Women in the South Australian House of Assembly

There have been 31 women in the South Australian House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...

since its establishment in 1857. Women have had the right to vote and the right to stand as candidates since 1894.

The first successful female candidate for the House of Assembly was Joyce Steele

Joyce Steele

Joyce Steele was an Australian politician and one of the first two women elected to the Parliament of South Australia, the other being Jessie Cooper...

, who was elected as a Liberal and Country League

Liberal and Country League

The Liberal and Country League was a major political party in South Australia throughout its forty year existence. Thirty-four years were spent in government, in part due to the electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, introduced after coming to power.Created on 9 June 1932 as the...

member in 1959. Women have been continuously represented in the House since then. Steele wouuld also become the first female minister. Molly Byrne was the first Labor

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...

woman in the House in 1965; only two women have represented minor parties, these being Heather Southcott

Heather Southcott

Heather Southcott was an Australian politician, representing the electoral district of Mitcham in the South Australian House of Assembly for the Australian Democrats....

for the Democrats

Australian Democrats

The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...

in 1982, and Karlene Maywald

Karlene Maywald

Karlene Ann Maywald is an Australian National Party politician who represented the seat of Chaffey in the South Australian House of Assembly from October 1997 until March 2010...

for the Nationals

National Party of Australia

The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...

from 1997 to 2010. Isobel Redmond

Isobel Redmond

Isobel Mary Redmond is the current parliamentary leader of the South Australian division of the Liberal Party of Australia and the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of South Australia since 2009. The Redmond Liberals won 18 of 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly at the 2010...

became the first woman to lead a political party in 2009, when she became Leader of the Opposition.

List of women in the South Australian House of Assembly

Names in bold indicate women who have been appointed as Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries during their time in Parliament. Names in italics indicate women who were first elected at a by-election. An asterisk (*) indicates that the member also served in the Legislative Council.

