in 1953. At the time of her campaign, Madge Lee was a mother of four (their father was John Stuart Burman) and married to John Francis Lee, her second husband.

Joan Loew was a well known councillor for the Hurstville City Council (1974-1987). During her time with the council, Joan was appointed Deputy Mayor in 1977, 1978 and 1983, and then Mayor from 1984 to1987. She was however unsuccessful all three times she ran for parliament:
Liberal candidate, New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Rockdale, 1978.
Liberal candidate, New South Wales Senate, 1980.
Independent candidate, New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Hurstville, 1988.

Joan Loew was married to Fred Loew, with whom she had one son and four daughters.