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
