Women in the Western Australian Legislative Council
There have been 46 women in the Western Australian Legislative Council since its creation in 1832. 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 Council was Ruby Hutchison, who was elected as one of the members for Metropolitan-Suburban Province in 1954, representing the Labor Party. Since then, women have been continuously represented in the Legislative Council; when Hutchison retired in 1971, she was succeeded by Lyla Elliott. Margaret McAleer became the first Liberal woman in the Council in 1974, and Winifred Piesse became the first Country Party woman in 1977.
In 1997, the first women representing minor parties were elected to the Council: Helen Hodgson for the Australian Democrats, and Chrissy Sharp and Giz Watson for the Greens WA.
List of women in the Western Australian Legislative Council
Names in bold indicate women who have been appointed as Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries during their time in Parliament. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruby Hutchison | Labor | Suburban North-East Metropolitan |
22 May 1954 – 22 May 1965 22 May 1965 – 21 May 1971 (retired) |
| 2 | Lyla Elliott | Labor | North-East Metropolitan | 22 May 1971 – 21 May 1986 (retired) |
| 3 | Margaret McAleer | Liberal | Upper West Agricultural |
22 May 1974 – 22 May 1989 22 May 1989 – 21 May 1993 (retired) |
| Grace Vaughan | Labor | South-East Metropolitan | 22 May 1974 – 21 May 1980 (defeated) | |
| 5 | Winifred Piesse | NCP/National | Lower Central | 22 May 1977 – 21 May 1983 (defeated) |
| 6 | Kay Hallahan* | Labor | South-East Metropolitan East Metropolitan |
22 May 1983 – 22 May 1989 22 May 1989 – 13 January 1993 (resigned to contest LA) |
| 7 | Beryl Jones | Labor | Lower West South West |
22 May 1986 – 22 May 1989 22 May 1989 – 21 May 1993 (retired) |
| 8 | Cheryl Davenport | Labor | South Metropolitan | 22 May 1989 – 21 May 2001 (retired) |
| Muriel Patterson | Liberal | South West | 22 May 1989 – 21 May 2001 (retired) | |
| 10 | Diane Airey | Liberal | South Metropolitan | 2 February 1993 – 21 May 1993 (term expired) |
| Valma Ferguson | Labor | East Metropolitan | 2 February 1993 – 21 May 1993 (term expired) 4 April 1995 – 21 May 1997 (retired) | |
| 12 | Alannah MacTiernan* | Labor | East Metropolitan North Metropolitan |
22 May 1993 – 21 November 1996 (resigned to contest LA) 22 May 2017 – |
| Barbara Scott | Liberal | South Metropolitan | 22 May 1993 – 21 May 2009 (retired) | |
| 14 | Helen Hodgson | Democrats | North Metropolitan | 22 May 1997 – 21 May 2001 (defeated) |
| Ljiljanna Ravlich | Labor | East Metropolitan North Metropolitan |
22 May 1997 – 21 May 2013 22 May 2013 – 10 March 2015 (resigned) | |
| Chrissy Sharp | Greens | South West | 22 May 1997 – 21 May 2005 (retired) | |
| Giz Watson | Greens | North Metropolitan | 22 May 1997 – 21 May 2013 (defeated) | |
| 18 | Kate Doust | Labor | South Metropolitan | 22 May 2001 – |
| Sue Ellery | Labor | South Metropolitan | 22 May 2001 – | |
| Adele Farina | Labor | South West | 22 May 2001 – | |
| Dee Margetts | Greens | Agricultural | 22 May 2001 – 21 May 2005 (defeated) | |
| Robyn McSweeney | Liberal | South West | 22 May 2001 – 21 May 2017 (defeated) | |
| Louise Pratt | Labor | East Metropolitan | 22 May 2001 – 29 October 2007 (resigned to contest Senate) | |
| 24 | Lynn MacLaren | Greens | South Metropolitan | 15 February 2005 – 21 May 2005 (defeated) 22 May 2009 – 21 May 2017 (defeated) |
| 25 | Shelley Archer | Labor/Independent | Mining and Pastoral | 22 May 2005 – 21 May 2009 (retired) |
| Donna Faragher | Liberal | East Metropolitan | 22 May 2005 – | |
| Sheila Mills | Labor | South Metropolitan | 22 May 2005 – 21 May 2009 (retired) | |
| Helen Morton | Liberal | East Metropolitan | 22 May 2005 – 21 May 2017 (defeated) | |
| Margaret Rowe | Liberal | Agricultural | 22 May 2005 – 22 June 2007 (resigned) | |
| Sally Talbot | Labor | South West | 22 May 2005 – | |
| 31 | Wendy Duncan* | National | Agricultural Mining and Pastoral |
21 January 2008 – 22 May 2009 22 May 2009 – 12 February 2013 (resigned to contest LA) |
| 32 | Carolyn Burton | Labor | North Metropolitan | 12 September 2008 – 21 May 2009 (term expired) |
| 33 | Shelley Eaton | Labor | Mining and Pastoral | 17 September 2008 – 21 May 2009 (term expired) |
| 34 | Liz Behjat | Liberal | North Metropolitan | 22 May 2009 – 21 May 2017 (retired) |
| Helen Bullock | Labor | Mining and Pastoral | 22 May 2009 – 21 May 2013 (retired) | |
| Mia Davies* | National | Agricultural | 22 May 2009 – 12 February 2013 (resigned to contest LA) | |
| Alyssa Hayden* | Liberal | East Metropolitan | 22 May 2009 – 21 May 2017 | |
| Alison Xamon | Greens | East Metropolitan North Metropolitan |
22 May 2009 – 21 May 2013 (defeated) 22 May 2017 – | |
| 39 | Linda Savage | Labor | East Metropolitan | 22 March 2010 – 21 May 2013 (retired) |
| 40 | Jacqui Boydell | National | Mining and Pastoral | 22 May 2013 – |
| Alanna Clohesy | Labor | East Metropolitan | 22 May 2013 – | |
| Samantha Rowe | Labor | East Metropolitan | 22 May 2013 – | |
| Amber-Jade Sanderson* | Labor | East Metropolitan | 22 May 2013 – 5 February 2017 (resigned to contest LA) | |
| 44 | Laine McDonald | Labor | North Metropolitan | 27 September 2016 – 21 May 2017 (defeated) |
| 45 | Elise Irwin | Liberal | North Metropolitan | 4 April 2017 – 21 May 2017 (term expired) |
| 46 | Diane Evers | Greens | South West | 22 May 2017 – |
Timeline
