Women in the Victorian Legislative Assembly

There have been 108 women in the Victorian Legislative Assembly 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 Assembly since 1923.
The first successful female candidate for the Legislative Assembly was Millie Peacock, who was elected as a United Australia Party member for Allandale in a by-election in 1933, but she retired in 1935, stating that Parliament was "no place for a woman". Ivy Weber was the first woman to win a seat at a general election, winning Nunawading as an independent in 1937. She was joined in 1938 by Fanny Brownbill, [Australian Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch)|Labor Party (Victorian Branch)|Labor's] first female member, elected at a by-election for the seat of Geelong. Weber resigned in 1943 and Brownbill died in 1948, after which there were no women in the Assembly until 1967, when Dorothy Goble was elected as the Liberal member for Mitcham. Since then there have continuously been female members in the Assembly.
The first female minister was Labor's Pauline Toner, who became a minister in 1982. Since then, the number of female members has continued to rise. Jeanette Powell was the first National Party member, elected to the Assembly in 2002. That election also brought 11 new Labor women into the Assembly. Since Ivy Weber, three other women, Susan Davies Suzanna Sheed and Ali Cupper have been elected to the Assembly as independents. Ellen Sandell was one of the two [Australian Australian Greens Victoria|Greens Victoria|Greens] candidates first elected to the Assembly at the 2014 state election.
Judy Maddigan became the first female Speaker in 2003. Since then, three other women, Jenny Lindell Christine Fyffe and Maree Edwards have served as Speaker. Maree Edwards has been the Speaker since 2022 and is the first female Speaker from a regional city electorate.

List of women in the Victorian Legislative Assembly

Names in bold indicate women who have been appointed as Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries during their time in Parliament. Names in italics indicate women who were first elected at a by-election, and * symbolises members that have sat as members in both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.

#	Name	Party	Electoral Division	Period of service
1	Millie, Lady Peacock	UAP	Allandale	1 November 1933 – 1 February 1935
2	Ivy Weber	Independent	Nunawading	2 October 1937 – 18 July 1943
3	Fanny Brownbill	Labor	Geelong	11 June 1938 – 10 October 1948
4	Dorothy Goble	Liberal	Mitcham	29 April 1967 – 19 March 1976
5	Jeannette Patrick	Liberal	Brighton	20 March 1976 – 24 January 1985
6	Pauline Toner	Labor	Greensborough	5 November 1977 – 28 February 1989
7	Joan Chambers	Liberal	Ballarat South	5 May 1979 – 1 February 1982
8	Valerie Callister	Labor	Morwell	27 June 1981 – 30 September 1988
9	Prue Sibree	Liberal	Kew	15 August 1981 – 1 February 1988
10	Jane Hill	Labor	Frankston Frankston North	3 April 1982 – 1 March 1985 2 March 1985 – 3 October 1992
10	Margaret Ray	Labor	Box Hill	3 April 1982 – 3 October 1992
10	Kay Setches	Labor	Ringwood	3 April 1982 – 3 October 1992
13	Beth Gleeson	Labor	Thomastown	2 March 1985 – 16 December 1989
13	Carolyn Hirsh*	Labor	Wantirna	2 March 1985 – 3 October 1992
13	Jan Wilson	Labor	Dandenong North	2 March 1985 – 18 September 1999
16	Jan Wade	Liberal	Kew	19 March 1988 – 17 September 1999
