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 Country and Progressive National Party. She was defeated in 1932, and women were not represented again until 1966, when 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 (2015) and Cynthia Lui (2017), 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 (37%) being women. Since then the proportion of women have fallen. There were 25 women out of 89 members (28%) 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.
#NamePartyElectoral DivisionPeriod of service1Irene LongmanProgressive NationalistBulimba11 May 1929 – 11 June 1932 (defeated)2Vi JordanLaborIpswich West28 May 1966 – 7 December 1974 (defeated)3Vicky KippinNationalMourilyan7 December 1974 – 29 November 1980 (defeated)Rosemary KyburzLiberalSalisbury7 December 1974 – 22 October 1983 (defeated)5Beryce NelsonLiberal/NationalAspley29 November 1980 – 22 October 1983 (resigned) 1 November 1986 – 2 December 1989 (defeated)6Yvonne ChapmanNationalPine Rivers22 October 1983 – 2 December 1989 (defeated)Anne WarnerLaborKurilpa South Brisbane22 October 1983 – 15 July 1995 (retired)8Leisha HarveyNationalGreenslopes22 October 1983 – 2 December 1989 (defeated)9Di McCauleyNationalCallide1 November 1986 – 13 June 1998 (retired)10Judy GaminNationalSouth Coast Burleigh28 August 1988 – 2 December 1989 (defeated) 19 September 1992 – 17 February 2001 (defeated)11Lorraine BirdLaborWhitsunday2 December 1989 – 13 June 1998 (defeated)Lesley ClarkLaborBarron River2 December 1989 – 15 July 1995 (defeated) 13 June 1998 – 9 September 2006 (retired)Wendy EdmondLaborMount Coot-tha2 December 1989 – 7 February 2004 (retired)Laurel PowerLaborMansfield2 December 1989 – 15 July 1995 (defeated)Molly RobsonLaborSpringwood2 December 1989 – 15 July 1995 (defeated)Judy SpenceLaborMount Gravatt Sunnybank2 December 1989 – 24 March 2012 (retired)Margaret WoodgateLaborPine Rivers Kurwongbah2 December 1989 – 17 March 1997 (resigned)18Joan SheldonLiberalLandsborough Caloundra28 July 1990 – 7 February 2004 (retired)19Merri RoseLaborCurrumbin19 September 1992 – 7 February 2004 (defeated)Fiona SimpsonNational/Liberal NationalMaroochydore19 September 1992 – 21Anna BlighLaborSouth Brisbane15 July 1995 – 30 March 2012 (resigned)Liz CunninghamIndependentGladstone15 July 1995 – 31 January 2015 (retired)Lyn WarwickLiberalBarron River15 July 1995 – 13 June 1998 (defeated)Naomi WilsonNationalMulgrave15 July 1995 – 13 June 1998 (defeated)25Linda LavarchLaborKurwongbah24 May 1997 – 20 March 2009 (retired)26Julie AttwoodLaborMount Ommaney13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012 (retired)Desley BoyleLaborCairns13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012 (retired)Nita CunninghamLaborBundaberg13 June 1998 – 14 August 2006 (retired)Lindy Nelson-CarrLaborMundingburra13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012 (retired)Dorothy PrattOne Nation/IndependentBarambah Nanango13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012 (retired)Karen StruthersLaborArcherfield Algester13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012 (defeated)32Jo-Ann MillerLaborBundamba5 February 2000 – 20 February 2020 (resigned)33Bonny BarryLaborAspley17 February 2001 – 20 March 2009 (defeated)Liddy ClarkLaborClayfield17 February 2001 – 9 September 2006 (defeated)Peta-Kaye CroftLaborBroadwater17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated)Jan JarrattLaborWhitsunday17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated)Margaret KeechLaborAlbert17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated)Rosa Lee LongOne NationTablelands17 February 2001 – 20 March 2009 (defeated)Carolyn MaleLaborGlass House Pine Rivers17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (retired)Cate MolloyLabor/IndependentNoosa17 February 2001 – 9 September 2006 (defeated)Rachel NolanLaborIpswich17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated)Anita PhillipsLaborThuringowa17 February 2001 – 7 February 2004 (retired)Dianne ReillyLaborMudgeeraba17 February 2001 – 20 March 2009 (defeated)Elisa RobertsOne Nation/IndependentGympie17 February 2001 – 9 September 2006 (defeated)Christine ScottLaborCharters Towers17 February 2001 – 7 February 2004 (defeated)Desley ScottLaborWoodridge17 February 2001 – 31 January 2015 (retired)Christine SmithLaborBurleigh17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated)Barbara