# Women in the Queensland Legislative Assembly

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.
| # | Name | Party | Electoral Division | Period of service |
| 1 | Irene Longman | Progressive Nationalist | Bulimba | 11 May 1929 – 11 June 1932 (defeated) |
| 2 | Vi Jordan | Labor | Ipswich West | 28 May 1966 – 7 December 1974 (defeated) |
| 3 | Vicky Kippin | National | Mourilyan | 7 December 1974 – 29 November 1980 (defeated) |
| 3 | Rosemary Kyburz | Liberal | Salisbury | 7 December 1974 – 22 October 1983 (defeated) |
| 5 | Beryce Nelson | Liberal/National | Aspley | 29 November 1980 – 22 October 1983 (resigned) 1 November 1986 – 2 December 1989 (defeated) |
| 6 | Yvonne Chapman | National | Pine Rivers | 22 October 1983 – 2 December 1989 (defeated) |
| 6 | Anne Warner | Labor | Kurilpa South Brisbane | 22 October 1983 – 15 July 1995 (retired) |
| 8 | Leisha Harvey | National | Greenslopes | 22 October 1983 – 2 December 1989 (defeated) |
| 9 | Di McCauley | National | Callide | 1 November 1986 – 13 June 1998 (retired) |
| 10 | Judy Gamin | National | South Coast Burleigh | 28 August 1988 – 2 December 1989 (defeated) 19 September 1992 – 17 February 2001 (defeated) |
| 11 | Lorraine Bird | Labor | Whitsunday | 2 December 1989 – 13 June 1998 (defeated) |
| 11 | Lesley Clark | Labor | Barron River | 2 December 1989 – 15 July 1995 (defeated) 13 June 1998 – 9 September 2006 (retired) |
| 11 | Wendy Edmond | Labor | Mount Coot-tha | 2 December 1989 – 7 February 2004 (retired) |
| 11 | Laurel Power | Labor | Mansfield | 2 December 1989 – 15 July 1995 (defeated) |
| 11 | Molly Robson | Labor | Springwood | 2 December 1989 – 15 July 1995 (defeated) |
| 11 | Judy Spence | Labor | Mount Gravatt Sunnybank | 2 December 1989 – 24 March 2012 (retired) |
| 11 | Margaret Woodgate | Labor | Pine Rivers Kurwongbah | 2 December 1989 – 17 March 1997 (resigned) |
| 18 | Joan Sheldon | Liberal | Landsborough Caloundra | 28 July 1990 – 7 February 2004 (retired) |
| 19 | Merri Rose | Labor | Currumbin | 19 September 1992 – 7 February 2004 (defeated) |
| 19 | Fiona Simpson | National/Liberal National | Maroochydore | 19 September 1992 – |
| 21 | Anna Bligh | Labor | South Brisbane | 15 July 1995 – 30 March 2012 (resigned) |
| 21 | Liz Cunningham | Independent | Gladstone | 15 July 1995 – 31 January 2015 (retired) |
| 21 | Lyn Warwick | Liberal | Barron River | 15 July 1995 – 13 June 1998 (defeated) |
| 21 | Naomi Wilson | National | Mulgrave | 15 July 1995 – 13 June 1998 (defeated) |
| 25 | Linda Lavarch | Labor | Kurwongbah | 24 May 1997 – 20 March 2009 (retired) |
| 26 | Julie Attwood | Labor | Mount Ommaney | 13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012 (retired) |
| 26 | Desley Boyle | Labor | Cairns | 13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012 (retired) |
| 26 | Nita Cunningham | Labor | Bundaberg | 13 June 1998 – 14 August 2006 (retired) |
| 26 | Lindy Nelson-Carr | Labor | Mundingburra | 13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012 (retired) |
| 26 | Dorothy Pratt | One Nation/Independent | Barambah Nanango | 13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012 (retired) |
| 26 | Karen Struthers | Labor | Archerfield Algester | 13 June 1998 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) |
| 32 | Jo-Ann Miller | Labor | Bundamba | 5 February 2000 – 20 February 2020 (resigned) |
| 33 | Bonny Barry | Labor | Aspley | 17 February 2001 – 20 March 2009 (defeated) |
| 33 | Liddy Clark | Labor | Clayfield | 17 February 2001 – 9 September 2006 (defeated) |