17	Ann Barker	Labor	Bentleigh Oakleigh	1 October 1988 – 3 October 1992 18 September 1999 – 29 November 2014
17	Joan Kirner*	Labor	Williamstown	1 October 1988 – 27 May 1994
19	Sherryl Garbutt	Labor	Greensborough Bundoora	15 April 1989 – 2 October 1992 3 October 1992 – 24 November 2006
20	Lorraine Elliott	Liberal	Mooroolbark	3 October 1992 – 30 November 2002
20	Ann Henderson	Liberal	Geelong	3 October 1992 – 18 September 1999
20	Carole Marple	Labor	Altona	3 October 1992 – 30 March 1996
20	Denise McGill	Liberal	Oakleigh	3 October 1992 – 18 September 1999
20	Inga Peulich*	Liberal	Bentleigh	3 October 1992 – 30 November 2002
20	Marie Tehan*	Liberal	Seymour	3 October 1992 – 18 September 1999
26	Leonie Burke	Liberal	Prahran	30 March 1996 – 30 November 2002
26	Christine Campbell	Labor	Pascoe Vale	30 March 1996 – 29 November 2014
26	Mary Gillett	Labor	Werribee Tarneit	30 March 1996 – 29 November 2002 30 November 2002 – 25 November 2006
26	Lynne Kosky	Labor	Altona	30 March 1996 – 18 January 2010
26	Andrea McCall	Liberal	Frankston	30 March 1996 – 30 November 2002
26	Judy Maddigan	Labor	Essendon	30 March 1996 – 27 November 2010
26	Helen Shardey	Liberal	Caulfield	30 March 1996 – 27 November 2010
33	Susan Davies	Independent	Gippsland West	1 February 1997 – 29 November 2002
34	Mary Delahunty	Labor	Northcote	15 September 1998 – 24 November 2006
35	Jacinta Allan	Labor	Bendigo East	18 September 1999 –
35	Louise Asher*	Liberal	Brighton	18 September 1999 – 24 November 2018
35	Liz Beattie	Labor	Tullamarine Yuroke	18 September 1999 – 30 November 2002 30 November 2002 – 29 November 2014
35	Joanne Duncan	Labor	Gisborne Macedon	18 September 1999 – 30 November 2002 30 November 2002 – 29 November 2014
35	Christine Fyffe	Liberal	Evelyn	18 September 1999 – 30 November 2002 25 November 2006 – 24 November 2018
35	Jenny Lindell	Labor	Carrum	18 September 1999 – 27 November 2010
35	Karen Overington	Labor	Ballarat West	18 September 1999 – 27 November 2010
35	Bronwyn Pike	Labor	Melbourne	18 September 1999 – 7 May 2012
43	Denise Allen	Labor	Benalla	13 May 2000 – 29 November 2002
44	Dympna Beard	Labor	Kilsyth	30 November 2002 – 25 November 2006
44	Rosy Buchanan	Labor	Hastings	30 November 2002 – 25 November 2006
44	Lily D'Ambrosio	Labor	Mill Park	30 November 2002 –
44	Anne Eckstein	Labor	Ferntree Gully	30 November 2002 – 25 November 2006
44	Danielle Green	Labor	Yan Yean	30 November 2002 – 26 November 2022
44	Tammy Lobato	Labor	Gembrook	30 November 2002 – 27 November 2010
44	Kirstie Marshall	Labor	Forest Hill	30 November 2002 – 27 November 2010
44	Heather McTaggart	Labor	Evelyn	30 November 2002 – 25 November 2006
44	Maxine Morand	Labor	Mount Waverley	30 November 2002 – 27 November 2010
44	Janice Munt	Labor	Mordialloc	30 November 2002 – 27 November 2010
44	Lisa Neville	Labor	Bellarine	30 November 2002 – 26 November 2022
44	Jeanette Powell*	National	Shepparton	30 November 2002 – 29 November 2014
56	Judith Graley	Labor	Narre Warren South	25 November 2006 – 24 November 2018
56	Fiona Richardson	Labor	Northcote	25 November 2006 – 23 August 2017
56	Marsha Thomson*	Labor	Footscray	25 November 2006 – 24 November 2018
56	Heidi Victoria	Liberal	Bayswater	25 November 2006 – 24 November 2018
56	Mary Wooldridge*	Liberal	Doncaster	25 November 2006 – 29 November 2014
61	Marlene Kairouz	Labor	Kororoit	28 June 2008 – 26 November 2022
62	Jill Hennessy	Labor	Altona	13 February 2010 – 26 November 2022