Name	Party	Electoral Division	Period of service
Joyce Steele Joyce Steele Joyce Steele was an Australian politician and one of the first two women elected to the Parliament of South Australia, the other being Jessie Cooper...	LCL Liberal and Country League The Liberal and Country League was a major political party in South Australia throughout its forty year existence. Thirty-four years were spent in government, in part due to the electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, introduced after coming to power.Created on 9 June 1932 as the...	Burnside Davenport Electoral district of Davenport Davenport is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after nineteenth-century pioneer and politician Sir Samuel Davenport. Davenport is a 37.4 km² electorate covering part of outer suburban Adelaide and the southern foothills of...	7 March 1959 – 9 March 1973 (defeated)
Molly Byrne	Labor 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...	Barossa Tea Tree Gully Todd	6 March 1965 – 14 September 1979 (defeated)
Jennifer Cashmore Jennifer Cashmore Jennifer Lilian Adamson-Cashmore is a former Australian politician. She was a Liberal Party member of the South Australian House of Assembly between 1977 and 1993, representing the eastern suburbs seat of Coles ....	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...	Coles Electoral district of Coles Coles was an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia from 1970 to 2002. The district was based in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide....	17 September 1977 – 10 December 1993 (retired)
Heather Southcott Heather Southcott Heather Southcott was an Australian politician, representing the electoral district of Mitcham in the South Australian House of Assembly for the Australian Democrats....	Democrats Australian Democrats The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...	Mitcham Electoral district of Mitcham The Electoral district of Mitcham is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It is centered around Mitcham and Blackburn in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne....	8 May 1982 – 5 November 1982 (defeated)
June Appleby	Labor 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...	Brighton Hayward	6 November 1982 – 24 November 1989 (defeated)
Susan Lenehan Susan Lenehan Susan Mary Lenehan is a former Australian politician. She was an Australian Labor Party member of the South Australian House of Assembly between 1982 and 1993, representing the electorate of Mawson...	Labor 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...	Mawson Electoral district of Mawson The Electoral district of Mawson is an electorate for the South Australian House of Assembly. It covers the outer southern suburbs of Woodcroft, Hackham, Hackham West, Huntfield Heights and Noarlunga Downs, as well as the regional shopping centre at Noarlunga as well as the southern wine region...	6 November 1982 – 11 December 1993 (defeated)
Di Gayler	Labor 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...	Newland Electoral district of Newland Newland is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after pioneer Simpson Newland, a prominent figure in nineteenth-century South Australia...	7 December 1985 – 24 November 1989 (defeated)
Colleen Hutchison	Labor 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...	Stuart Electoral district of Stuart Stuart is an electorate for the South Australian House of Assembly. It covers the northeast part of the state extending from just north of the Barossa Valley all the way to the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales borders, and extending west to include Port Augusta...	25 November 1989 – 11 December 1993 (defeated)
Dorothy Kotz Dorothy Kotz Dorothy Christine Kotz is a former Australian politician who had been the sitting Liberal member for the electoral district of Newland of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1989 until her retirement in 2006....	Labor 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...	Newland Electoral district of Newland Newland is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after pioneer Simpson Newland, a prominent figure in nineteenth-century South Australia...	25 November 1989 – 17 March 2006 (retired)
Julie Greig Julie Greig Julie Mary Greig is a former Australian politician. She was the Liberal member for Reynell in the South Australian House of Assembly from 1993 until 1997, when she was defeated by Gay Thompson.-References:...	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...	Reynell Electoral district of Reynell Reynell is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after John Reynell, a leading force in the founding of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia and noted 19th century grape farmer and vineyard owner in the area...	11 December 1993 – 11 October 1997 (defeated)
Joan Hall Joan Hall Joan Lynette Hall is a former member of the South Australian House of Assembly, serving in the electoral district of Coles from 1993 to 2002 and the renamed electoral district of Morialta from 2002 to 2006....	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...	Coles Electoral district of Coles Coles was an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia from 1970 to 2002. The district was based in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide.... Morialta Electoral district of Morialta Morialta is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. Morialta is derived from a Kaurna Aboriginal word "mariyatala", with "mari" meaning east and "yertala" meaning water...	11 December 1993 – 17 March 2006 (defeated)
Annette Hurley Annette Hurley Annette Kay Hurley is an Australian politician. Elected at the 2004 federal election, she has been a Labor member of the Australian Senate since July 2005, representing the state of South Australia...	Labor 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...	Napier Electoral district of Napier Napier is an electorate created in 1976 for the South Australian Legislative Assembly in the northern suburbs of the Adelaide metropolitan area of South Australia....	11 December 1993 – 9 February 2002 (defeated)
