Women in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly

There have been 66 women in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since its establishment in 1890. Women have had the right to vote since 1899 and the right to stand as candidates since 1920.
The first successful female candidate for the Legislative Assembly was Edith Cowan, who was elected as the member for West Perth in 1921 representing the Nationalist Party of Australia. This was the first time a woman had won election anywhere in Australia. Cowan was defeated in 1924 but in 1925 May Holman was elected to the seat of Forrest in a by-election, becoming the first successful [Australian Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)|Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)|Labor] woman in Australia. Holman was joined by Florence Cardell-Oliver of the Nationalist Party in 1936, who would become the first female cabinet minister. Cardell-Oliver's retirement in 1956 led to a period of absence for women, until June Craig of the Liberal Party was elected in 1974, since which time women have been continuously represented in the Assembly.
Hilda Turnbull was the first National Party woman elected to the Assembly in 1989, and only two women - Liz Constable and Janet Woollard - have been elected as independents. Adele Carles became the first Greens member of the Assembly in 2009, although she later quit the party. Carol Martin was the first Indigenous woman elected to the Assembly in 2001.

List of women in the Western Australian 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. An asterisk indicates that the member also served in the Legislative Council.

#	Name	Party	Electoral Division	Period of service
1	Edith Cowan	Nationalist	West Perth	12 March 1921 - 22 March 1924
2	May Holman	Labor	Forrest	3 April 1925 - 18 March 1939
3	Florence Cardell-Oliver	Nationalist/Liberal	Subiaco	15 February 1936 - 7 April 1956
4	June Craig	Liberal	Wellington	30 March 1974 - 19 February 1983
5	Pam Beggs	Labor	Whitford	19 February 1983 - 6 February 1993
5	Pam Buchanan	Labor/Independent	Pilbara Ashburton	19 February 1983 - 4 February 1989 4 February 1989 - 3 March 1992
5	Yvonne Henderson	Labor	Gosnells Thornlie	19 February 1983 - 4 February 1989 4 February 1989 - 14 December 1996
5	Jackie Watkins	Labor	Joondalup Wanneroo	19 February 1983 - 4 February 1989 4 February 1989 - 6 February 1993
9	Carmen Lawrence	Labor	Subiaco Glendalough	8 February 1986 - 4 February 1989 4 February 1989 - 14 February 1994
9	Judyth Watson	Labor	Canning Kenwick	8 February 1986 - 4 February 1989 4 February 1989 - 14 December 1996
11	Cheryl Edwardes	Liberal	Kingsley	4 February 1989 - 26 February 2005
11	Hilda Turnbull	National	Collie	4 February 1989 - 10 February 2001
13	Judy Edwards	Labor	Maylands	26 May 1990 - 6 September 2008
14	Liz Constable	Independent	Floreat Churchlands	20 July 1991 - 14 December 1996 14 December 1996 - 9 March 2013
15	Kay Hallahan*	Labor	Armadale	6 February 1993 - 14 December 1996
15	June van de Klashorst	Liberal	Swan Hills	6 February 1993 - 10 February 2001
15	Diana Warnock	Labor	Perth	6 February 1993 - 10 February 2001
18	Michelle Roberts	Labor	Glendalough Midland	19 March 1994 - 14 December 1996 14 December 1996 - 8 March 2025
19	Rhonda Parker	Liberal	Helena Ballajura	10 September 1994 - 14 December 1996 14 December 1996 - 10 February 2001