StoneLaborSpringwood17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated)Carryn SullivanLaborPumicestone17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated)50Rosemary MenkensNational/Liberal NationalBurdekin7 February 2004 – 31 January 2015 (retired)Jann StuckeyLiberal/Liberal NationalCurrumbin7 February 2004 – 1 February 2020 (resigned)52Vicky DarlingLaborSandgate9 September 2006 – 24 March 2012 (defeated)Kate JonesLaborAshgrove Cooper9 September 2006 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) 31 January 2015 – 31 October 2020 (retired)Betty KiernanLaborMount Isa9 September 2006 – 24 March 2012 (defeated)Annastacia PalaszczukLaborInala9 September 2006 – 31 December 2023 (retired)Lillian van LitsenburgLaborRedcliffe9 September 2006 – 24 March 2012 (defeated)57Grace GraceLaborBrisbane Central McConnel13 October 2007 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) 31 January 2015 –58Ros BatesLiberal NationalMudgeeraba21 March 2009 – Tracy DavisLiberal NationalAspley21 March 2009 – 25 November 2017 (defeated)Di FarmerLaborBulimba21 March 2009 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) 31 January 2015 –Mandy JohnstoneLaborTownsville21 March 2009 – 24 March 2012 (defeated)Mary-Anne O'NeillLaborKallangur21 March 2009 – 24 March 2012 (defeated)63Verity BartonLiberal NationalBroadwater24 March 2012 – 25 November 2017 (retired)Lisa FranceLiberal NationalPumicestone24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015 (defeated)Deb FrecklingtonLiberal NationalNanango24 March 2012 – Anne MaddernLiberal NationalMaryborough24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015 (defeated)Kerry MillardLiberal NationalSandgate24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015 (defeated)Freya OstapovitchLiberal NationalStretton24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015 (defeated)Saxon RiceLiberal NationalMount Coot-tha24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015 (defeated)Tarnya SmithLiberal NationalMount Ommaney24 March 2012 – 25 November 2017 (defeated)71Jackie TradLaborSouth Brisbane28 April 2012 – 31 October 2020 (defeated)72Yvette D'AthLaborRedcliffe22 February 2014 – 26 October 2024 (retired)73Nikki BoydLaborPine Rivers31 January 2015 – Leanne DonaldsonLaborBundaberg31 January 2015 – 25 November 2017 (defeated)Leeanne EnochLaborAlgester31 January 2015 – Shannon FentimanLaborWaterford31 January 2015 – Julieanne GilbertLaborMackay31 January 2015 – 26 October 2024 (retired)Jennifer HowardLaborIpswich31 January 2015 – Brittany LaugaLaborKeppel31 January 2015 – 26 October 2024 (defeated)Ann LeahyLiberal NationalWarrego31 January 2015 – Leanne LinardLaborNudgee31 January 2015 – Coralee O'RourkeLaborMundingburra31 January 2015 – 31 October 2020 (retired)Joan PeaseLaborLytton31 January 2015 – 84Sandy BoltonIndependentNoosa25 November 2017 – Cynthia LuiLaborCook25 November 2017 – 26 October 2024 (defeated)Melissa McMahonLaborMacalister25 November 2017 – Corrine McMillanLaborMansfield25 November 2017 – Charis MullenLaborJordan25 November 2017 – Jess PughLaborMount Ommaney25 November 2017 –Kim RichardsLaborRedlands25 November 2017 – 26 October 2024 (defeated)Meaghan ScanlonLaborGaven25 November 2017 –Simone WilsonLiberal NationalPumicestone25 November 2017 – 31 October 2020 (retired)93Laura GerberLiberal NationalCurrumbin28 March 2020 –94Jonty BushLaborCooper31 October 2020 –Amanda CammLiberal NationalWhitsunday31 October 2020 –Ali KingLaborPumicestone31 October 2020 – 26 October 2024 (defeated)Amy MacMahonGreensSouth Brisbane31 October 2020 – 26 October 2024 (defeated)98Margie NightingaleLaborInala16 March 2024 - 99Bisma AsifLaborSandgate26 October 2024 -Wendy BourneLaborIpswich West26 October 2024 -Ariana DoolanLiberal NationalPumicestone26 October 2024 - Kerri-Anne DooleyLiberal NationalRedcliffe26 October 2024 -Bree JamesLiberal NationalBarron River26 October 2024 -Donna KirklandLiberal NationalRockhampton26 October 2024 -Natalie MarrLiberal NationalThuringowa26 October 2024 -Kendall MortonLiberal NationalCaloundra26 October 2024 -Barbara O'SheaLaborSouth Brisbane26 October 2024 -Janelle PooleLiberal NationalMundingburra26 October 2024 -Amanda StokerLiberal NationalOodgeroo26 October 2024 -Rebecca YoungLiberal NationalRedlands26 October 2024 -
Timeline
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.