63	Donna Bauer	Liberal	Carrum	27 November 2010 – 29 November 2014
63	Maree Edwards	Labor	Bendigo West	27 November 2010 –
63	Jane Garrett*	Labor	Brunswick	27 November 2010 – 24 November 2018
63	Bronwyn Halfpenny	Labor	Thomastown	27 November 2010 –
63	Natalie Hutchins	Labor	Keilor Sydenham	27 November 2010 – 29 November 2014 29 November 2014 –
63	Sharon Knight	Labor	Ballarat West Wendouree	27 November 2010 – 29 November 2014 29 November 2014 – 24 November 2018
63	Cindy McLeish	Liberal	Seymour Eildon	27 November 2010 – 29 November 2014 29 November 2014 –
63	Elizabeth Miller	Liberal	Bentleigh	27 November 2010 – 29 November 2014
63	Dee Ryall	Liberal	Mitcham Ringwood	27 November 2010 – 29 November 2014 29 November 2014 – 24 November 2018
63	Lorraine Wreford	Liberal	Mordialloc	27 November 2010 – 29 November 2014
73	Jennifer Kanis	Labor	Melbourne	21 July 2012 – 29 November 2014
74	Lizzie Blandthorn	Labor	Pascoe Vale	29 November 2014 – 26 November 2022
74	Christine Couzens	Labor	Geelong	29 November 2014 –
74	Emma Kealy	National	Lowan	29 November 2014 –
74	Sonya Kilkenny	Labor	Carrum	29 November 2014 –
74	Steph Ryan	National	Euroa	29 November 2014 – 26 November 2022
74	Ellen Sandell	Greens	Melbourne	29 November 2014 –
74	Suzanna Sheed	Independent	Shepparton	29 November 2014 – 26 November 2022
74	Ros Spence	Labor	Yuroke	29 November 2014 –
74	Louise Staley	Liberal	Ripon	29 November 2014 – 26 November 2022
74	Natalie Suleyman	Labor	St Albans	29 November 2014 –
74	Mary-Anne Thomas	Labor	Macedon	29 November 2014 –
74	Vicki Ward	Labor	Eltham	29 November 2014 –
74	Gabrielle Williams	Labor	Dandenong	29 November 2014 –
87	Roma Britnell	Liberal	South-West Coast	31 October 2015 –
88	Lidia Thorpe	Greens	Northcote	18 November 2017 – 24 November 2018
89	Juliana Addison	Labor	Wendouree	24 November 2018 –
89	Sarah Connolly	Labor	Tarneit	24 November 2018 –
89	Jordan Crugnale	Labor	Bass	24 November 2018 –
89	Ali Cupper	Independent	Mildura	24 November 2018 – 26 November 2022
89	Katie Hall	Labor	Footscray	24 November 2018 –
89	Melissa Horne	Labor	Williamstown	24 November 2018 –
89	Pauline Richards	Labor	Cranbourne	24 November 2018 –
89	Michaela Settle	Labor	Buninyong	24 November 2018 –
89	Kat Theophanous	Labor	Northcote	24 November 2018 –
89	Bridget Vallence	Liberal	Evelyn	24 November 2018 –
99	Nina Taylor*	Labor	Albert Park	26 November 2022 –
99	Alison Marchant	Labor	Bellarine	26 November 2022 –
99	Kathleen Matthews-Ward	Labor	Broadmeadows	26 November 2022 –
99	Annabelle Cleeland	National	Euroa	26 November 2022 –
99	Jess Wilson	Liberal	Kew	26 November 2022 –
99	Luba Grigorovitch	Labor	Kororoit	26 November 2022 –
99	Ella George	Labor	Lara	26 November 2022 –
99	Jade Benham	National	Mildura	26 November 2022 –
99	Daniela De Martino	Labor	Monbulk	26 November 2022 –
99	Belinda Wilson	Labor	Narre Warren North	26 November 2022 –
99	Emma Vulin	Labor	Pakenham	26 November 2022 –
99	Gabrielle de Vietri	Greens	Richmond	26 November 2022 –
99	Martha Haylett	Labor	Ripon	26 November 2022 –
99	Kim O'Keeffe	National	Shepparton	26 November 2022 –
99	Lauren Kathage	Labor	Yan Yean	26 November 2022 –
114	Nicole Werner	Liberal	Warrandyte	26 August 2023 -
115	Eden Foster	Labor	Mulgrave	18 November 2023 -
116	Rachel Westaway	Liberal	Prahran	8 February 2025 -

Timeline

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PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:200 left:20
