The Australian Women's Register

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Tammy Lobato was elected as the Member for Gembrook in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria in 2002. She was re-elected at the election, which was held on 25 November 2006, but was defeated at the election which was held in November 2010.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Jenny Mikakos was elected as the Member for the Province of Jika Jika in the Parliament of Victoria in 1999. She held the position of Parliamentary Secretary, Justice in the Bracks , later Brumby Labor Government, from December 2002 until August 2007. She assumed the position of Parliamentary Secretary, Planning in August 2007. She was elected to the newly created Northern Metropolitan Region at the 2006 state election. She was re-elected in 2010 when the Labor government was defeated and again in 2014 when the Labor party returned to power. She currently holds the ministerial portfolios of Families and Children, and Youth Affairs.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Karen Overington was elected as the Member for Ballarat West in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria in September 1999, after an initial attempt to win the seat in 1992. She was re-elected in November 2002 and again in 2006. Previously she had served in Local Government as Councillor for the Boroughs of Sebastopol, 1982-94, the City of Ballarat, 1996-99 and as Mayor of Sebastopol from 1990-91. She retired from parliament at the 2010 election and died on 11 August 2011.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Glenyys Romanes was elected as the Member for Melbourne Province in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament in September 1999 and was re-elected in November 2002. She stood unsuccessfully for the Legislative Council Region of Eastern Victoria at the 2006 election, which was held on 25 November. Before entering Parliament she served as Councillor on the Brunswick City Council, 1991-94, as Mayor 1993-94, and as Councillor, Moreland City Council 1996-99.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Dympna Beard was elected as the Member for Kilsyth in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria in 2002.She was defeated at the 2006 election, which was held on 25 November.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Helen Buckingham was elected as the Member for Koonung Province in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament in 2002. Before her election to parliament, she served on the Nunawading Council from 1997-2003, and as mayor from 1998-99. She retired from parliament in November 2006.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Anne Eckstein was elected as the Member for Ferntree Gully in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria in 2002. She was defeated at the 2006 election, which was held on 25 November.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Danielle Green was elected as the Member for Yan Yean in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria in 2002. She was re-elected in 2006, November 2010 and November 2014, when the ALP was returned to power. She currently holds the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Major Events and Regional Victoria.

Australia’s first world champion skier, Kirstie Marshall won seventeen World Cup gold medals. She was named Australian Skier of the Year six times and Victorian Sportswoman of the Year four times. A member of the Australian Labor Party, Marshall was elected as the Member for Forest Hill in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria in 2002, and re-elected in 2006. She retired at the November 2010 election.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Janice Munt was elected as the Member for Mordialloc in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria in 2002. She was re-elected at the 2006 election, which was held on 25 November, but was defeated at the November 2010 election. She was Parliamentary secretary for Health from January 2010 until she left parliament. Her first attempt to enter parliament was in 1999, when she stood unsuccessfully for the Legislative Assembly seat of Sandringham.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Denise Allen was elected as the Member for Benalla in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria at a by-election in 2000 after an initial unsuccessful attempt at the 1999 election. She was defeated at the 2002 election. In a change of party membership, she stood unsuccessfully as a candidate for the People Power Party in the Legislative Council Region of Northern Victoria at the Victorian state election, which was held on 25 November 2006.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Rosy Buchanan was elected as the Member for Hastings in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria in 2002. She was defeated at the 2006 election.

Sue Arnold is a committed environmentalist. She ran as a member of the Timbarra Clean Water Party for Ballina in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly (1999) and was a Democrat candidate in the New South Wales Senate in 1990 and in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Coffs Harbour in 1991.

A once-only candidate in the unwinnable seat of Upper Hunter for the ALP in 1995.

Jennie Birch was a once only candidate for election and is well known in the developing olive oil industry in Australia. She represented the Australian Democrats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Barwon in 1991. She failed to be elected.

A member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), Carolyn Hirsh’s parliamentary career began when she was elected as the Member for Wantirna in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria in 1985 after standing for that seat unsuccessfully at the 1982 election. She was re-elected in 1988, but defeated in 1992 when she stood as an ALP candidate for the seat of Knox. In an attempt to move into the federal parliament, she unsuccessfully contested the seat of La Trobe at both the 1996 and 1998 elections. Returning to the state parliament, she was elected as the Member for Silvan in the Legislative Council in 2002. She resigned from the ALP in 2004 and continued in parliament as an Independent until she rejoined the party in November 2005. She did not contest the 2006 state election.

