Women in the Queensland Legislative Assembly

There have been 97 women in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland since its establishment in 1860. Women have had the right to vote in the Assembly since 1905 and the right to stand as candidates since 1915.
The first successful female candidate for the Legislative Assembly was Irene Longman, who was elected as the member for Bulimba in 1929 representing the National Party. She was defeated in 1932, and women were not represented again until 1966, when [Australian Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)|Labor Party (Queensland Branch)|Labor]'s Vi Jordan won the seat of Ipswich West. Although Jordan was defeated in 1974, that year also saw two more women, Vicky Kippin of the National Party and Rosemary Kyburz of the Liberal Party, enter parliament.
1989 was considered a breakthrough year for women in the Queensland Parliament, as previously only 11 women had sat in the parliament. The first female minister was Yvonne Chapman in 1986. In 1991, Joan Sheldon became the first woman to lead a Party, and in 1996, she became the first woman Treasurer. In 2012, Fiona Simpson became the first woman Speaker. The first non-major party woman, independent Liz Cunningham, was elected as the member for Gladstone in 1995. Since then, four other women, Dorothy Pratt, Rosa Lee Long, Elisa Roberts, and Sandy Bolton have won seats for non-major parties or as independents. Pratt, Lee Long and Roberts were originally elected for One Nation, although Pratt and Roberts subsequently retained their seats as independents. Only two Indigenous Australian women, Leeanne Enoch and Cynthia Lui, have been elected to the Queensland parliament.
Anna Bligh was the first woman to become Premier, succeeding Peter Beattie in 2007. In 2009 she became the first woman in Australia to win an election as Premier. In 2015, the two highest ministers in the Queensland government were both women with Annastacia Palaszczuk as Premier and Jackie Trad as Deputy Premier, the second in Australian political history. Palaszczuk was also the first woman to lead an opposition into government. The Palaszczuk Ministry was the first female dominated government in Australian history with 8 out of the 14 ministers being women.
Although women have been Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly since 1966, they are still under-represented as a proportion compared to men. In 2001, Queensland held the record for the proportion of women in the parliament with 33 out of 89 members being women. Since then the proportion of women have fallen. There were 25 women out of 89 members in the 2015 Queensland Parliament.

List of women in the Queensland Legislative 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.

#	Name	Party	Electoral Division	Period of service
1	Irene Longman	Progressive Nationalist	Bulimba	11 May 1929 – 11 June 1932
2	Vi Jordan	Labor	Ipswich West	28 May 1966 – 7 December 1974
3	Vicky Kippin	National	Mourilyan	7 December 1974 – 29 November 1980
3	Rosemary Kyburz	Liberal	Salisbury	7 December 1974 – 22 October 1983
5	Beryce Nelson	Liberal/National	Aspley	29 November 1980 – 22 October 1983 1 November 1986 – 2 December 1989
6	Yvonne Chapman	National	Pine Rivers	22 October 1983 – 2 December 1989
6	Anne Warner	Labor	Kurilpa South Brisbane	22 October 1983 – 15 July 1995
8	Leisha Harvey	National	Greenslopes	22 October 1983 – 2 December 1989
9	Di McCauley	National	Callide	1 November 1986 – 13 June 1998
10	Judy Gamin	National	South Coast Burleigh	28 August 1988 – 2 December 1989 19 September 1992 – 17 February 2001