| 33 | Peta-Kaye Croft | Labor | Broadwater | 17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) |
| 33 | Jan Jarratt | Labor | Whitsunday | 17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) |
| 33 | Margaret Keech | Labor | Albert | 17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) |
| 33 | Rosa Lee Long | One Nation | Tablelands | 17 February 2001 – 20 March 2009 (defeated) |
| 33 | Carolyn Male | Labor | Glass House Pine Rivers | 17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (retired) |
| 33 | Cate Molloy | Labor/Independent | Noosa | 17 February 2001 – 9 September 2006 (defeated) |
| 33 | Rachel Nolan | Labor | Ipswich | 17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) |
| 33 | Anita Phillips | Labor | Thuringowa | 17 February 2001 – 7 February 2004 (retired) |
| 33 | Dianne Reilly | Labor | Mudgeeraba | 17 February 2001 – 20 March 2009 (defeated) |
| 33 | Elisa Roberts | One Nation/Independent | Gympie | 17 February 2001 – 9 September 2006 (defeated) |
| 33 | Christine Scott | Labor | Charters Towers | 17 February 2001 – 7 February 2004 (defeated) |
| 33 | Desley Scott | Labor | Woodridge | 17 February 2001 – 31 January 2015 (retired) |
| 33 | Christine Smith | Labor | Burleigh | 17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) |
| 33 | Barbara Stone | Labor | Springwood | 17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated |
| 33 | Carryn Sullivan | Labor | Pumicestone | 17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) |
| 50 | Rosemary Menkens | National/Liberal National | Burdekin | 7 February 2004 – 31 January 2015 (retired) |
| 50 | Jann Stuckey | Liberal/Liberal National | Currumbin | 7 February 2004 – 1 February 2020 (resigned) |
| 52 | Vicky Darling | Labor | Sandgate | 9 September 2006 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) |
| 52 | Kate Jones | Labor | Ashgrove Cooper | 9 September 2006 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) 31 January 2015 – 31 October 2020 (retired) |
| 52 | Betty Kiernan | Labor | Mount Isa | 9 September 2006 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) |
| 52 | Annastacia Palaszczuk | Labor | Inala | 9 September 2006 – 31 December 2023 (retired) |
| 52 | Lillian van Litsenburg | Labor | Redcliffe | 9 September 2006 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) |
| 57 | Grace Grace | Labor | Brisbane Central McConnel | 13 October 2007 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) 31 January 2015 – |
| 58 | Ros Bates | Liberal National | Mudgeeraba | 21 March 2009 – |
| 58 | Tracy Davis | Liberal National | Aspley | 21 March 2009 – 25 November 2017 (defeated) |
| 58 | Di Farmer | Labor | Bulimba | 21 March 2009 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) 31 January 2015 – |
| 58 | Mandy Johnstone | Labor | Townsville | 21 March 2009 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) |
| 58 | Mary-Anne O'Neill | Labor | Kallangur | 21 March 2009 – 24 March 2012 (defeated) |
| 63 | Verity Barton | Liberal National | Broadwater | 24 March 2012 – 25 November 2017 (retired) |
| 63 | Lisa France | Liberal National | Pumicestone | 24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015 (defeated) |
| 63 | Deb Frecklington | Liberal National | Nanango | 24 March 2012 – |
| 63 | Anne Maddern | Liberal National | Maryborough | 24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015 (defeated) |
| 63 | Kerry Millard | Liberal National | Sandgate | 24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015 (defeated) |