20	Megan Anwyl	Labor	Kalgoorlie	14 December 1996 - 10 February 2001
20	Katie Hodson-Thomas	Liberal	Carine	14 December 1996 - 6 September 2008
20	Monica Holmes	Liberal	Southern River	14 December 1996 - 10 February 2001
20	Alannah MacTiernan*	Labor	Armadale	14 December 1996 - 19 July 2010
20	Sheila McHale	Labor	Thornlie	14 December 1996 - 6 September 2008
25	Dianne Guise	Labor	Wanneroo	10 February 2001 - 6 September 2008
25	Carol Martin	Labor	Kimberley	10 February 2001 - 9 March 2013
25	Margaret Quirk	Labor	Girrawheen Landsdale	10 February 2001 - 13 March 2021 13 March 2021 - 8 March 2025
25	Jaye Radisich	Labor	Swan Hills	10 February 2001 - 6 September 2008
25	Sue Walker	Liberal/Independent	Nedlands	10 February 2001 - 6 September 2008
25	Janet Woollard	Independent	Alfred Cove	10 February 2001 - 9 March 2013
31	Judy Hughes	Labor	Kingsley	26 February 2005 - 6 September 2008
32	Lisa Baker	Labor	Maylands	6 September 2008 - 8 March 2025
32	Janine Freeman	Labor	Nollamara	6 September 2008 - 29 January 2021
32	Liza Harvey	Liberal	Scarborough	6 September 2008 - 13 March 2021
32	Andrea Mitchell	Liberal	Kingsley	6 September 2008 - 11 March 2017
32	Rita Saffioti	Labor	West Swan	6 September 2008 -
37	Adele Carles	Greens/Independent	Fremantle	16 May 2009 - 9 March 2013
38	Mia Davies*	National	Central Wheatbelt	9 March 2013 - 8 March 2025
38	Wendy Duncan*	National	Kalgoorlie	9 March 2013 - 11 March 2017
38	Eleni Evangel	Liberal	Perth	9 March 2013 - 11 March 2017
38	Josie Farrer	Labor	Kimberley	9 March 2013 - 29 January 2021
38	Glenys Godfrey	Liberal	Belmont	9 March 2013 - 11 March 2017
38	Simone McGurk	Labor	Fremantle	9 March 2013 -
44	Libby Mettam	Liberal	Vasse	18 October 2014 -
45	Robyn Clarke	Labor	Murray-Wellington	11 March 2017 - 8 March 2025
45	Emily Hamilton	Labor	Joondalup	11 March 2017 -
45	Lisa O'Malley	Labor	Bicton	11 March 2017 -
45	Cassie Rowe	Labor	Belmont	11 March 2017 -
45	Amber-Jade Sanderson*	Labor	Morley	11 March 2017 -
45	Jessica Shaw	Labor	Swan Hills	11 March 2017 - 8 March 2025
45	Jessica Stojkovski	Labor	Kingsley	11 March 2017 -
45	Sabine Winton	Labor	Wanneroo	11 March 2017 -
53	Alyssa Hayden*	Liberal	Darling Range	23 June 2018 - 13 March 2021
54	Hannah Beazley	Labor	Victoria Park	13 March 2021 -
54	Caitlin Collins	Labor	Hillarys	13 March 2021 -
54	Lara Dalton	Labor	Geraldton	13 March 2021 - 8 March 2025
54	Divina D'Anna	Labor	Kimberley	13 March 2021 -
54	Kim Giddens	Labor	Bateman	13 March 2021 -
54	Meredith Hammat	Labor	Mirrabooka	13 March 2021 -
54	Jodie Hanns	Labor	Collie-Preston	13 March 2021 -
54	Jane Kelsbie	Labor	Warren-Blackwood	13 March 2021 - 8 March 2025
54	Ali Kent	Labor	Kalgoorlie	13 March 2021 -
54	Lisa Munday	Labor	Dawesville	13 March 2021 -
54	Rebecca Stephens	Labor	Albany	13 March 2021 - 8 March 2025
54	Katrina Stratton	Labor	Nedlands	13 March 2021 - 5 February 2025
54	Christine Tonkin	Labor	Churchlands	13 March 2021 - 8 March 2025
67	Merome Beard	National/Liberal	North West Central	17 September 2022 - 8 March 2025
68	Magenta Marshall	Labor	Rockingham	29 July 2023 -
69	Sandra Brewer	Liberal	Cottesloe	8 March 2025 -
69	Lorna Clarke	Labor	Butler	8 March 2025 -
69	Colleen Egan	Labor	Thornlie	8 March 2025 -
69	Michelle Maynard	Labor	Swan Hills	8 March 2025 -
69	Kirrilee Warr	National	Geraldton	8 March 2025 -
69	Sook Yee Lai	Labor	Bibra Lake	8 March 2025 -

