Women in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly explained

There have been 92 women in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly since its establishment in 1856. Women have had the right to vote in the assembly since 1902 and the right to stand as a candidate since 1918.

The first successful candidate for the Legislative Assembly was Millicent Preston-Stanley, who was elected as a Nationalist representative for the multi-member electorate of Eastern Suburbs in 1925, but only lasted one term before being defeated. Fourteen years later, Mary Quirk held the seat of Balmain for Labor after the death of her husband, becoming the first Labor woman in the Assembly. However, successful women candidates in the Legislative Assembly remained few and far between until the 1980s.[1]

In the early 1980s, women began to break through into senior positions in the state; Janice Crosio became the first woman to serve as a minister in state parliament, serving in the Wran Labor ministry, and she was followed on the conservative side of politics by Rosemary Foot, who served as the deputy leader of the Liberal Party for a time. In 1996, Liberal Kerry Chikarovski became the first woman to lead a major party in New South Wales, although she was deposed in 2003.

In 2009, Labor's Kristina Keneally became the first woman to serve as Premier of New South Wales. Both the offices of Premier and Deputy Premier were held by women from 2009 until 2011, the first in Australian history. In 2011, Shelley Hancock was elected as the first female Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. In 2017, Gladys Berejiklian became the first Liberal woman to be elected as Premier of New South Wales and first female Liberal premier of any Australian state.

While there had been a number of women elected to the Legislative Council throughout the middle of the twentieth century, it was only at the 1988 state election that numbers began to grow in the Legislative Assembly. Seven women had been elected in the previous 132 years; six more joined them the 1988 election. Numbers have improved substantially in recent years, with women now occupying 27 Assembly seats in the current parliament. Linda Burney is the only Indigenous Australian woman to have been elected to the New South Wales Parliament.

List of women in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly

Names in bold indicate women who have been appointed as Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries during their time in Parliament. Names in italics indicate entry into Parliament through a by-election and * symbolises members that have sat as members in both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.

