The Australian Women's Register

A member of the Australian Labor Party from 1971, Margaret Ray served as the member for Box Hill in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament from 1982 to 1992. She was defeated at the state election, which was held on 3 October 1992.

A member of the Australian Labor Party from 1972, Kay Setches served as the member for Ringwood in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament from 1982-92. She held the portfolios of Conservation, Forests and Land from 1988-90, Community Services from 1990-92 and was Minister Responsible for Child Care 1991-92.On the abolition of the seat of Ringwood she unsuccessfully contested the seat of Bayswater at the state election, which was held on 3 October 1992.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Jan Wilson’s political experience encompassed both local and state politics. She served as the member for Dandenong North in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian parliament from 1985 until her retirement in 1999, and was a City of Dandenong Councillor from 1978-86.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Beth Gleeson served as the member for Thomastown in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian parliament from 1985-89. She died in office in December 1989.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Rosemary Varty served as the member for Nunawading Province in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament from 1985 to 1992 and for Silvan from 1992 to 1999. She held the position of Parliamentary Secretary to Cabinet from 1992 to 1999.

A member of the Liberal party of Australia, Marie Tehan served in both Houses of the Victorian Parliament. She was the Member for Central Highlands in the Legislative Council from 1987-92 and for Seymour in the Legislative Assembly from 1992 until 1999, when she retired. As a minister in the Kennett Liberal Government she held the portfolios of Minister for Health from 1992-96 and Minister for Conservation and Land Management from 1996-99.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Lorraine Elliott served as the member for Mooroolbark in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament from 1992-2002. She held the position of Victorian Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier for the Arts from 1996-99. She stood unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Liberal Party of Australia in the seat of Kilsyth at the 2002 state election, which was held on 30 November 2002.The seat of Mooroolbark was abolished in an electoral redistribution in 2001.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Ann Henderson was an unsuccessful candidate in the Legislative Assembly seat of Geelong at the Victorian state election which was held in 1988. She won the seat at the 1992 election and served as the member for Geelong in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament from 1992 until 1999, when she was defeated. She achieved ministerial status as Minister for Housing and Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs from 1996-99.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Carole Marple served as the Member for Altona in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament from 1992 to 1996. She held the shadow portfolio of Agriculture and Rural Affairs from 1993 to 1996. At the 1996 election, which was held on 30 March, she stood in the Legislative Council Province of Geelong, but was unsuccessful.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Denise McGill served as the Member for Oakleigh in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament from 1992-99. Her previous public work included a period as an Oakleigh City Councillor from 1987-94 and as Mayor from 1990-91. She was a candidate in the Legislative Council Province of Waverley at the state election, which was held on 30 November 2002.

Mollie Dyer, of Yorta Yorta descent, was instrumental in establishing the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) in 1977, and became its first Program Director. She fostered 20 children from Aboriginal communities in Victoria, as well as having six of her own. She advocated for the adoption legislation in Victoria to prevent Aboriginal families unnecessarily surrendering their children and was involved with the establishment of the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) in the early 1980s.

Dyer received an Advance Australia medal and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1979 for ‘her outstanding contribution to the advancement and enrichment of Australia, its people and its way of life’.

Mollie Dyer died in 1998 after a long illness.

Marjorie Thorpe, a descendant of the Gunnai and Maar people of Southern Australia, was born and raised in Yallourn, Victoria. She was a director of the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) and Coordinator of the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC). She also held the positions of Victorian Co-Commissioner for the Stolen Generations Inquiry and Council member for the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Leonie Burke served as the Member for Prahran in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament from 1996-2002. She was a Prahran City Councillor from 1986-93 which included a term as Mayor from 1990-92.

Susan Davies served as the member for Gippsland West as an Independent in the Legislative Assembly in the Victorian Parliament from 1997-2002. She stood for re-election in 2002, but was unsuccessful. She had previously been a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and stood as the ALP candidate for Gippsland West in the 1996 state election, but resigned in January 1997. She rejoined the ALP to contest the federal election in 2004 for the seat of La Trobe, in which she was unsuccessful.

Although no longer involved in parliamentary politics, Susan remains active in the community that she served. In 2006 she was a Director of the Bass Coast Community Foundation, which she established in 2001, and in 2005 she initiated the Wonthaggi Energy Innovation Festival, which is an extension of the Wonthaggi Human Powered Grand Prix (of which she is a Patron and Management Committee Member.)

Susan Davies was National Manager of HIPPY Australia (HIPPY= Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters), with the Brotherhood of St Laurence. HIPPY is an early childhood enrichment program which works with refugee, migrant, aboriginal and other families helping parents improve their children’s “school readiness” skills. She left that position in 2008.

Since that time she has been living full-time and working on her small beef farm in Outtrim (South Gippsland, Victoria), and has continued as a Director on several boards, including West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (Victorian Government appointment), South Gippsland General Practice Alliance (Independent appointment) and since 2009, as Chair of Energy Innovation Co-operative Ltd. Energy Innovation Co-op works within South Gippsland/ Bass Coast and Cardinia Shires, to achieve the vision of “Energy self-reliant and zero carbon emission local communities”.