AlignBars = early
DateFormat = yyyy
Period = from:1930 till:2023
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1930
Colors =
id:UA value:darkblue legend: United Australia Party
id:AL value:red legend: Australian Labor Party
id:LP value:blue legend: Liberal Party of Australia
id:NP value:teal legend: National Party of Australia
id:AG value:brightgreen legend: Australian Greens
id:ID value:gray legend: Independent
Legend = columns:3 left:150 top:50 columnwidth:200
BarData =
barset:MLAs
bar:Barker
barset:MLAs2
bar:Fyffe
barset:MLAs3
PlotData=
width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift: anchor:till
barset:MLAs
from:1933 till:1935 color:UA text:"Millie Peacock "
from:1937 till:1943 color:ID text:"Ivy Weber "
from:1938 till:1948 color:AL text:"Fanny Brownbill "
from:1967 till:1976 color:LP text:"Dorothy Goble "
from:1976 till:1985 color:LP text:"Jeannette Patrick "
from:1977 till:1989 color:AL text:"Pauline Toner "
from:1979 till:1982 color:LP text:"Joan Chambers "
from:1981 till:1988 color:AL text:"Valerie Callister "
from:1981 till:1988 color:LP text:"Prue Sibree "
from:1982 till:1992 color:AL text:"Jane Hill "
from:1982 till:1992 color:AL text:"Margaret Ray "
from:1982 till:1992 color:AL text:"Kay Setches "
from:1985 till:1999 color:AL text:"Jan Wilson "
from:1985 till:1989 color:AL text:"Beth Gleeson "
from:1985 till:1992 color:AL text:"Carolyn Hirsh "
from:1988 till:1999 color:LP text:"Jan Wade "
bar:Barker
from:1988 till:1992 color:AL text:"
from:1999 till:2014 color:AL text:"Ann Barker "
barset:MLAs2
from:1988 till:1994 color:AL text:"Joan Kirner "
from:1989 till:2006 color:AL text:"Sherryl Garbutt "
from:1992 till:2002 color:LP text:"Lorraine Elliott "
from:1992 till:1999 color:LP text:"Ann Henderson "
from:1992 till:1996 color:AL text:"Carole Marple "
from:1992 till:1999 color:LP text:"Denise McGill "
from:1992 till:2002 color:LP text:"Inga Peulich "
from:1992 till:1999 color:LP text:"Marie Tehan "
from:1996 till:2002 color:LP text:"Leonie Burke "
from:1996 till:2014 color:AL text:"Christine Campbell "
from:1996 till:2006 color:AL text:"Mary Gillett "
from:1996 till:2010 color:AL text:"Lynne Kosky "
from:1996 till:2002 color:LP text:"Andrea McCall "
from:1996 till:2010 color:AL text:"Judy Maddigan "
from:1996 till:2010 color:LP text:"Helen Shardey "
from:1997 till:2002 color:ID text:"Susan Davies "
from:1998 till:2006 color:AL text:"Mary Delahunty "
from:1999 till:2023 color:AL text:"Jacinta Allan "
from:1999 till:2018 color:LP text:"Louise Asher "
from:1999 till:2014 color:AL text:"Liz Beattie "
from:1999 till:2014 color:AL text:"Joanne Duncan "
bar:Fyffe
from:1999 till:2002 color:LP text:"
from:2006 till:2018 color:LP text:"Christine Fyffe "
barset:MLAs3
from:1999 till:2010 color:AL text:"Jenny Lindell "
from:1999 till:2010 color:AL text:"Karen Overington "
from:1999 till:2012 color:AL text:"Bronwyn Pike "
from:2000 till:2002 color:AL text:"Denise Allen "
from:2002 till:2006 color:AL text:"Dympna Beard "
from:2002 till:2006 color:AL text:"Rosy Buchanan "
from:2002 till:2023 color:AL text:"Lily D'Ambrosio "
from:2002 till:2006 color:AL text:"Anne Eckstein "
from:2002 till:2022 color:AL text:"Danielle Green "
from:2002 till:2010 color:AL text:"Tammy Lobato "
from:2002 till:2010 color:AL text:"Kirstie Marshall "
from:2002 till:2006 color:AL text:"Heather McTaggart "
from:2002 till:2010 color:AL text:"Maxine Morand "
