Worldwide Guide to Women
in Leadership
Female Australia Local Leaders
Female suffrage 1895 Suffrage and right to strand in South Australia,
Universal federal Suffrage 1902,
all territories 1908, Aboriginals 1962
Governors
1991-96 Governor H.E. The Hon. Dame Roma Flinders Mitchell, South Australia
Former President of the Supreme Court of South Australia. She lived (1918-2000)
1992-97 Governor H.E. The Hon. M.M. Leneen Forde, Queensland
1997- Lieutenant Governor Professor Adrienne
Elizabeth Clarke, Victoria
A scientist with the Plant Cell Biology Research Center at the University of
Melbourne from 1982, received a Personal Chair in Botany at the University of
Melbourne in 1985. (b. 1938-)
2001- Governor H.E. The Hon. Dr Marie Bashir, Lady Shehadie, New South Wales
2001-07 Governor H.E. The Hon. Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, South Australia
2002- Deputy of the Administrator Pat Miller, Northern Territory
2003 Acting Administrator (October-November)
2003-08 Governor H.E. The Hon. Dr Quentin Bryce, Queensland
Governor General of Australia from September 2008.
2008- Governor H.E. The Hon. Dr. Penny Wensley,
Queensland
Ambassador for the Environment 1992-95, Permanent Representative to UN in Génève
and Ambassador of Disarmament 1993-95, Permanent Representative to the United
Nations 1997-2001, Ambassador to India 2001-04, to Bhutan 2003-04, to France
2004-08 and Governor of Queensland from 2008. (b. 1946-).
Premiers/Chief Ministers
1989 The Hon Rosemary Follett, Australian Capital Territory
1991-95 ditto
1990-92 The Hon. Joan Kirner, Victoria
1990-93 The Hon. Carmen Lawrence, Western Australia
1995-2000 The Hon. Kate Carnell, Australian Capital Territory
2001-07 The Hon. Clare Martin, Northern Territory
She also held various other portfolios until she resigned because of a scandal. From 2005 the Oppostion Leader is
Jodeen Carney of the Liberals.
2007- Premier Anna Bligh, Queensland
Minister of Disability Services and Families, Youth and Community Care until
2000. Education Minister 2000-05 and Minister of Arts 2004-05, Deputy Premier
and Minister of Finance, Minister for State Development, Trade and Innovation
2005-07 and Labour Leader from 2007.
2009- Premier Kristina Keneally, New South
Wales
Minister for Ageing and Disability Services 2006-09 and Minister for
Planning, Infrastructure and Redfern Waterloo 2008-09, Labour Leader from 2009.
(b. in USA 1968-).
Deputy Premiers
1996-98 The Hon. Joan Sheldon, Queensland
Treasurer and Minister for The Arts and Women's Policy 1996-98, Leader of the
Parliamentary Liberal Party 1991-98.
1996-98 The Hon. Sue Napier, Tasmania
Parliamentary Leader of the
Parliamentary
Liberal Party from 1999.
2005-07 The Hon. Anna Bligh, Queensland
She was Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Trade and
Innovation. Minister of Disability Services and Families, Youth and Community
Care until 2000. Education Minister 2000-05 and Minister of Arts 2004-05 and
Premier and Labour Leader from 2007.
2006- Katy Gallagher,
Australian Capital Territory
Minister of Education 2004-06 and of Health from 2006 and Deputy Labour Leader.
Mother of 2 children, the youngest born in 2006. (b. 1970-).
2007- Marion Scrymgour, North West Territories
Apart from beeing Deputy
Chief Minister, she is also Indigenous Affairs Minister.
When she became Minister for the first time in 2003, she was the
first indigenous woman to become a minister
in an Australian government. (b. 1960-).
2008- The Hon. Lara Giddings, Tasmania
Minister of Health. (b. 1972 in Papua New Guinea)
2008- The Hon. Carmel Tebbutt, New South
Wales
Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Speakers of Legislatures
1986-89 President of the Legislative Council Anne Levy, South Australia
Member of the Council 1975-97 and held various Ministerial positions 1989-93.
(b. 1934-).
1992-94 Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Roberta McRae, Australian Capital Territory
1996-2000 and
2001-05 Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Loraine M. Braham, Northern Territory
1998-99 President of the Legislative Council
Virginia Anne Chadwick, New South Wales
The Legislative Council is the Upper House
1999-2007 President of the Legislative Council Dr. Meredith Burgmann, MA, PhD, New South Wales
The Legislative Council is the Upper House
2000-01 Acting Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Megan A. Anwyl, Western Australia
2002-06 President of the
Legislative Council Mona Gould, Victoria
Former Minister of Education. The Legislative Council
is the Upper House
2002-06 Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Judy Madisson, Victoria
Former Deputy Speaker of the Lower House.
2005- Speaker of the
Legislative Assembly Jane Aagaard,
Northern Territory
She was Minister of Health and Community Service 2001-04.
2006- Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Jenny Lindell, Victoria
Other leading local women
1968-69 Leader
of the Government in the Legislative Council
Phyllis Benjamin, Tasmania
Labor Member of the upper house 1952-76,
Deputy Leader of the House
1956-1968 and 1972-1976. She lived (1907-96)
Last update 26.10.08