NamePartyElectoral districtPeriod of service
1Millicent Preston-StanleyNationalistEastern Suburbs30 May 1925  - 7 September 1927 (defeated)
2Mary QuirkLaborBalmain14 January 1939  - 22 May 1950 (defeated)
3Lilian FowlerLang LaborNewtown27 May 1944  - 22 May 1950 (defeated)
4Mary MeillonLiberalMurray10 October 1973  - 9 June 1980 (died)
5Rosemary FootLiberalVaucluse7 October 1978  - 13 February 1986 (retired)
6Janice CrosioLaborFairfield19 September 1981  - 16 February 1990 (resigned)
7Wendy MachinNationalGloucester
Manning
Port Macquarie		12 October 1985  - 28 August 1996 (resigned)
8Pam AllanLaborWentworthville
Blacktown		19 March 1988  - 24 March 2007 (retired)
Anne CohenLiberalMinchinbury
Badgerys Creek		19 March 1988  - 25 March 1995 (defeated)
Dawn FraserIndependentBalmain19 March 1988  - 25 May 1991 (defeated)
Clover MooreIndependentBligh
Sydney		19 March 1988  - 20 September 2012 (resigned)
Sandra NoriLaborMcKell
Port Jackson		19 March 1988  - 24 March 2007 (retired)
13Robyn ReadIndependentNorth Shore5 November 1988  - 25 May 1991 (defeated)
14Deirdre Grusovin *LaborHeffron23 June 1990  - 22 March 2003 (retired)
15Kerry ChikarovskiLiberalLane Cove25 May 1991  - 22 March 2003 (retired)
Liz KernohanLiberalCamden25 May 1991  - 22 March 2003 (retired)
Faye Lo Po'LaborPenrith25 May 1991  - 22 March 2003 (retired)
18Jillian SkinnerLiberalNorth Shore5 February 1994  - 20 February 2017 (resigned)
19Gabrielle HarrisonLaborParramatta27 August 1994  - 22 March 2003 (retired)
20Reba MeagherLaborCabramatta22 October 1994  - 17 September 2008 (resigned)
21Marie AndrewsLaborPeats
Gosford		25 March 1995  - 26 March 2011 (retired)
Diane BeamerLaborBadgerys Creek
Mulgoa		25 March 1995  - 26 March 2011 (retired)
Marie FicarraLiberalGeorges River25 March 1995  - 27 March 1999 (defeated)
Jill HallLaborSwansea25 March 1995  - 1 September 1998 (resigned)
25Peta SeatonLiberalSouthern Highlands25 May 1996  - 24 March 2007 (retired)
26Lorna StoneLiberalSutherland20 December 1997  - 27 March 1999 (defeated)
27Cherie BurtonLaborKogarah27 March 1999  - 28 March 2015 (retired)
Katrina HodgkinsonNationalBurrinjuck
Cootamundra		27 March 1999  - 1 September 2017 (resigned)
Alison MegarrityLaborMenai27 March 1999  - 26 March 2011 (retired)
Marianne SalibaLaborIllawarra27 March 1999  - 24 March 2007 (retired)
31Barbara PerryLaborAuburn8 September 2001  - 28 March 2015 (retired)
32Judy HopwoodLiberalHornsby23 February 2002  - 26 March 2011 (retired)
33Gladys BerejiklianLiberalWilloughby22 March 2003  - 30 December 2021 (resigned)
Linda BurneyLaborCanterbury22 March 2003  - 6 May 2016 (resigned)
Angela D'AmoreLaborDrummoyne22 March 2003  - 26 March 2011 (retired)
Tanya GadielLaborParramatta22 March 2003  - 26 March 2011 (retired)
Shelley HancockLiberalSouth Coast22 March 2003  - 25 March 2023 (retired)
Noreen HayLaborWollongong22 March 2003  - 31 August 2016 (resigned)
Virginia JudgeLaborStrathfield22 March 2003  - 26 March 2011 (defeated)
Kristina KeneallyLaborHeffron22 March 2003  - 29 June 2012 (resigned)
Karyn PaluzzanoLaborPenrith22 March 2003  - 7 May 2010 (resigned)
42Dawn FardellIndependentDubbo20 November 2004  - 26 March 2011 (defeated)
43Carmel TebbuttLaborMarrickville17 September 2005  - 28 March 2015 (retired)
44Verity Firth LaborBalmain24 March 2007  - 26 March 2011 (defeated)
Pru GowardLiberalGoulburn24 March 2007  - 23 March 2019 (retired)
Sonia Hornery LaborWallsend24 March 2007  -
Jodi McKay LaborNewcastle
Strathfield		24 March 2007  - 26 March 2011 (defeated)
28 March 2015  - 31 December 2021 (resigned)
Lylea McMahon LaborShellharbour24 March 2007  - 26 March 2011 (retired)
49Tanya DaviesLiberalMulgoa
Badgerys Creek		26 March 2011  -
Melanie GibbonsLiberalMenai
Holsworthy		26 March 2011  - 25 March 2023 (lost renomination)
Tania MihailukLaborBankstown26 March 2011  - 25 March 2023 (resigned to run for LC)
Robyn Parker *LiberalMaitland26 March 2011  - 28 March 2015 (retired)
Roza SageLiberalBlue Mountains26 March 2011  - 28 March 2015 (defeated)
Gabrielle UptonLiberalVaucluse26 March 2011  - 25 March 2023 (retired)
Anna WatsonLaborShellharbour26 March 2011  -
Leslie WilliamsNational/LiberalPort Macquarie26 March 2011  -
57Jodie HarrisonLaborCharlestown26 October 2014  -
58Jenny AitchisonMaitland28 March 2015  -
Prue CarLondonderry
Yasmin CatleySwansea
Trish DoyleBlue Mountains
Julia FinnGranville
Jo HaylenSummer Hill
Jenny LeongGreensNewtown
Eleni PetinosLiberalMiranda
Melinda PaveyNationalOxley28 March 2015  - 25 March 2023 (retired)
Kathy SmithLaborGosford28 March 2015  - 14 February 2017 (resigned)
Tamara SmithGreensBallina28 March 2015  -
Kate WashingtonLaborPort Stephens
70Sophie CotsisCanterbury12 November 2016  -
71Liesl TeschGosford8 April 2017  -
Felicity WilsonLiberalNorth Shore
73Steph CookeNationalCootamundra14 October 2017  -
74Helen DaltonSFF/IndependentMurray23 March 2019  -
Wendy LindsayLiberalEast Hills23 March 2019  - 25 March 2023 (defeated)
Marjorie O'NeillLaborCoogee23 March 2019  -
Robyn PrestonLiberalHawkesbury
Janelle SaffinLaborLismore
Wendy TuckermanLiberalGoulburn
Lynda VoltzLaborAuburn
81Nichole OverallNationalMonaro12 February 2022  - 25 March 2023 (defeated)
82Tina AyyadLiberalHolsworthy25 March 2023  -
Liza ButlerLaborSouth Coast
Donna DavisParramatta
Stephanie Di PasquaLiberalDrummoyne
Judy HannanIndependentWollondilly
Charishma KaliyandaLaborLiverpool
Karen McKeownPenrith
Sally QuinnellCamden
Kobi ShettyGreensBalmain
Kellie SloaneLiberalVaucluse
Maryanne StuartLaborHeathcote
Tanya ThompsonNationalMyall Lakes
Kylie WilkinsonLaborEast Hills