11	Lorraine Bird	Labor	Whitsunday	2 December 1989 – 13 June 1998
11	Lesley Clark	Labor	Barron River	2 December 1989 – 15 July 1995 13 June 1998 – 9 September 2006
11	Wendy Edmond	Labor	Mount Coot-tha	2 December 1989 – 7 February 2004
11	Laurel Power	Labor	Mansfield	2 December 1989 – 15 July 1995
11	Molly Robson	Labor	Springwood	2 December 1989 – 15 July 1995
11	Judy Spence	Labor	Mount Gravatt Sunnybank	2 December 1989 – 24 March 2012
11	Margaret Woodgate	Labor	Pine Rivers Kurwongbah	2 December 1989 – 17 March 1997
18	Joan Sheldon	Liberal	Landsborough Caloundra	28 July 1990 – 7 February 2004
19	Merri Rose	Labor	Currumbin	19 September 1992 – 7 February 2004
19	Fiona Simpson	National/[Liberal National Party of Australia – Queensland\|National Party of Queensland\|Liberal National]	Maroochydore	19 September 1992 –
21	Anna Bligh	Labor	South Brisbane	15 July 1995 – 30 March 2012
21	Liz Cunningham	Independent	Gladstone	15 July 1995 – 31 January 2015
21	Lyn Warwick	Liberal	Barron River	15 July 1995 – 13 June 1998
21	Naomi Wilson	National	Mulgrave	15 July 1995 – 13 June 1998
25	Linda Lavarch	Labor	Kurwongbah	24 May 1997 – 20 March 2009
26	Julie Attwood	Labor	Mount Ommaney	13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012
26	Desley Boyle	Labor	Cairns	13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012
26	Nita Cunningham	Labor	Bundaberg	13 June 1998 – 14 August 2006
26	Lindy Nelson-Carr	Labor	Mundingburra	13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012
26	Dorothy Pratt	One Nation/Independent	Barambah Nanango	13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012
26	Karen Struthers	Labor	Archerfield Algester	13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012
32	Jo-Ann Miller	Labor	Bundamba	5 February 2000 – 20 February 2020
33	Bonny Barry	Labor	Aspley	17 February 2001 – 20 March 2009
33	Liddy Clark	Labor	Clayfield	17 February 2001 – 9 September 2006
33	Peta-Kaye Croft	Labor	Broadwater	17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012
33	Jan Jarratt	Labor	Whitsunday	17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012
33	Margaret Keech	Labor	Albert	17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012
33	Rosa Lee Long	One Nation	Tablelands	17 February 2001 – 20 March 2009
33	Carolyn Male	Labor	Glass House Pine Rivers	17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012
33	Cate Molloy	Labor/Independent	Noosa	17 February 2001 – 9 September 2006
33	Rachel Nolan	Labor	Ipswich	17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012
33	Anita Phillips	Labor	Thuringowa	17 February 2001 – 7 February 2004
33	Dianne Reilly	Labor	Mudgeeraba	17 February 2001 – 20 March 2009
33	Elisa Roberts	One Nation/Independent	Gympie	17 February 2001 – 9 September 2006
33	Christine Scott	Labor	Charters Towers	17 February 2001 – 7 February 2004
33	Desley Scott	Labor	Woodridge	17 February 2001 – 31 January 2015
33	Christine Smith	Labor	Burleigh	17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012
33	Barbara Stone	Labor	Springwood	17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012
33	Carryn Sullivan	Labor	Pumicestone	17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012
50	Rosemary Menkens	National/Liberal National	Burdekin	7 February 2004 – 31 January 2015
50	Jann Stuckey	Liberal/Liberal National	Currumbin	7 February 2004 – 1 February 2020
52	Vicky Darling	Labor	Sandgate	9 September 2006 – 24 March 2012
52	Kate Jones	Labor	Ashgrove Cooper	9 September 2006 – 24 March 2012 31 January 2015 – 31 October 2020
52	Betty Kiernan	Labor	Mount Isa	9 September 2006 – 24 March 2012
52	Annastacia Palaszczuk	Labor	Inala	9 September 2006 – 31 December 2023