Liz Penfold Liz Penfold Elizabeth Meryl "Liz" Penfold was an Australian politician who represented the seat of Flinders in the South Australian House of Assembly for the Liberal Party from 1993 to 2010....	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...	Flinders Electoral district of Flinders Flinders is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after explorer Matthew Flinders, who was responsible for charting most of the state's coastline. It is a 55,260.6 km² coastal rural electorate encompassing the Eyre Peninsula and...	11 December 1993 – 20 March 2010 (retired)
Lorraine Rosenberg	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...	Kaurna Electoral district of Kaurna Kaurna is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. Named after the Kaurna aboriginal tribe which originally inhabited the Adelaide plains, it is a 67.2 km² semi-urban electorate on Adelaide's far-southern beaches, taking in the suburbs of...	11 December 1993 – 11 October 1997 (defeated)
Lea Stevens Lea Stevens Lea Stevens is an Australian politician and was the sitting Labor party member for the electoral district of Little Para from the 1994 Elizabeth by-election to the 2010 state election....	Labor 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...	Elizabeth Electoral district of Elizabeth (South Australia) Elizabeth was an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia from 1970 to 2006. The district was based in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, named for the suburb of Elizabeth.... Little Para Electoral district of Little Para Little Para is an electorate for the South Australian Legislative Assembly in the northern suburbs of the Adelaide metropolitan area in South Australia....	9 April 1994 – 20 March 2010 (retired)
Robyn Geraghty Robyn Geraghty Robyn Kathryn Geraghty has been the sitting Labor member for the electoral district of Torrens in South Australia since 1994.Geraghty has been heavily involved in community issues, as well as introducing various acts in to parliament...	Labor 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...	Torrens Electoral district of Torrens Torrens is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. Located along the River Torrens, and named after Robert Richard Torrens, a 19th century Premier of South Australia, and also the founder of the "Torrens title" land registration system. Torrens is...	7 May 1994 –
Trish White Trish White Patricia Lynne "Trish" White is a company director and former Australian politician, representing Taylor in the South Australian House of Assembly for the Australian Labor Party...	Labor 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...	Taylor Electoral district of Taylor Taylor is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. This district is named after Doris Irene Taylor MBE, a leading force in the founding of Meals on Wheels, and Australian Labor Party activist. Taylor is a 549.8 km² semi-urban electorate in...	5 November 1994 – 20 March 2010 (retired)
Frances Bedford Frances Bedford Frances Ellen Bedford , Australian politician, is a member of the South Australian House of Assembly. She represents the electoral district of Florey and is a member of the Australian Labor Party....	Labor 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...	Florey Electoral district of Florey Florey is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after scientist Howard Florey, who was responsible for the development of penicillin...	11 October 1997 –
Lyn Breuer Lyn Breuer Lynette Ruth "Lyn" Breuer , Australian politician, represents the electoral district of Giles in the South Australian House of Assembly for the Australian Labor Party...	Labor 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...	Giles Electoral district of Giles Giles is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. The electorate, named after explorer Ernest Giles, is the largest in South Australia, covering a 500,738.0km² swathe of outback South Australia...	11 October 1997 –
Vini Ciccarello Vini Ciccarello Vincenzina "Vini" Ciccarello , Australian politician, is a former Labor Party MP for the electoral district of Norwood. A mayor of Norwood for seven years, she was a well known identity in the eastern suburbs electorate....	Labor 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...	Norwood Electoral district of Norwood Norwood is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after its surrounding geographical area, Norwood, South Australia. Norwood is a 14.2 km² urban electorate in Adelaide's inner eastern suburbs...	11 October 1997 – 20 March 2010 (defeated)
Stephanie Key Stephanie Key Stephanie Wendy Key served as South Australia's Minister for Social Justice, Minister for Employment, Training & Further Education, Minister for Youth, and Minister for the Status of Women in the first Rann Labor government...	Labor 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...	Hanson Electoral district of Hanson Hanson was an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia from 1970 to 1997. The district was based in the western suburbs of Adelaide.... Ashford Electoral district of Ashford Ashford is an electorate for the South Australian Legislative Assembly which includes many of Adelaide's inner south western suburbs. The district forms part of three federal electorates: the Division of Hindmarsh, the Division of Boothby, and the Division of Adelaide.The electorate's name dervives...	11 October 1997 –
