Roberta McRae explained

Roberta McRae
Order:2nd Speaker of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
Predecessor:David Prowse
Successor:Greg Cornwell
Term Start:27 March 1992
Term End:9 March 1995
Order1:Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly
Term Start1:15 February 1992
Term End1:9 March 1995
Predecessor1:Multi-member single constituency
Successor1:Multi-member multiple constituencies
Alongside1:Berry, Carnell, Connolly, Cornwell, De Domenico, Ellis, Follett, Grassby, Humphries, Kaine, Lamont, Moore, Stevenson, Szuty, Westende, Wood
Term Start2:9 March 1995
Term End2:21 February 1998
Predecessor2:Multi-member single constituency
Successor2:Jon Stanhope
Alongside2:Berry, Hird, Horodny, Stefaniak
Constituency2:Ginninderra
Birth Date:1948 9, df=yes
Birth Place:Italy
Nationality:Australian
Party:Labor Party
Alma Mater:Frankston Teachers' College; Armidale College of Advanced Education; Australian National University; Macquarie University
Occupation:Academic; teacher; lawyer; former politician

Roberta McRae (born 6 September 1948 in Italy[1]), former Australian politician, was a member of the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly from 1992 to 1998, elected to the multi-member single constituency Assembly and later elected to represent the multi-member electorate of Ginninderra for the Labor Party. A former teacher, following politics, McRae entered academia.

Biography

Teaching career

McRae was educated in Australia and trained as an infants' teacher at the Teachers' College in, Victoria and commenced teaching at, Victoria in 1970, before relocating to Canberra. By 1972 she taught at primary schools in and . In 1973 McRae travelled to Malaysia with Australian Volunteers Abroad and taught English as a second language at the Mara Institute of Technology. She returned to Australia in 1974, gained employment as public servant in the Department of Education and developed curriculum materials for the teaching of English as a second language (ESL) in Australian primary schools. From 1976 to 1989, McRae was employed by the Canberra College Technical and Further Education and the University of Canberra to train ESL teachers and also completed a Graduate Diploma in Multicultural Studies at the College of Advanced Education in, New South Wales and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts at the Australian National University in 1984.[1]

McRae worked as a speechwriter in the early days of the first ACT Administration, and in the Australian Public Service Commission where she managed a major review of the impact of Equal Employment Opportunity programs on people of non-English speaking backgrounds.

Political career

McRae was initially elected to the second ACT Legislative Assembly at the 1992 general election, and elected to represent Ginninderra in the Assembly in 1995 general election.[2] McRae contested the 1998 ACT general election, however was unsuccessful in retaining her seat.[3] During her term in the Assembly, McRae served as Speaker of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly,[4] and was responsible for the successful 12 million project to create a permanent home of the Assembly.

Career after politics

McRae worked initially with the Education Network of Australia and then the Department of Health and Aged Care as a deputy director. McRae returned to study and by 2003 had completed a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice at the Australian National University and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Macquarie University. She commenced employment as a lawyer specialising in residential and commercial property conveyancing and commercial law before teaching real estate and property law at the Australian National University on a casual basis. Since 2010 McRae has lectured in property law at the Australian National University, College of Law.[5]

Honours

In 1990, McRae was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to migrant assistance.[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Members of the Second Assembly . . April 1993 . 8 December 2013.
  2. Web site: Members of the ACT Legislative Assembly . . 2008 . 6 August 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110217044100/http://www.legassembly.act.gov.au/education/memlist/memlist.pdf . 17 February 2011 . dmy-all .
  3. Web site: Electorate of Ginninderra Distribution of preferences . 1998 Election . . 1998 . 6 August 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110228113108/http://www.elections.act.gov.au/elections/1998/voting_98.html . 28 February 2011 . dmy-all.
  4. Web site: Proceedings – Election of Speaker . . 3 . . 27 March 1992 . 3 August 2010.
  5. Web site: Roberta McRae . College of Law . . 2013 . 8 December 2013.
  6. Web site: 26 January 1990 . McRae, Roberta (search) . It's an Honour . . 6 August 2010.