Judy Lambert was a once only candidate for election to the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales when she stood as a Greens candidate in 1999 for the seat of Manly. She has however, been a local government councillor for two terms (Manly Council, 1999-2007) and is an outstanding environmental scientist.

Jillian Skinner, a Liberal Party member, has been a well known and active Member of Parliament for more than twenty years.. However in her first two attempts to enter parliament via the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of North Shore (1984 and 1988) were unsuccessful. Jillian’s luck finally changed in 1994 when she won the seat at the by-election. She was re-elected to the seat in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015. Throughout this time Jillian has held the following appointments:
Shadow Minister for Youth Affairs, 1995-1999, 2002-2003.
Shadow Minister for Health, 1995-2003, September 2005 to date.
Shadow Minister for Education and Training 2003-2005.
Shadow Minister for the Arts 2003-2008.
Shadow Minister for School Education April-September 2005.
Minister for Medical Research 2011-2015.
Minister for Health, 2011-

A pioneer for women doctors and a tireless committee-woman, Lucy Gullett was inspired by the success of the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital in Melbourne to found a hospital run by women for women. The Rachel Forster Hospital for Women and Children, as it became, opened in 1922. Gullett was also a one-time candidate (Independent) for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of North Sydney in 1932.

Judy Hopwood was successful at her first campaign where she was a Liberal Party candidate in the 2002 New South Wales Legislative Assembly Hornsby by-election. She was re-elected to the seat the following year during the full elections. She was re-elected again in 2007. She retired from Parliament at the 2011 election.

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.

Nelle Rickie was an activist, and a once only candidate. That was for the Communist Party in the elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Botany in 1925. Nelle was an actress prior to 1914 and jointed the Victorian Socialist Party in 1916, becoming a committee member. She was also a member of the Women’s Socialist league and opposed conscription in the 1917 referendum. She was imprisoned in 1918 for flying the red flag. Nelle Rickie became a delegate to the Melbourne Trades Hall Council from the Theatrical Employees’ Union and was a foundation member of the Melbourne branch of the Communist party of Australia. She was also a member of its central executive in 1924. She moved to New South Wales in 1924 and was associated with the Newcastle Trades and Labour Council and the local Workers Club.

Gail Schwarze has run only once for parliament when she ran for the Christian Democrat Party in the 2003 elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Albury. At the time of her campaign, she had lived in Albury for seven years, but was born and educated (Diploma in Counselling and Family Therapy) in Melbourne. She has also lived in New Zealand, and in country Australia at Bathurst. She is married and has two children.

Christine Townend was a passionate woman whose life and talents were devoted to the cause of animal care and liberation. As an Australian Democrats member she contested the following elections: New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Willoughby 1978, 1984; House of Representatives, Grayndler, 1977; Senate, NSW, 1983. In 1988 Christine stood on behalf of the Environment Group in the New South Wales Legislative Council elections.

Matilda Ann Aston (December 11, 1873 – November, 1947), better known as Tilly Aston, was a blind Australian writer and teacher. She founded the Victorian Association of Braille Writers (which became the Victorian Braille Library) and then went on to establish the Association for the Advancement of the Blind, assuming the post of secretary.

Tilly’s energy was unbounded and her achievements (along with those of her co-workers) to promote the human rights of vision impaired people were plentiful. They include:

• Successfully lobbying for the world’s first free post system for braille (and later talking) books.
• Gaining free public transport for blind people.
• Achieving the right to vote for blind people.
• Lobbying for the repeal of the bounty system which meant blind people had to pay hefty levies before they could travel interstate
• Gaining Government approval for a pension for all legally blind people.

Marian Eldridge was an acclaimed short-story writer, novelist and poet, and was instrumental in establishing the ACT Writers Centre. Her legacy is the Marian Eldridge Award to nurture promising women writers.

(This entry is sponsored by generous donation from Christine Foley.)

Dorothy Johnston is an award-winning novelist, poet, short story writer, and author of reviews and literary essays. Her crime writing portrays the darker side of Canberra.

(This entry is sponsored by generous donation from Christine Foley.)