Karlene Maywald Karlene Maywald Karlene Ann Maywald is an Australian National Party politician who represented the seat of Chaffey in the South Australian House of Assembly from October 1997 until March 2010...	National National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...	Chaffey Electoral district of Chaffey Chaffey, created in 1936, is an electorate for the South Australian House of Assembly. It covers the Riverland region of South Australia and is named after brothers George and William Chaffey who established the irrigation area along the Murray River from 1886...	11 October 1997 – 20 March 2010 (defeated)
Jennifer Rankine Jennifer Rankine Jennifer Mary Rankine is the sitting Labor member for the electoral district of Wright, first won in 1997. She is also the current Minister for Families and Communities, Minister for the Northern Suburbs, Minister for Housing, Minister for Ageing, and Minister for Disability.The 2006 election saw...	Labor 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...	Wright Electoral district of Wright Wright is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. Named after the 19th century South Australian architect Edmund Wright, it is a 21.2 km² urban electorate in Adelaide's outer north-eastern suburbs, taking in the suburb of Salisbury East and...	11 October 1997 –
Vickie Chapman Vickie Chapman Vickie Ann Chapman is an Australian politician, representing the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Bragg for the Liberal Party since 2002. She was Deputy Leader of the South Australian Opposition from 30 March 2006 until 4 July 2009.-Early life:Chapman was born in Kangaroo Island...	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...	Bragg Electoral district of Bragg Bragg is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. The seat of Bragg is named after the eminent physicists Bragg – William Henry and his son, William Lawrence. The electorate is largely urban and encompasses a significant portion of the City of...	9 February 2002 –
Jane Lomax-Smith Jane Lomax-Smith Jane Diane Lomax-Smith is a former Australian politician in the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Adelaide representing the Labor Party from 2002 to 2010, and Lord Mayor of Adelaide from 1997 to 2000...	Labor 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...	Adelaide Electoral district of Adelaide Adelaide is an electorate for the South Australian House of Assembly which includes Adelaide's central business district and suburbs in the inner north and inner north east...	9 February 2002 – 20 March 2010 (defeated)
Isobel Redmond Isobel Redmond Isobel Mary Redmond is the current parliamentary leader of the South Australian division of the Liberal Party of Australia and the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of South Australia since 2009. The Redmond Liberals won 18 of 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly at the 2010...	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...	Heysen Electoral district of Heysen Heysen is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after Sir Hans Heysen, a prominent South Australian landscape artist. It is a 616 km² electoral district stretching from residential suburbs in the east and southeast of Adelaide...	9 February 2002 –
Chloe Fox Chloe Fox Chloë Catienne Fox is an Australian politician, and MP for the seat of Bright in the South Australian House of Assembly since the 2006 election, representing the Australian Labor Party...	Labor 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...	Bright Electoral district of Bright Bright is an electorate for the South Australian House of Assembly. It covers southern coastal suburbs of Adelaide including Hove, Brighton, Seacliff, Seacliff Park, Marino, Hallett Cove, Somerton Park, South Brighton, North Brighton and Kingston Park....	18 March 2006 –
Grace Portolesi Grace Portolesi Grace Portolesi is a South Australian politician and Labor member for the electoral district of Hartley, having won the seat at the 2006 state election...	Labor 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...	Hartley Electoral district of Hartley Hartley is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after John Hartley, a public servant responsible for creating much of South Australia's public education system...	18 March 2006 –
Lindsay Simmons Lindsay Simmons Lindsay Anne Simmons is a former Australian politician, representing the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Morialta for the Australian Labor Party from her election in 2006 until the 2010 election.-Early life:...	Labor 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...	Morialta Electoral district of Morialta Morialta is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. Morialta is derived from a Kaurna Aboriginal word "mariyatala", with "mari" meaning east and "yertala" meaning water...	18 March 2006 – 20 March 2010 (defeated)
Rachel Sanderson Rachel Sanderson Rachel Sanderson is an Australian politician representing the seat of Adelaide in the South Australian House of Assembly for the Liberal Party since the 2010 election.-Early life:...	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...	Adelaide Electoral district of Adelaide Adelaide is an electorate for the South Australian House of Assembly which includes Adelaide's central business district and suburbs in the inner north and inner north east...	20 March 2010 –
Leesa Vlahos Leesa Vlahos Leesa Anne Vlahos is an Australian politician elected to the seat of Taylor as the Labor Party candidate in the South Australian House of Assembly at the March 2010 election, after the resignation of the previous Labor Party incumbent Trish White.-References:...	Labor 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...	Taylor Electoral district of Taylor Taylor is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. This district is named after Doris Irene Taylor MBE, a leading force in the founding of Meals on Wheels, and Australian Labor Party activist. Taylor is a 549.8 km² semi-urban electorate in...	20 March 2010 –

List of women in the South Australian House of Assembly

See also