Dame Marie Breen, DBE

Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

(3 November 1902 – 17 June 1993) was an Australia

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 Senator

Australian Senate

The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...

 representing the Liberal Party of Australia

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...

 in the state of Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

.

Biography

She was born in St Kilda

St Kilda, Victoria

St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...

, 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 christened Marie Freda Chamberlin. She attended St Michael's Grammar School

St Michael's Grammar School

St Michael's Grammar School is a co-educational independent day school located in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia.The school was founded in 1895 by the Community of the Sisters of the Church and is associated with the Anglican Church of Australia. St Michael's is located on a single campus, its...

, an Anglican school.

Career

In 1952 she served as chairman of the Federal Women's Committee of the Liberal Party of Australia

Federal Women's Committee of the Liberal Party of Australia

The Federal Women's Committee of the Liberal Party of Australia was formed in August 1945 at the inaugural meeting of the party's Federal Council. That year the influenctial lobby group The Australian Women's National League merged with the Liberal Party, and as a result the Federal Constitution...

. She was a Senator from July 1962 until her retirement in June 1968.

Family

She married Robert Breen on 12 December 1928. Their daughter, Jeannette Patrick (b. 1929), also entered politics. She was the Liberal Member for Brighton

Electoral district of Brighton

The Electoral district of Brighton is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.-Members for Brighton:-Election results:-See also:* Parliaments of the Australian states and territories...

 (in the Victorian Legislative Assembly

Victorian Legislative Assembly

The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...

), 1976–85, and as Parliamentary Secretary (1979–82).

Trivia

• Dame Marie Breen attended St Michael's Church of England Grammar School
  St Michael's Grammar School
  St Michael's Grammar School is a co-educational independent day school located in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia.The school was founded in 1895 by the Community of the Sisters of the Church and is associated with the Anglican Church of Australia. St Michael's is located on a single campus, its...
  
  . In 1987, when the school decided to bring in a new house, the house was named after Dame Marie Breen as was called Breen. Its colours are maroon and white, it has the symbol of an angel and its motto is Courage and Honour.