Agnes Robertson
| Agnes Robertson | |
|---|---|
| Senator for Western Australia | |
|
In office 22 February 1950 – 30 June 1962 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 July 1882 |
| Died | 29 January 1968 (aged 85) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party |
Liberal (1950–55) Country (1955–62) |
| Children | Jessie Robertson |
Agnes Robertson Robertson (31 July 1882 – 29 January 1968) was an Australian politician. She was a Senator for Western Australia from 1950 to 1962, representing the Liberal Party (1950-1955) and Country Party (1955-1962).
She was elected at the 1949 federal election, the second Liberal woman to be elected to the Senate. In 1955, Robertson was dropped from the Liberal Senate ticket for that year's election, with opponents citing her age; she was 73 at that election, and would be 79 at the conclusion of that term. She resigned from the Liberal Party, joined their coalition partner the Country Party, and headed their two-member Senate ticket at the election. She was re-elected after a "vigorous" campaign, making speeches across rural South Australia and on radio, and ultimately defeating the third Liberal candidate on preferences. She retired at the conclusion of that term in 1962.[1][2][3]
Robertson is regarded as the first woman to represent the Country (later National) Party in the Parliament of Australia.[3]
References
- ↑ "Australian Political Chronicle, July-December 1955". Australian Journal of Politics and History. 1 (2): 267–268. 1956.
- ↑ "Robertson, Agnes Robertson (1882–1968)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre for Biography. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
- 1 2 "ROBERTSON, AGNES ROBERTSON (1882–1968)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 3 October 2016.