There have been 60 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. In the 2022 Victorian election, there were 22 women elected to the 40 member Legislative Council, forming a majority of the chamber for the first time.

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.

#NamePartyProvince/RegionPeriod of service1Gracia BaylorLiberalBoronia5 May 1979 – 1 March 1985 (resigned)Joan CoxsedgeLaborMelbourne West5 May 1979 – 3 October 1992 (retired)3Caroline HoggLaborMelbourne North3 April 1982 – 18 September 1999 (retired)Judith DixonLaborBoronia3 April 1982 – 1 October 1988 (defeated)Joan Kirner*LaborMelbourne West3 April 1982 – 1 October 1988 (transferred to LA)6Maureen LysterLaborChelsea2 March 1985 – 3 October 1992 (defeated)Jean McLeanLaborBoronia Melbourne West2 March 1985 – 2 October 1992 3 October 1992 – 18 September 1999 (retired)8Rosemary VartyLiberalNunawading Silvan17 August 1985 – 2 October 1992 3 October 1992 – 18 September 1999 (retired)9Marie Tehan*LiberalCentral Highlands21 March 1987 – 2 October 1992 (transferred to LA)10Licia KokocinskiLaborMelbourne West1 October 1988 – 30 March 1996 (retired)11Louise Asher*LiberalMonash3 October 1992 – 18 September 1999 (transferred to LA)Sue WildingLiberalChelsea3 October 1992 – 18 September 1999 (defeated)13Monica GouldLaborDoutta Galla28 September 1993 – 24 November 2006 (retired)14Maree LuckinsLiberalWaverley30 March 1996 – 30 November 2002 (ran for LA)Jeanette Powell*NationalNorth Eastern30 March 1996 – 30 November 2002 (transferred to LA)Wendy SmithLiberalSilvan30 March 1996 – 30 November 2002 (defeated)17Candy BroadLaborMelbourne North Northern Victoria18 September 1999 – 25 November 2006 25 November 2006 – 9 May 2014 (resigned)Elaine CarbinesLaborGeelong18 September 1999 – November 2006 (defeated)Andrea CooteLiberalMonash Southern Metropolitan18 September 1999 – 25 November 2006 25 November 2006 – 29 November 2014 (retired)Kaye DarvenizaLaborMelbourne West Northern Victoria18 September 1999 – 25 November 2006 25 November 2006 – 29 November 2014 (retired)Dianne HaddenLabor/IndependentBallarat18 September 1999 – 25 November 2006 (defeated)Jenny MikakosLaborJika Jika Northern Metropolitan18 September 1999 – 25 November 2006 25 November 2006 – 26 September 2020 (resigned)Glenyys RomanesLaborMelbourne18 September 1999 – 25 November 2006 (defeated)Marsha Thomson*LaborMelbourne North18 September 1999 – 25 November 2006 (transferred to LA)25Lidia ArgondizzoLaborTemplestowe30 November 2002 – 25 November 2006 (defeated)Helen BuckinghamLaborKoonung30 November 2002 – 25 November 2006 (retired)Carolyn Hirsh*Labor/IndependentSilvan30 November 2002 – 25 November 2006 (retired)Wendy LovellLiberalNorth Eastern Northern Victoria30 November 2002 – 25 November 2006 25 November 2006 – 29Colleen HartlandGreensWestern Metropolitan25 November 2006 – 8 February 2018 (resigned)Jan KronbergLiberalEastern Metropolitan25 November 2006 – 29 November 2014 (retired)Sue PennicuikGreensSouthern Metropolitan25 November 2006 – 24 November 2018 (defeated)Donna PetrovichLiberalNorthern Victoria25 November 2006 – 1 July 2013 (resigned)Inga Peulich*LiberalSouth Eastern Metropolitan25 November 2006 – 24 November 2018 (defeated)Jaala PulfordLaborWestern Victoria25 November 2006 – Gayle TierneyLaborWestern Victoria25 November 2006 – 36Jennifer HuppertLaborSouthern Metropolitan3 February 2009 – 27 November 2010 (defeated)37Georgie CrozierLiberalSouthern Metropolitan27 November 2010 – 38Amanda MillarLiberalNorthern Victoria22 August 2013 – 29 November 2014 (defeated)39Marg LewisLaborNorthern Victoria11 June 2014 – 29 November 2014 (retired)40Rachel Carling-JenkinsDLP/Conservatives/IndependentWestern Metropolitan29 November 2014 – 24 November 2018 (ran for LA)Samantha DunnGreensEastern Metropolitan29 November 2014 – 24 November 2018 (defeated)Margaret FitzherbertLiberalSouthern Metropolitan29 November 2014 – 24 November 2018 (defeated)Fiona PattenSex Party/ReasonNorthern Metropolitan29 November 2014 – Harriet ShingLaborEastern Victoria29 November 2014 – Nina SpringleGreensSouth Eastern Metropolitan29 November 2014 – 24 November 2018 (defeated)Jaclyn SymesLaborNorthern Victoria29 November 2014 – Mary Wooldridge*LiberalEastern Metropolitan29 November 2014 – 8 December 2019 (resigned)48Melina BathNationalEastern Victoria16 April 2015 – 49Samantha RatnamGreensNorthern Metropolitan19 October 2017 – 50Huong TruongGreensWestern Metropolitan21 February 2018 – 24 November 201851Catherine CummingJusticeWestern Metropolitan24 November 2018 – 26 November 2022 (defeated)Jane Garrett*LaborEastern Victoria24 November 2018 – 2 July 2022 (died)Tania MaxwellJusticeNorthern Victoria24 November 2018 – Bev McArthurLiberalWestern Victoria24 November 2018 – Ingrid StittLaborWestern Metropolitan24 November 2018 – Nina TaylorLaborSouthern Metropolitan24 November 2018 – 26 November 2022 (transferred to LA)Sonja TerpstraLaborEastern Metropolitan24 November 2018 – Kaushaliya VaghelaLaborWestern Metropolitan24 November 2018 – 26 November 2022 (defeated)59Sheena WattLaborNorthern Metropolitan13 October 2020 – 60Cathrine Burnett-WakeLiberalEastern Victoria2 December 2021 –