from:2002 till:2010 color:AL text:"Janice Munt "
from:2002 till:2022 color:AL text:"Lisa Neville "
from:2002 till:2014 color:NP text:"Jeanette Powell "
from:2006 till:2018 color:AL text:"Judith Graley "
from:2006 till:2017 color:AL text:"Fiona Richardson "
from:2006 till:2018 color:AL text:"Marsha Thomson "
from:2006 till:2018 color:LP text:"Heidi Victoria "
from:2006 till:2014 color:LP text:"Mary Wooldridge "
from:2008 till:2022 color:AL text:"Marlene Kairouz "
from:2010 till:2022 color:AL text:"Jill Hennessy "
from:2010 till:2014 color:LP text:"Donna Bauer "
from:2010 till:2023 color:AL text:"Maree Edwards "
from:2010 till:2018 color:AL text:"Jane Garrett "
from:2010 till:2023 color:AL text:"Bronwyn Halfpenny "
from:2010 till:2023 color:AL text:"Natalie Hutchins "
from:2010 till:2018 color:AL text:"Sharon Knight "
from:2010 till:2022 color:LP text:"Cindy McLeish "
from:2010 till:2014 color:LP text:"Elizabeth Miller "
from:2010 till:2018 color:LP text:"Dee Ryall "
from:2010 till:2014 color:LP text:"Lorraine Wreford "
from:2012 till:2014 color:AL text:"Jennifer Kanis "
from:2014 till:2022 color:AL text:"Lizzie Blandthorn "
from:2014 till:2023 color:AL text:"Christine Couzens "
from:2014 till:2023 color:NP text:"Emma Kealy "
from:2014 till:2023 color:AL text:"Sonya Kilkenny "
from:2014 till:2022 color:NP text:"Steph Ryan "
from:2014 till:2023 color:AG text:"Ellen Sandell "
from:2014 till:2022 color:ID text:"Suzanna Sheed "
from:2014 till:2023 color:AL text:"Ros Spence "
from:2014 till:2022 color:LP text:"Louise Staley "
from:2014 till:2023 color:AL text:"Natalie Suleyman "
from:2014 till:2023 color:AL text:"Mary-Anne Thomas "
from:2014 till:2023 color:AL text:"Vicki Ward "
from:2014 till:2023 color:AL text:"Gabrielle Williams "
from:2015 till:2023 color:LP text:"Roma Britnell "
from:2017 till:2018 color:AG text:"Lidia Thorpe "
from:2018 till:2023 color:AL text:"Juliana Addison "
from:2018 till:2023 color:AL text:"Sarah Connolly "
from:2018 till:2023 color:AL text:"Jordan Crugnale "
from:2018 till:2022 color:ID text:"Ali Cupper "
from:2018 till:2023 color:AL text:"Katie Hall "
from:2018 till:2023 color:AL text:"Melissa Horne "
from:2018 till:2023 color:AL text:"Pauline Richards "
from:2018 till:2023 color:AL text:"Michaela Settle "
from:2018 till:2023 color:AL text:"Kat Theophanous "
from:2018 till:2023 color:LP text:"Bridget Vallence "
from:2022 till:2023 color:AL text:"Nina Taylor "
from:2022 till:2023 color:AL text:"Alison Marchant "
from:2022 till:2023 color:AL text:"Kathleen Matthews-Ward "
from:2022 till:2023 Color:NP text:"Annabelle Cleeland "
from:2022 till:2023 color:LP text:"Jess Wilson "
from:2022 till:2023 color:AL text:"Luba Grigorovitch "
from:2022 till:2023 color:AL text:"Ella George "
from:2022 till:2023 color:NP text:"Jade Benham "
from:2022 till:2023 color:AL text:"Daniela De Martino "
from:2022 till:2023 color:AL text:"Belinda Wilson "
from:2022 till:2023 color:AL text:"Emma Vulin "
from:2022 till:2023 Color:AG text:"Gabrielle de Vietri "
from:2022 till:2023 color:AL text:"Martha Haylett "
from:2022 till:2023 color:NP text:"Kim O'Keeffe "
from:2022 till:2023 color:AL text:"Lauren Kathage "
from:2023 till:2023 color:AL text:"Eden Foster "
from:2023 till:2023 color:LP text:"Nicole Werner "
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 predecessor, the United Australia and Liberal & Country parties.