Timeline

ImageSize = width:1100 height:auto barincrement:12PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:200 left:20AlignBars = early

DateFormat = yyyyPeriod = from:1920 till:2025TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1920

Colors = id:NA value:oceanblue legend: Nationalist Party of Australia id:AL value:red legend: Australian Labor Party id:LL value:magenta legend: Lang Labor id:LP value:blue legend: Liberal Party of Australia id:NP value:teal legend: National Party of Australia id:AG value:brightgreen legend: Australian Greens id:SF value:pink legend: Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Party id:ID value:gray(0.6) legend: Independent

Legend = columns:3 left:150 top:50 columnwidth:200

BarData = barset:MLAs bar:McKay barset:MLAs2 bar:Williams barset:MLAs3 bar:Dalton barset:MLAs4

PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till barset:MLAs from:1925 till:1927 color:NA text:"Millicent Preston-Stanley (1925–1927)" from:1939 till:1950 color:AL text:"Mary Quirk (1939–1950)" from:1944 till:1950 color:LL text:"Lilian Fowler (1944–1950)" from:1973 till:1980 color:LP text:"Mary Meillon (1973–1980)" from:1978 till:1986 color:LP text:"Rosemary Foot (1978–1986)" from:1981 till:1990 color:AL text:"Janice Crosio (1981–1990)" from:1985 till:1996 color:NP text:"Wendy Machin (1985–1996)" from:1988 till:2007 color:AL text:"Pam Allan (1988–2007)" from:1988 till:1995 color:LP text:"Anne Cohen (1988–1995)" from:1988 till:1991 color:ID text:"Dawn Fraser (1988–1991)" from:1988 till:2012 color:ID text:"Clover Moore (1988–2012)" from:1988 till:2007 color:AL text:"Sandra Nori (1988–2007)" from:1988 till:1991 color:ID text:"Robyn Read (1988–1991)" from:1990 till:2003 color:AL text:"Deirdre Grusovin (1990–2003)" from:1991 till:2003 color:LP text:"Kerry Chikarovski (1991–2003)" from:1991 till:2003 color:LP text:"Liz Kernohan (1991–2003)" from:1991 till:2003 color:AL text:"Faye Lo Po' (1991–2003)" from:1994 till:2017 color:LP text:"Jillian Skinner (1994–2017)" from:1994 till:2003 color:AL text:"Gabrielle Harrison (1994–2003)" from:1994 till:2008 color:AL text:"Reba Meagher (1994–2008)" from:1995 till:2011 color:AL text:"Marie Andrews (1995–2011)" from:1995 till:2011 color:AL text:"Diane Beamer (1995–2011)" from:1995 till:1999 color:LP text:"Marie Ficarra (1995–1999)" from:1995 till:1998 color:AL text:"Jill Hall (1995–1998)" from:1996 till:2007 color:LP text:"Peta Seaton (1996–2007)" from:1997 till:1999 color:LP text:"Lorna Stone (1997–1999)" from:1999 till:2015 color:AL text:"Cherie Burton (1999–2015) from:1999 till:2017 color:NP text:"Katrina Hodgkinson (1999–2017)" from:1999 till:2011 color:AL text:"Alison Megarrity (1999–2011)" from:1999 till:2007 color:AL text:"Marianne Saliba (1999–2007)" from:2001 till:2015 color:AL text:"Barbara Perry (2001–2015)" from:2002 till:2011 color:LP text:"Judy Hopwood (2002–2011)" from:2003 till:2021 color:LP text:"Gladys Berejiklian (2003–2021)" from:2003 till:2016 color:AL text:"Linda Burney (2003–2016)" from:2003 till:2011 color:AL text:"Angela D'Amore (2003–2011)" from:2003 till:2011 color:AL text:"Tanya Gadiel (2003–2011)" from:2003 till:2023 color:LP text:"Shelley Hancock (2003–2023)" from:2003 till:2016 color:AL text:"Noreen Hay (2003–2016)" from:2003 till:2011 color:AL text:"Virginia Judge (2003–2011)" from:2003 till:2012 color:AL text:"Kristina Keneally (2003–2012)" from:2003 till:2010 color:AL text:"Karyn Paluzzano (2003–2010)" from:2004 till:2011 color:ID text:"Dawn Fardell (2004–2011)" from:2005 till:2015 color:AL text:"Carmel Tebbutt (2005–2015)" from:2007 till:2011 color:AL text:"Verity Firth (2007–2011)" from:2007 till:2019 color:LP text:"Pru Goward (2007–2019)" from:2007 till:2023 color:AL text:"Sonia Hornery (2007–present)" bar:McKay from:2007 till:2011 color:AL text: from:2015 till:2021 color:AL text:"Jodi McKay (2007–2011, 2015–2021)" barset:MLAs2 from:2007 till:2011 color:AL text:"Lylea McMahon (2007–2011)" from:2011 till:2023 color:LP text:"Tanya Davies (2011–present)" from:2011 till:2023 color:LP text:"Melanie Gibbons (2011–2023)" from:2011 till:2023 color:AL text:"Tania Mihailuk (2011–2023)" from:2011 till:2015 color:LP text:"Robyn Parker (2011–2015)" from:2011 till:2015 color:LP text:"Roza Sage (2011–2015)" from:2011 till:2023 color:LP text:"Gabrielle Upton (2011–2023)" from:2011 till:2023 color:AL text:"Anna Watson (2011–present)" bar:Williams from:2011 till:2020 color:NP text: from:2020 till:2023 color:LP text:"Leslie Williams (2011–present)" barset:MLAs3 from:2014 till:2023 color:AL text:"Jodie Harrison (2014–present)" from:2015 till:2023 color:AL text:"Jenny Aitchison (2015–present)" from:2015 till:2023 color:AL text:"Prue Car (2015–present)" from:2015 till:2023 color:AL text:"Yasmin Catley (2015–present)" from:2015 till:2023 color:AL text:"Trish Doyle (2015–present)" from:2015 till:2023 color:AL text:"Julia Finn (2015–present)" from:2015 till:2023 color:AL text:"Jo Haylen (2015–present)" from:2015 till:2023 color:AG text:"Jenny Leong (2015–present)" from:2015 till:2023 color:LP text:"Eleni Petinos (2015–present)" from:2015 till:2023 color:NP text:"Melinda Pavey (2015–2023)" from:2015 till:2017 color:AL text:"Kathy Smith (2015–2017)" from:2015 till:2023 color:AG text:"Tamara Smith (2015–present)" from:2015 till:2023 color:AL text:"Kate Washington (2015–present)" from:2016 till:2023 color:AL text:"Sophie Cotsis (2016–present)" from:2017 till:2023 color:AL text:"Liesl Tesch (2017–present)" from:2017 till:2023 color:LP text:"Felicity Wilson (2017–present)" from:2017 till:2023 color:NP text:"Steph Cooke (2017–present)" bar:Dalton from:2019 till:2022 color:SF text: from:2022 till:2023 color:ID text:"Helen Dalton (2019–present)" barset:MLAs4 from:2019 till:2023 color:LP text:"Wendy Lindsay (2019–2023)" from:2019 till:2023 color:AL text:"Marjorie O'Neill (2019–present)" from:2019 till:2023 color:LP text:"Robyn Preston (2019–present)" from:2019 till:2023 color:AL text:"Janelle Saffin (2019–present)" from:2019 till:2023 color:LP text:"Wendy Tuckerman (2019–present)" from:2019 till:2023 color:AL text:"Lynda Voltz (2019–present)" from:2022 till:2023 color:NP text:"Nichole Overall (2022–2023)" barset:skip

Proportion of women in the Assembly

Numbers and proportions are as they were directly after the relevant election and do not take into account by-elections, defections or other changes in membership. The Liberal column also includes that party's predecessors, the Nationalist, United Australia and Democratic parties.

