Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Female Leaders of Australia Parties

Also see Australia Ministers

1947-49 Opposition Whip (Liberal) in the Senate Dame Annabella Rankin
1951-66 Government Whip in the Senate
Senator 1947-71, Minister of Housing 1966-71, High Commissioner to New Zealand 1971-76. She lived (1908-1986)  

1976-90 Vice President of the Liberal Party Joy Mein

1980 President of the Communist Party Judy Mundy

1984-85, 1986-87, 1988-91, 1996- President of Australian Democrats Heather Southcotts

1985-90 Deputy Senate Leader of the National Party Senator Lady Florence Bjelke-Petersen

1985-91 Government Whip (Labor) June E. Appley

1986-90 Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Democrats Senator Janine Haines
Senator 1977-90. She lived (1945-2004).

1986-87 Vice President of the National Party Kay Patterson

1987-95 Opposition Whip in the Senate Margaret Reid
Deputy Government Whip in the Senate 1982-83 and Deputy Opposition Whip (Liberal) 1983-87. 1997-2002 Senate President

1987 Vice President of Liberal Party Fran Bailey
1988-89 President of the Party

1990-91 Parliamentary Leader of  the Australian Democrats Senator Janet Powell

1990-? Chairman of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party (Caucus) Carolyn Jakobsen

1990-? Vice-Chairman of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party (Caucus) Elaine Darling

1990-? Secretary of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party (Caucus) Mary Crawford

1993-97 Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Democrats Senator Cheryl Kernot
In 1998 she became MP for Labor

1995-98 Co-Parliamentary Leader of the Greens of Western Australia in The Federal Senate Christabel Chamarette

1995-98 Co-Parliamentary Leader of the Greens of Western Australia in The Federal Senate Dee Margetts

1996-2002 Chairman and Leader of One Nation Pauline Hanson
1996-98 Parliamentary Leader
2007- Leader of the United Australia Party

1996- National President of Progressive Labor Party Mary Lupi

1997-2001 Parliamentary Leader of Australian Democrats Senator Meg Lees
2003-05 Leader of Australian Progressive Alliance
She was excluded from the Democrats in 2002 and later founded the new party but failed to be reelected to the Senate in 2005.

1997-2001 Deputy Parliamentary Leader of Australian Democrats Senator Natasha Stott Despoja
2001-02 Leader
She became Australia's youngest parliamentarian when she was elected to the senate 1995 where she sat until 2008. She stood against the incumbent leader, Meg Lees and won 2001. (b. 1969-)

Ca. 2000 President of National Party Helen Dickie

Ca. 2001-02 Party Whip Australia Democrats in the Senate Vicki Bowne

2001-06 Deputy Leader of Labor and of the Opposition Jenny Macklin
Various posts in the Shadow Ministry and Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs from 2007. (b. 1953-).

2002-04 President of the Australian Democrats Liz Oss-Emer

2002-06 Chief Opposition Whip (Labor) in the House of Representatives Janice Ann Crosio
(Of Labor) Former Temporary Chairperson of Committees

2002-06 Government Whip (Liberal) in the House of Representatives Johanna Gash
Former Temporary Chairperson of Committees.

2002-06 Opposition Whip (Labor)  in the Senate Susan Mary Mackay

2002-04 Deputy Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Democrats and Whip in the Senate Lyn Allison
2004-07 Leader of the Democrats
Her full name is Lynette Fay. Her party lost all their seats in the Senate in the 2007-elections and will leave when the new Senate is sworn in July 2008. (b. 1946-).

2002-04 President of the Australian Democrats Liz Oss-Emer

2002-06 Deputy President of the Australian Democrats Rachael Jacobs
She is Aboriginal

2003-06 Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives Julia Gillard
2006- Deputy Leader of Labor
Shadow Minister for Health and Deputy Prime Minister from 2007.

2004-05 President of the Australian Labor Party Carmen Lawrence
Premier of Western Australia in 1990, Minister in the Federal Government 1994 and was member of the Shadow Government 2000-2002 and Federal MP until 2007. (b. 1948-).

2004- Leader of The Family First Party Andrea Mason
Daughter of a pastor of the Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship.

Last update 26.11.07