Helen Buckingham
Encyclopedia
Helen Elizabeth Buckingham (born 17 November 1952) is a retired Australia
n politician. She was the Australian Labor Party
member of the Victorian Legislative Council
from 2002 to 2006, representing Koonung Province. She is the daughter of former state Labor leader Frank Wilkes
, and a former teacher and local councillor.
Buckingham was born in Melbourne
, and went to secondary school in the suburb of Preston
, but switched to the selective University High School for her final year. She studied teaching at La Trobe University
, and took up her first position teaching history and politics at the somewhat underprivileged Pascoe Vale Girls High School. She taught there from 1975 to 1982, and then worked for a time at the private Mount Scopus College. From 1987, she taught at Presbyterian Ladies' College
, and worked there until retiring from teaching in 1991. She took up a position as a careers counsellor the following year.
Buckingham was actively involved in a number of community organisations, and was on the board of Box Hill Hospital for several years, as well as being a member of the Monash University
Department of Physiology's Animal Ethics Committee. In 1997, Buckingham made a bid to be elected as a councillor for the City of Whitehorse
, and was ultimately successful. She became mayor the following year, and served for two years in this capacity. Buckingham was not re-elected as mayor in 2000, but continued to serve as a councillor. She stood as the Labor candidate for the federal seat of Deakin
at the 2001 election, and was thought to have a chance of winning it. However, the 2001 election was not successful for Labor, and Buckingham was defeated.
Her second bid for political office was to be more successful. She switched from federal to state politics, and won pre-selection for the Legislative Council seat of Koonung Province at the 2002 election. It was held by a strong margin by sitting Liberal
member Gerald Ashman
, but the election resulted in a significant landslide victory for Labor, and Buckingham soundly defeated Ashman, even before the distribution of preferences.
She was instrumental in reforms to the regulation of Victorian Bodies Corporate. She also played a strong role on the Parliament's All-Party Education Committeehttp://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/bioregfull.cfm?mid=1596. She also focused on local issues such as preventing the closure of the Angliss Hospital. She served on the Legislative Council Privileges Committeeshttp://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/bioregfull.cfm?mid=1596.
Her term was marred by a serious illness which forced her to take leave for the second half of 2004. She returned to her duties in 2005 . While on holiday in England
during the year, she found herself caught up in the 7 July 2005 London bombings
; she was on a train in front of one of those bombed.
Buckingham retired at the 2006 election.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. She was the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the Victorian Legislative Council
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...
from 2002 to 2006, representing Koonung Province. She is the daughter of former state Labor leader Frank Wilkes
Frank Wilkes
Frank Noel Wilkes AM , Australian politician, was Leader of the Labor Opposition in Victoria from 1977 to 1981. Wilkes was born in Melbourne and educated at Northcote Primary and Secondary Schools and Preston Technical College. During the Second World War he served in the southwest Pacific in the...
, and a former teacher and local councillor.
Buckingham was born in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, and went to secondary school in the suburb of Preston
Preston, Victoria
Preston is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Preston had a population of 27,892.-Settlement:...
, but switched to the selective University High School for her final year. She studied teaching at La Trobe University
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
, and took up her first position teaching history and politics at the somewhat underprivileged Pascoe Vale Girls High School. She taught there from 1975 to 1982, and then worked for a time at the private Mount Scopus College. From 1987, she taught at Presbyterian Ladies' College
Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne
Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne , is an independent,private, Presbyterian, day and boarding school predominantly for girls, located in Burwood, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, and worked there until retiring from teaching in 1991. She took up a position as a careers counsellor the following year.
Buckingham was actively involved in a number of community organisations, and was on the board of Box Hill Hospital for several years, as well as being a member of the Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
Department of Physiology's Animal Ethics Committee. In 1997, Buckingham made a bid to be elected as a councillor for the City of Whitehorse
City of Whitehorse
The City of Whitehorse is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of and has a estimated population of 155,725 people....
, and was ultimately successful. She became mayor the following year, and served for two years in this capacity. Buckingham was not re-elected as mayor in 2000, but continued to serve as a councillor. She stood as the Labor candidate for the federal seat of Deakin
Division of Deakin
The Division of Deakin is anAustralian Electoral Division in Victoria. It is named for Alfred Deakin, three times Prime Minister of Australia. The division was created in 1937, initially as a rural seat, but since 1949 it has been located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, today taking in...
at the 2001 election, and was thought to have a chance of winning it. However, the 2001 election was not successful for Labor, and Buckingham was defeated.
Her second bid for political office was to be more successful. She switched from federal to state politics, and won pre-selection for the Legislative Council seat of Koonung Province at the 2002 election. It was held by a strong margin by sitting Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
member Gerald Ashman
Gerald Ashman
Gerald Barry Ashman is a former Australian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 1988 to 2002, representing first Boronia and then Koonung Province....
, but the election resulted in a significant landslide victory for Labor, and Buckingham soundly defeated Ashman, even before the distribution of preferences.
She was instrumental in reforms to the regulation of Victorian Bodies Corporate. She also played a strong role on the Parliament's All-Party Education Committeehttp://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/bioregfull.cfm?mid=1596. She also focused on local issues such as preventing the closure of the Angliss Hospital. She served on the Legislative Council Privileges Committeeshttp://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/bioregfull.cfm?mid=1596.
Her term was marred by a serious illness which forced her to take leave for the second half of 2004. She returned to her duties in 2005 . While on holiday in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
during the year, she found herself caught up in the 7 July 2005 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
; she was on a train in front of one of those bombed.
Buckingham retired at the 2006 election.