52	Lillian van Litsenburg	Labor	Redcliffe	9 September 2006 – 24 March 2012
57	Grace Grace	Labor	Brisbane Central McConnel	13 October 2007 – 24 March 2012 31 January 2015 –
58	Ros Bates	Liberal National	Mudgeeraba	21 March 2009 –
58	Tracy Davis	Liberal National	Aspley	21 March 2009 – 25 November 2017
58	Di Farmer	Labor	Bulimba	21 March 2009 – 24 March 2012 31 January 2015 –
58	Mandy Johnstone	Labor	Townsville	21 March 2009 – 24 March 2012
58	Mary-Anne O'Neill	Labor	Kallangur	21 March 2009 – 24 March 2012
63	Verity Barton	Liberal National	Broadwater	24 March 2012 – 25 November 2017
63	Lisa France	Liberal National	Pumicestone	24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015
63	Deb Frecklington	Liberal National	Nanango	24 March 2012 –
63	Anne Maddern	Liberal National	Maryborough	24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015
63	Kerry Millard	Liberal National	Sandgate	24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015
63	Freya Ostapovitch	Liberal National	Stretton	24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015
63	Saxon Rice	Liberal National	Mount Coot-tha	24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015
63	Tarnya Smith	Liberal National	Mount Ommaney	24 March 2012 – 25 November 2017
71	Jackie Trad	Labor	South Brisbane	28 April 2012 – 31 October 2020
72	Yvette D'Ath	Labor	Redcliffe	22 February 2014 – 26 October 2024
73	Nikki Boyd	Labor	Pine Rivers	31 January 2015 –
73	Leanne Donaldson	Labor	Bundaberg	31 January 2015 – 25 November 2017
73	Leeanne Enoch	Labor	Algester	31 January 2015 –
73	Shannon Fentiman	Labor	Waterford	31 January 2015 –
73	Julieanne Gilbert	Labor	Mackay	31 January 2015 – 26 October 2024
73	Jennifer Howard	Labor	Ipswich	31 January 2015 –
73	Brittany Lauga	Labor	Keppel	31 January 2015 – 26 October 2024
73	Ann Leahy	Liberal National	Warrego	31 January 2015 –
73	Leanne Linard	Labor	Nudgee	31 January 2015 –
73	Coralee O'Rourke	Labor	Mundingburra	31 January 2015 – 31 October 2020
73	Joan Pease	Labor	Lytton	31 January 2015 –
84	Sandy Bolton	Independent	Noosa	25 November 2017 –
84	Cynthia Lui	Labor	Cook	25 November 2017 – 26 October 2024
84	Melissa McMahon	Labor	Macalister	25 November 2017 –
84	Corrine McMillan	Labor	Mansfield	25 November 2017 –
84	Charis Mullen	Labor	Jordan	25 November 2017 –
84	Jess Pugh	Labor	Mount Ommaney	25 November 2017 –
84	Kim Richards	Labor	Redlands	25 November 2017 – 26 October 2024
84	Meaghan Scanlon	Labor	Gaven	25 November 2017 –
84	Simone Wilson	Liberal National	Pumicestone	25 November 2017 – 31 October 2020
93	Laura Gerber	Liberal National	Currumbin	28 March 2020 –
94	Jonty Bush	Labor	Cooper	31 October 2020 –
94	Amanda Camm	Liberal National	Whitsunday	31 October 2020 –
94	Ali King	Labor	Pumicestone	31 October 2020 – 26 October 2024
94	Amy MacMahon	Greens	South Brisbane	31 October 2020 – 26 October 2024
98	Margie Nightingale	Labor	Inala	16 March 2024 -
99	Bisma Asif	Labor	Sandgate	26 October 2024 -
99	Wendy Bourne	Labor	Ipswich West	26 October 2024 -
99	Ariana Doolan	Liberal National	Pumicestone	26 October 2024 -
99	Kerri-Anne Dooley	Liberal National	Redcliffe	26 October 2024 -
99	Bree James	Liberal National	Barron River	26 October 2024 -
99	Donna Kirkland	Liberal National	Rockhampton	26 October 2024 -
99	Natalie Marr	Liberal National	Thuringowa	26 October 2024 -
99	Kendall Morton	Liberal National	Caloundra	26 October 2024 -
99	Barbara O'Shea	Labor	South Brisbane	26 October 2024 -
99	Janelle Poole	Liberal National	Mundingburra	26 October 2024 -
99	Amanda Stoker	Liberal National	Oodgeroo	26 October 2024 -
99	Rebecca Young	Liberal National	Redlands	26 October 2024 -