Term colspan=3Labor colspan=3Liberal colspan=3National colspan=3OthersTotal
WomenTotal%WomenTotal%WomenTotal%WomenTotal%WomenTotal%
1925–1927 align=right0 align=right46 align=right0.0% align=right1 align=right32 align=right3.1% align=right0 align=right9 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right3 align=right0.0%1 90 1.1%
1927–1930 align=right0 align=right40 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right33 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right13 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right4 align=right0.0%0 90 0.0%
1930–1932 align=right0 align=right55 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right23 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right12 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right0 align=right0.0%0 90 0.0%
1932–1935 align=right0 align=right24 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right41 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right25 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right0 align=right0.0%0 90 0.0%
1935–1938 align=right0 align=right29 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right38 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right23 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right0 align=right0.0%0 90 0.0%
1938–1941 align=right0 align=right28 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right37 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right22 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right3 align=right0.0%0 90 0.0%
1941–1944 align=right1 align=right54 align=right1.9% align=right0 align=right14 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right12 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right10 align=right0.0%1 90 1.1%
1944–1947 align=right1 align=right56 align=right1.8% align=right0 align=right12 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right10 align=right0.0% align=right1 align=right12 align=right8.3%2 90 2.2%
1947–1950 align=right1 align=right52 align=right1.9% align=right0 align=right19 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right15 align=right0.0% align=right1 align=right4 align=right25.0%2 90 2.2%
1950–1953 align=right0 align=right46 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right29 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right17 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right2 align=right0.0%0 94 0.0%
1953–1956 align=right0 align=right57 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right22 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right14 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right1 align=right0.0%0 94 0.0%
1956–1959 align=right0 align=right50 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right27 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right15 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right2 align=right0.0%0 94 0.0%
1959–1962 align=right0 align=right49 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right28 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right16 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right1 align=right0.0%0 94 0.0%
1962–1965 align=right0 align=right54 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right25 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right14 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right1 align=right0.0%0 94 0.0%
1965–1968 align=right0 align=right45 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right31 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right16 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right2 align=right0.0%0 94 0.0%
1968–1971 align=right0 align=right39 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right36 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right17 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right2 align=right0.0%0 94 0.0%
1971–1973 align=right0 align=right45 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right32 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right17 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right2 align=right0.0%0 96 0.0%
1973–1976 align=right0 align=right44 align=right0.0% align=right1 align=right34 align=right2.9% align=right0 align=right18 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right3 align=right0.0%1 99 1.0%
1976–1978 align=right0 align=right50 align=right0.0% align=right1 align=right30 align=right3.3% align=right0 align=right18 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right1 align=right0.0%1 99 1.0%
1978–1981 align=right0 align=right63 align=right0.0% align=right2 align=right18 align=right11.1% align=right0 align=right17 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right1 align=right0.0%2 99 2.0%
1981–1984 align=right1 align=right69 align=right1.4% align=right1 align=right14 align=right7.1% align=right0 align=right14 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right2 align=right0.0%2 99 2.0%
1984–1988 align=right1 align=right58 align=right1.7% align=right1 align=right22 align=right4.5% align=right0 align=right15 align=right0.0% align=right0 align=right4 align=right0.0%2 99 2.0%
1988–1991 align=right3 align=right43 align=right7.0% align=right1 align=right39 align=right2.6% align=right1 align=right20 align=right5.0% align=right2 align=right7 align=right28.6%7 109 6.4%
1991–1995 align=right4 align=right46 align=right8.7% align=right3 align=right32 align=right9.4% align=right1 align=right17 align=right5.9% align=right1 align=right4 align=right25.0%9 99 9.1%
1995–1999 align=right9 align=right50 align=right18.0% align=right4 align=right29 align=right13.8% align=right1 align=right17 align=right5.9% align=right1 align=right3 align=right33.3%15 99 15.2%
1999–2003 align=right11 align=right55 align=right22.0% align=right4 align=right20 align=right20.0% align=right1 align=right13 align=right7.7% align=right1 align=right5 align=right20.0%17 93 18.3%
2003–2007 align=right16 align=right55 align=right29.1% align=right5 align=right20 align=right25.0% align=right1 align=right12 align=right8.3% align=right1 align=right6 align=right16.7%23 93 24.7%
2007–2011 align=right18 align=right52 align=right34.6% align=right5 align=right22 align=right22.7% align=right1 align=right13 align=right7.7% align=right2 align=right6 align=right33.3%26 93 28.0%
2011–2015 align=right9 align=right20 align=right45.0% align=right9 align=right51 align=right17.6% align=right2 align=right18 align=right11.1% align=right1 align=right4 align=right25.0%21 93 22.6%
2015–2019 align=right15 align=right34 align=right44.1% align=right7 align=right37 align=right18.9% align=right3 align=right17 align=right17.6% align=right2 align=right5 align=right40.0%27 93 29.0%
2019–2023 align=right17 align=right36 align=right47.2% align=right10 align=right35 align=right28.6% align=right3 align=right13 align=right23.1% align=right3 align=right9 align=right33.3%33 93 35.5%
2023–2027 align=right22 align=right45 align=right48.9% align=right9 align=right24 align=right37.5% align=right2 align=right11 align=right18.1% align=right5 align=right12 align=right41.7%38 92 41.3%

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Women Members of the NSW Parliament - 1925 to present. 2020-07-01. About parliament . Parliament of New South Wales.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Women in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.