Women in the Victorian Legislative Council

There have been 48 women in the Victorian Legislative Council since its establishment in 1856. Women have had the right to vote in Victoria, Australia since 1908 and the right to stand as a candidate for the Victorian Legislative Council since 1923. As at November 2015, there were 17 women in the 40 member Legislative Council.

The first successful female candidates for the Legislative Council were Gracia Baylor and Joan Coxsedge of the Liberal and Labor parties respectively, who were elected in 1979. Since then there have continuously been female members in the Council. The first National Party female member was Jeanette Powell, elected in 1996.

List of women in the Victorian Legislative Council

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

Name Party Province/Region Period of service
Gracia Baylor Liberal Boronia July 1979 – February 1985 (resigned)
Joan Coxsedge Labor Melbourne West July 1979 – August 1992 (retired)
Caroline Hogg Labor Melbourne North June 1982 – August 1999 (retired)
Judith Dixon Labor Boronia June 1982 – August 1988 (defeated)
Joan Kirner* Labor Melbourne West June 1982 – August 1988 (transferred to Assembly)
Maureen Lyster Labor Chelsea April 1985 – August 1992 (defeated)
Jean McLean Labor Boronia
Melbourne West		 April 1985 – August 1999 (retired)
Rosemary Varty Liberal Nunawading
Silvan		 September 1985 – August 1999 (retired)
Marie Tehan* Liberal Central Highlands April 1987 – October 1992 (transferred to Assembly)
Licia Kokocinski Labor Melbourne West October 1988 – March 1996 (retired)
Louise Asher* Liberal Monash October 1992 – August 1999 (transferred to Assembly)
Sue Wilding Liberal Chelsea October 1992 – August 1999 (defeated)
Monica Gould Labor Doutta Galla September 1993 – November 2006 (retired)
Maree Luckins Liberal Waverley March 1996 – November 2002 (attempted to transfer to Assembly)
Jeanette Powell* National North Eastern March 1996 – November 2002 (transferred to Assembly)
Wendy Smith Liberal Silvan March 1996 – November 2002 (defeated)
Candy Broad Labor Melbourne North
Northern Victoria		 September 1999 – May 2014 (resigned)
Elaine Carbines Labor Geelong September 1999 – November 2006 (defeated)
Andrea Coote Liberal Monash
Southern Metropolitan		 September 1999 – November 2014 (retired)
Kaye Darveniza Labor Melbourne West
Northern Victoria		 September 1999 – November 2014 (retired)
Dianne Hadden Labor/Independent Ballarat September 1999 – November 2006 (defeated)
Jenny Mikakos Labor Jika Jika
Northern Metropolitan		 September 1999 –
Glenyys Romanes Labor Melbourne September 1999 – November 2006 (defeated)
Marsha Thomson* Labor Melbourne North September 1999 – November 2006 (transferred to Assembly)
Lidia Argondizzo Labor Templestowe November 2002 – November 2006 (defeated)
Helen Buckingham Labor Koonung November 2002 – November 2006 (retired)
Carolyn Hirsh* Labor/Independent Silvan November 2002 – November 2006 (retired)
Wendy Lovell Liberal North Eastern
Northern Victoria		 November 2002 –
Colleen Hartland Greens Western Metropolitan November 2006 –
Jan Kronberg Liberal Eastern Metropolitan November 2006 – November 2014 (retired)
Sue Pennicuik Greens Southern Metropolitan November 2006 –
Donna Petrovich Liberal Northern Victoria November 2006 – July 2013 (resigned)
Inga Peulich* Liberal South Eastern Metropolitan November 2006 –
Jaala Pulford Labor Western Victoria November 2006 –
Gayle Tierney Labor Western Victoria November 2006 –
Jennifer Huppert Labor Southern Metropolitan February 2009 – November 2010 (defeated)
Georgie Crozier Liberal Southern Metropolitan November 2010 –
Amanda Millar Liberal Northern Victoria August 2013 – November 2014 (defeated)
Marg Lewis Labor Northern Victoria June 2014 – November 2014 (retired)
Rachel Carling-Jenkins Democratic Labour Western Metropolitan November 2014 –
Samantha Dunn Greens Eastern Metropolitan November 2014 –
Margaret Fitzherbert Liberal Southern Metropolitan November 2014 –
Fiona Patten Sex Party Northern Metropolitan November 2014 –
Harriet Shing Labor Eastern Victoria November 2014 –
Nina Springle Greens South Eastern Metropolitan November 2014 –
Jaclyn Symes Labor Northern Victoria November 2014 –
Mary Wooldridge* Liberal Eastern Metropolitan November 2014 –
Melina Bath National Eastern Victoria April 2015 –

Timeline

Melina Bath Mary Wooldridge Jaclyn Symes Nina Springle Harriet Shing Fiona Patten Margaret Fitzherbert Samantha Dunn Rachel Carling-Jenkins Marg Lewis Amanda Millar Georgie Crozier Jennifer Huppert Gayle Tierney Jaala Pulford Inga Peulich Donna Petrovich Sue Pennicuik Jan Kronberg Colleen Hartland Wendy Lovell Carolyn Hirsh Helen Buckingham Lidia Argondizzo Marsha Thomson Glenyys Romanes Jenny Mikakos Dianne Hadden Kaye Darveniza Andrea Coote Elaine Carbines Candy Broad Wendy Smith (politician) Jeanette Powell Maree Luckins Monica Gould Sue Wilding Louise Asher Licia Kokocinski Marie Tehan Rosemary Varty Jean McLean (politician) Maureen Lyster Joan Kirner Judith Dixon Caroline Hogg Joan Coxsedge Gracia Baylor

Proportion of women in the Council

Numbers and proportions are as they were directly after the beginning of Council terms and do not take into account deaths, resignations, appointments, defections or other changes in membership.

Term Labor Liberal National Greens Others Total
Women Total % Women Total % Women Total % Women Total % Women Total % Women Total %
1979–1982 1 13 7.7% 1 27 3.7% 0 4 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 2 44 4.5%
1982–1985 4 19 21.1% 1 21 4.8% 0 4 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 5 44 11.4%
1985–1988 6 23 26.1% 0 16 0.0% 0 5 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 6 44 13.6%
1988–1992 5 19 26.3% 2 19 10.5% 0 6 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 7 44 15.9%
1992–1996 3 14 21.4% 3 24 12.5% 0 6 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 6 44 13.6%
1996–1999 3 10 30.0% 6 28 21.4% 1 6 16.7% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 9 44 20.5%
1999–2002 8 14 57.1% 3 24 12.5% 1 6 16.7% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 12 44 27.3%
2002–2006 11 25 44.0% 2 14 14.3% 0 5 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 13 44 29.6%
2006–2010 5 19 26.3% 5 15 33.3% 0 2 0.0% 2 3 66.7% 0 1 0.0% 12 40 30.0%
2010–2014 5 16 31.2% 6 18 33.3% 0 3 0.0% 2 3 66.7% 0 0 0.0% 13 40 32.5%
2014–2018 5 14 35.7% 5 14 35.7% 0 2 0.0% 4 5 80.0% 2 5 40.0% 16 40 40.0%

See also

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