Timeline

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DateFormat = yyyy
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ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1925
Colors =
id:CP value:drabgreen legend: Country Progressive & National Party
id:AL value:red legend: Australian Labor Party
id:NP value:teal legend: National Party of Australia
id:LP value:blue legend: Liberal Party of Australia
id:ON value:yellow legend: Pauline Hanson's One Nation
id:LN value:darkblue legend: Liberal National Party of Queensland
id:AG value:brightgreen legend: Australian Greens
id:ID value:gray legend: Independent
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from:1929 till:1932 color:CP text:"Irene Longman "
from:1966 till:1974 color:AL text:"Vi Jordan "
from:1974 till:1980 color:NP text:"Vicky Kippin "
from:1974 till:1983 color:LP text:"Rosemary Kyburz "
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from:1980 till:1983 color:LP text:"
from:1986 till:1989 color:NP text:"Beryce Nelson "
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from:1983 till:1989 color:NP text:"Yvonne Chapman "
from:1983 till:1989 color:NP text:"Leisha Harvey "
from:1983 till:1995 color:AL text:"Anne Warner "
from:1986 till:1998 color:NP text:"Di McCauley "
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from:1992 till:2001 color:NP text:"Judy Gamin "
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from:1998 till:2006 color:AL text:"Lesley Clark "
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from:1989 till:2004 color:AL text:"Wendy Edmond "
from:1989 till:1995 color:AL text:"Laurel Power "
from:1989 till:1995 color:AL text:"Molly Robson "
from:1989 till:2012 color:AL text:"Judy Spence "
from:1989 till:1997 color:AL text:"Margaret Woodgate "
from:1990 till:2004 color:LP text:"Joan Sheldon "
from:1992 till:2004 color:AL text:"Merri Rose "
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from:2008 till:2025 color:LN text:"Fiona Simpson "
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from:1995 till:2012 color:AL text:"Anna Bligh "
from:1995 till:2015 color:ID text:"Liz Cunningham "
from:1995 till:1998 color:LP text:"Lyn Warwick "
from:1995 till:1998 color:NP text:"Naomi Wilson "
from:1997 till:2009 color:AL text:"Linda Lavarch "
from:1998 till:2012 color:AL text:"Julie Attwood "
from:1998 till:2012 color:AL text:"Desley Boyle "
from:1998 till:2006 color:AL text:"Nita Cunningham "
from:1998 till:2012 color:AL text:"Lindy Nelson-Carr "
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from:1998 till:1999 color:ON text:"
from:1999 till:2012 color:ID text:"Dorothy Pratt "
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from:1998 till:2012 color:AL text:"Karen Struthers "
from:2000 till:2020 color:AL text:"Jo-Ann Miller "
from:2001 till:2009 color:AL text:"Bonny Barry "
from:2001 till:2006 color:AL text:"Liddy Clark "
from:2001 till:2012 color:AL text:"Peta-Kaye Croft "
from:2001 till:2012 color:AL text:"Jan Jarratt "
from:2001 till:2012 color:AL text:"Margaret Keech "
from:2001 till:2009 color:ON text:"Rosa Lee Long "
from:2001 till:2012 color:AL text:"Carolyn Male "
from:2001 till:2006 color:AL text:"Cate Molloy "
from:2001 till:2012 color:AL text:"Rachel Nolan "
from:2001 till:2004 color:AL text:"Anita Phillips "
from:2001 till:2009 color:AL text:"Dianne Reilly "
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from:2001 till:2002 color:ON text:"
from:2002 till:2006 color:ID text:"Elisa Roberts "
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from:2001 till:2004 color:AL text:"Christine Scott "