She also belongs to “Grow Lightly”, a local food-producer’s network focusing on sustainable local food production and sale plus Korumburra Landcare group, participating in indigenous re-vegetation projects along local waterways.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Maree Luckins served as the member for Waverley in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament from 1996-2002. Before her election to the State Parliament in 1996, she was an unsuccessful candidate in the Legislative Assembly seat of Dandenong North at the election, which was held on 3 October 1992. She unsuccessfully contested the Legislative Assembly seat of Narre Warren in the Victorian state election, which was held on 30 November 2002.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Louise Asher held the Ministerial portfolios of Tourism and Small Business from 1996 to 1999 in the Kennett Government, which was in power in Victoria 1992-99. She served as the Member for Monash Province in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament from 1992 to 1999 and moved to the Legislative Assembly as the Member for Brighton in 1999 and was re-elected in 2002 and 2006. She held the positions of Shadow Minister for Industry and Employment and Major Projects from January 2004 to December 2006 and was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Minister for Urban Water, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Shadow Minister for Tourism and Major Events from 2006 to 2010. She was re-elected in 2010 and was appointed the Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business as well as Minister for Tourism and Major Events in the new Liberal Government. In addition she retained the position of Deputy leader of the Liberal Party.

On the defeat of the Liberal Government in November 2014, and Asher’s re-election, she resigned as deputy leader of the Liberal Party.

Louise Asher was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2022 for significant service to the people and Parliament of Victoria.

Violet Jones enlisted with the Australian Army Nursing Service on December 15, 1941. She was attached to the 115 General Hospital in Heidelberg, Victoria.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Helen Shardey was elected as the Member for Caulfield in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament in 1996. She was re-elected in 1999, 2002 and 2006. In 2002 she was appointed Shadow Minister for Community Services, and in 2005 became Shadow Minister for Health.
Before her election to the State Parliament, Helen Shardey was an unsuccessful candidate in the Legislative Assembly seat of Box Hill at the Victorian state election, which was held on 1 October 1988.

Jacinta Allan was the first member of the Australian Labor Party and the first woman to be elected to the seat of Bendigo East in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament at the election of 1999. She held several ministerial portfolios before becoming Deputy Premier in June 2022. Allan was elected unopposed as the Leader of the Labor Party and 49th Premier of Victoria on Daniel Andrew’s resignation in September 2023. She is the second woman, after Joan Kirner, to lead the state of Victoria.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Liz Beattie served as the Member for Tullamarine in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament from 1999 until 2002 when an electoral redistribution created the seat of Yuroke. She was re-elected to the Victorian Parliament as the Member for Yuroke in 2002. She held the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Sport and the Commonwealth Games in 2002. After the 2002 election she assumed the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Education. She was re-elected in November 2006 and held the position of Parliamentary Secretary assisting the Premier on Multicultural Affairs from August 2007-January 2010. She was re-elected in November 2010 when the Labor Government was defeated, but retired at the 2014 election when the ALP returned to government.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Andrea Coote was elected to the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament in 1999 as the Member for Monash Province. Andrea was a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee that investigated Child Abuse in Non-Government Institutions, contributing to the landmark Betrayal of Trust Report (2013). She was elected to the new Legislative Council Province of Southern Metropolitan at the state election, which was held on 25 November 2006. She was re-elected in 2010, but retired at the 2014 election. A complete record of her parliamentary service, including a link to her first speech, can be found on the Victorian Parliament site (see link below).

In the 2026 Australia Day Honours she was appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) ‘for significant service to the people and Parliament of Victoria, and to the aged care sector.’

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Kaye Darveniza was elected as the Member for Melbourne West Province in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament in 1999. She held the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier from December 1999-December 2006. After her election to the newly formed Legislative Council Region of Northern Victoria at the state election, which was held on 25 November 2006, she was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary, Regional Development from December 2006-August 2007. She held the portfolio of Parliamentary Secretary, Regional and Rural Development from August 2007-January 2010. From January-December 2010 she was Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, when the ALP government was defeated. She retired from parliament on 29 November 2014.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Lily D’Ambrosio was elected as the Member for Mill Park in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria in November 2002. She was re-elected at the 2006 election, in November 2010 and again in November 2014. She currently holds the Ministerial portfolios of Industry and Energy and Resources in the Labor government, which assumed office in November 2014.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Jo Duncan was elected as the Member for Gisborne in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament in September 1999. On the abolition of the electorate of Gisborne in a redistribution in 2002, Duncan was elected as the Member for Macedon in the same year. She was re-elected in 2006 and again in November 2010. She retired from parliament in November 2014.

Dianne Hadden was the Independent member for Ballarat Province in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament until 2006. She was elected as a Labor Member in 1999, but resigned from the Australian Labor Party in 2005. She unsuccessfully contested the 2006 state election, held on 25 November, as an Independent in the Legislative Assembly seat of Ballarat East.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Jenny Lindell was elected as the Member for Carrum in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament at the 1999 election and was re-elected in 2002 and 2006. She was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in December 2006 and served in that position until her defeat at the 2010 election.

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.