Timeline

Proportion of women in the Council Numbers and proportions are as they were directly after the beginning of Council terms and do not take into account deaths, resignations, appointments, defections or other changes in membership.

TermLaborLiberalNationalGreensOthersTotalWomenTotal%WomenTotal%WomenTotal%WomenTotal%WomenTotal%WomenTotal%1979–19821 13 7.7%1 27 3.7%0 4 0.0%0 0 0.0%0 0 0.0%2 44 4.5%1982–19854 19 21.1%1 21 4.8%0 4 0.0%0 0 0.0%0 0 0.0%5 44 11.4%1985–19886 23 26.1%0 16 0.0%0 5 0.0%0 0 0.0%0 0 0.0%6 44 13.6%1988–19925 19 26.3%2 19 10.5%0 6 0.0%0 0 0.0%0 0 0.0%7 44 15.9%1992–19963 14 21.4%3 24 12.5%0 6 0.0%0 0 0.0%0 0 0.0%6 44 13.6%1996–19993 10 30.0%6 28 21.4%1 6 16.7%0 0 0.0%0 0 0.0%9 44 20.5%1999–20028 14 57.1%3 24 12.5%1 6 16.7%0 0 0.0%0 0 0.0%12 44 27.3%2002–200611 25 44.0%2 14 14.3%0 5 0.0%0 0 0.0%0 0 0.0%13 44 29.6%2006–20105 19 26.3%5 15 33.3%0 2 0.0%2 3 66.7%0 1 0.0%12 40 30.0%2010–20145 16 31.2%6 18 33.3%0 3 0.0%2 3 66.7%0 0 0.0%13 40 32.5%2014–20185 14 35.7%5 14 35.7%0 2 0.0%4 5 80.0%2 5 40.0%16 40 40.0%2018–202210 18 55.6%4 10 40.0%1 1 100.0%1 1 100.0%3 10 30.0%19 40 47.5%2022–8 15 53.3%6 12 50.0%2 2 100.0%3 4 75.0%3 7 42.9%22 40 55.0%

See also

References