from:2001 till:2015 color:AL text:"Desley Scott "
from:2001 till:2012 color:AL text:"Christine Smith "
from:2001 till:2012 color:AL text:"Barbara Stone "
from:2001 till:2012 color:AL text:"Carryn Sullivan "
bar:Menkens
from:2004 till:2008 color:NP text:"
from:2008 till:2015 color:LN text:"Rosemary Menkens "
bar:Stuckey
from:2004 till:2008 color:LP text:"
from:2008 till:2020 color:LN text:"Jann Stuckey "
bar:Darling
from:2006 till:2012 color:AL text:"Vicky Darling "
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from:2006 till:2012 color:AL text:"
from:2015 till:2020 color:AL text:"Kate Jones "
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from:2006 till:2012 color:AL text:"Betty Kiernan "
from:2006 till:2024 color:AL text:"Annastacia Palaszczuk "
from:2006 till:2012 color:AL text:"Lillian van Litsenburg "
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from:2007 till:2012 color:AL text:"
from:2015 till:2025 color:AL text:"Grace Grace "
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from:2009 till:2021 color:LN text:"Ros Bates "
from:2009 till:2017 color:LN text:"Tracy Davis "
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from:2009 till:2012 color:AL text:"
from:2015 till:2021 color:AL text:"Di Farmer "
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from:2009 till:2012 color:AL text:"Mandy Johnstone "
from:2009 till:2012 color:AL text:"Mary-Anne O'Neill "
from:2012 till:2017 color:LN text:"Verity Barton "
from:2012 till:2015 color:LN text:"Lisa France "
from:2012 till:2025 color:LN text:"Deb Frecklington "
from:2012 till:2015 color:LN text:"Anne Maddern "
from:2012 till:2015 color:LN text:"Kerry Millard "
from:2012 till:2015 color:LN text:"Freya Ostapovitch "
from:2012 till:2015 color:LN text:"Saxon Rice "
from:2012 till:2017 color:LN text:"Tarnya Smith "
from:2012 till:2020 color:AL text:"Jackie Trad "
from:2014 till:2024 color:AL text:"Yvette D'Ath "
from:2015 till:2025 color:AL text:"Nikki Boyd "
from:2015 till:2017 color:AL text:"Leanne Donaldson "
from:2015 till:2025 color:AL text:"Leeanne Enoch "
from:2015 till:2025 color:AL text:"Shannon Fentiman "
from:2015 till:2024 color:AL text:"Julieanne Gilbert "
from:2015 till:2025 color:AL text:"Jennifer Howard "
from:2015 till:2024 color:AL text:"Brittany Lauga "
from:2015 till:2025 color:LN text:"Ann Leahy "
from:2015 till:2025 color:AL text:"Leanne Linard "
from:2015 till:2020 color:AL text:"Coralee O'Rourke "
from:2015 till:2025 color:AL text:"Joan Pease "
from:2017 till:2025 color:ID text:"Sandy Bolton "
from:2017 till:2024 color:AL text:"Cynthia Lui "
from:2017 till:2025 color:AL text:"Melissa McMahon "
from:2017 till:2025 color:AL text:"Corrine McMillan "
from:2017 till:2025 color:AL text:"Charis Mullen "
from:2017 till:2025 color:AL text:"Jess Pugh "
from:2017 till:2024 color:AL text:"Kim Richards "
from:2017 till:2025 color:AL text:"Meaghan Scanlon "
from:2017 till:2020 color:LN text:"Simone Wilson "
from:2020 till:2025 color:LN text:"Laura Gerber "
from:2020 till:2025 color:AL text:"Jonty Bush "
from:2020 till:2025 color:LN text:"Amanda Camm "
from:2020 till:2024 color:AL text:"Ali King "
from:2020 till:2024 color:AG text:"Amy MacMahon "
barset:skip

Proportion of women in the Assembly

Numbers and proportions are as they were directly after the relevant election and do not take into account by-elections, defections or other changes in membership. The Liberal column also includes that party's predecessors, the Country and Progressive National, United Australia and People's parties, as well as the successor of both the Liberal and National parties, the Liberal National Party.