Timeline

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DateFormat = yyyy
Period = from:1920 till:2025
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1920
Colors =
id:NA value:skyblue legend: Nationalist Party of Australia
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
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bar:CardellOliver
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bar:Buchanan
barset:MLAs3
bar:Carles
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width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift: anchor:till
barset:MLAs
from:1921 till:1924 color:NA text:"Edith Cowan "
from:1925 till:1939 color:AL text:"May Holman "
bar:CardellOliver
from:1936 till:1945 color:NA text:"
from:1945 till:1956 color:LP text:"Florence Cardell-Oliver "
barset:MLAs2
from:1974 till:1983 color:LP text:"June Craig "
from:1983 till:1993 color:AL text:"Pam Beggs "
bar:Buchanan
from:1983 till:1991 color:AL text:"
from:1991 till:1992 color:ID text:"Pam Buchanan "
barset:MLAs3
from:1983 till:1996 color:AL text:"Yvonne Henderson "
from:1983 till:1993 color:AL text:"Jackie Watkins "
from:1986 till:1994 color:AL text:"Carmen Lawrence "
from:1986 till:1996 color:AL text:"Judyth Watson "
from:1989 till:2005 color:LP text:"Cheryl Edwardes "
from:1989 till:2001 color:NP text:"Hilda Turnbull "
from:1990 till:2008 color:AL text:"Judy Edwards "
from:1991 till:2013 color:ID text:"Liz Constable "
from:1993 till:1996 color:AL text:"Kay Hallahan "
from:1993 till:2001 color:LP text:"June van der Klashorst "
from:1993 till:2001 color:AL text:"Diana Warnock "
from:1994 till:2022 color:AL text:"Michelle Roberts "
from:1994 till:2001 color:LP text:"Rhonda Parker "
from:1996 till:2001 color:AL text:"Megan Anwyl "
from:1996 till:2008 color:LP text:"Katie Hodson-Thomas "
from:1996 till:2001 color:LP text:"Monica Holmes "
from:1996 till:2010 color:AL text:"Alannah MacTiernan "
from:1996 till:2008 color:AL text:"Sheila McHale "
from:2001 till:2008 color:AL text:"Dianne Guise "
from:2001 till:2013 color:AL text:"Carol Martin "
from:2001 till:2024 color:AL text:"Margaret Quirk "
from:2001 till:2008 color:AL text:"Jaye Radisich "
from:2001 till:2008 color:LP text:"Sue Walker "
from:2001 till:2013 color:ID text:"Janet Woollard "
from:2005 till:2008 color:AL text:"Judy Hughes "
from:2008 till:2024 color:AL text:"Lisa Baker "
from:2008 till:2021 color:AL text:"Janine Freeman "
from:2008 till:2021 color:LP text:"Liza Harvey "
from:2008 till:2017 color:LP text:"Andrea Mitchell "
from:2008 till:2024 color:AL text:"Rita Saffioti "
bar:Carles
from:2009 till:2010 color:AG text:"
from:2010 till:2013 color:ID text:"Adele Carles "
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from:2013 till:2014 color:NP text:"Mia Davies "
from:2013 till:2017 color:NP text:"Wendy Duncan "
from:2013 till:2017 color:LP text:"Eleni Evangel "
from:2013 till:2021 color:AL text:"Josie Farrer "
from:2013 till:2017 color:LP text:"Glenys Godfrey "
from:2013 till:2024 color:AL text:"Simone McGurk "
from:2014 till:2024 color:LP text:"Libby Mettam "
from:2017 till:2024 color:AL text:"Robyn Clarke "
from:2017 till:2024 color:AL text:"Emily Hamilton "
from:2017 till:2024 color:AL text:"Lisa O'Malley "
from:2017 till:2024 color:AL text:"Cassie Rowe "
from:2017 till:2024 color:AL text:"Amber-Jade Sanderson "
from:2017 till:2024 color:AL text:"Jessica Shaw "
from:2017 till:2024 color:AL text:"Jessica Stojkovski "
from:2017 till:2024 color:AL text:"Sabine Winton "
from:2018 till:2021 color:LP text:"Alyssa Hayden "
from:2021 till:2024 color:AL text:"Hannah Beazley "
from:2021 till:2024 color:AL text:"Caitlin Collins "
from:2021 till:2024 color:AL text:"Lara Dalton "
from:2021 till:2024 color:AL text:"Divina D'Anna "
from:2021 till:2024 color:AL text:"Kim Giddens "
from:2021 till:2024 color:AL text:"Meredith Hammat "
from:2021 till:2024 color:AL text:"Jodie Hanns "
from:2021 till:2024 color:AL text:"Jane Kelsbie "
from:2021 till:2024 color:AL text:"Ali Kent "
from:2021 till:2024 color:AL text:"Lisa Munday "
from:2021 till:2024 color:AL text:"Rebecca Stephens "
from:2021 till:2024 color:AL text:"Katrina Stratton "
from:2021 till:2024 color:AL text:"Christine Tonkin "
from:2022 till:2024 color:LP text:"Merome Beard "
from:2023 till:2024 color:AL text:"Magenta Marshall "
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 Nationalist and United parties and the Liberal and Country League. The National column includes the various National Party splinter groups in the 1920s and 1980s.