| 63 | Freya Ostapovitch | Liberal National | Stretton | 24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015 (defeated) |
| 63 | Saxon Rice | Liberal National | Mount Coot-tha | 24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015 (defeated) |
| 63 | Tarnya Smith | Liberal National | Mount Ommaney | 24 March 2012 – 25 November 2017 (defeated) |
| 71 | Jackie Trad | Labor | South Brisbane | 28 April 2012 – 31 October 2020 (defeated) |
| 72 | Yvette D'Ath | Labor | Redcliffe | 22 February 2014 – |
| 73 | Nikki Boyd | Labor | Pine Rivers | 31 January 2015 – |
| 73 | Leanne Donaldson | Labor | Bundaberg | 31 January 2015 – 25 November 2017 (defeated) |
| 73 | Leeanne Enoch | Labor | Algester | 31 January 2015 – |
| 73 | Shannon Fentiman | Labor | Waterford | 31 January 2015 – |
| 73 | Julieanne Gilbert | Labor | Mackay | 31 January 2015 – |
| 73 | Jennifer Howard | Labor | Ipswich | 31 January 2015 – |
| 73 | Brittany Lauga | Labor | Keppel | 31 January 2015 – |
| 73 | Ann Leahy | Liberal National | Warrego | 31 January 2015 – |
| 73 | Leanne Linard | Labor | Nudgee | 31 January 2015 – |
| 73 | Coralee O'Rourke | Labor | Mundingburra | 31 January 2015 – 31 October 2020 (retired) |
| 73 | Joan Pease | Labor | Lytton | 31 January 2015 – |
| 84 | Sandy Bolton | Independent | Noosa | 25 November 2017 – |
| 84 | Cynthia Lui | Labor | Cook | 25 November 2017 – |
| 84 | Melissa McMahon | Labor | Macalister | 25 November 2017 – |
| 84 | Corrine McMillan | Labor | Mansfield | 25 November 2017 – |
| 84 | Charis Mullen | Labor | Jordan | 25 November 2017 – |
| 84 | Jess Pugh | Labor | Mount Ommaney | 25 November 2017 – |
| 84 | Kim Richards | Labor | Redlands | 25 November 2017 – |
| 84 | Meaghan Scanlon | Labor | Gaven | 25 November 2017 – |
| 84 | Simone Wilson | Liberal National | Pumicestone | 25 November 2017 – 31 October 2020 (retired) |
| 93 | Laura Gerber | Liberal National | Currumbin | 28 March 2020 – |
| 94 | Jonty Bush | Labor | Cooper | 31 October 2020 – |
| 94 | Amanda Camm | Liberal National | Whitsunday | 31 October 2020 – |
| 94 | Ali King | Labor | Pumicestone | 31 October 2020 – |
| 94 | Amy MacMahon | Greens | South Brisbane | 31 October 2020 – |
| 98 | Margie Nightingale | Labor | Inala | 16 March 2024 - |

## 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.
| Term | Labor | Labor | Labor | Liberal | Liberal | Liberal | National | National | National | Others | Others | Others | Total | Total | Total |
| Term | Women | Total | % | Women | Total | % | Women | Total | % | Women | Total | % | Women | Total | % |
| 1929–1932 | 0 | 27 | 0.0% | 1 | 43 | 2.3% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | 72 | 1.4% |
| 1932–1935 | 0 | 33 | 0.0% | 0 | 28 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 1 | 0.0% | 0 | 62 | 0.0% |
| 1935–1938 | 0 | 46 | 0.0% | 0 | 16 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 62 | 0.0% |
| 1938–1941 | 0 | 44 | 0.0% | 0 | 4 | 0.0% | 0 | 13 | 0.0% | 0 | 1 | 0.0% | 0 | 62 | 0.0% |
| 1941–1944 | 0 | 41 | 0.0% | 0 | 4 | 0.0% | 0 | 14 | 0.0% | 0 | 3 | 0.0% | 0 | 62 | 0.0% |
| 1944–1947 | 0 | 37 | 0.0% | 0 | 7 | 0.0% | 0 | 12 | 0.0% | 0 | 6 | 0.0% | 0 | 62 | 0.0% |
| 1947–1950 | 0 | 35 | 0.0% | 0 | 9 | 0.0% | 0 | 14 | 0.0% | 0 | 4 | 0.0% | 0 | 62 | 0.0% |
| 1950–1953 | 0 | 42 | 0.0% | 0 | 11 | 0.0% | 0 | 20 | 0.0% | 0 | 2 | 0.0% | 0 | 75 | 0.0% |
| 1953–1956 | 0 | 50 | 0.0% | 0 | 8 | 0.0% | 0 | 15 | 0.0% | 0 | 2 | 0.0% | 0 | 75 | 0.0% |
| 1956–1957 | 0 | 49 | 0.0% | 0 | 8 | 0.0% | 0 | 16 | 0.0% | 0 | 2 | 0.0% | 0 | 75 | 0.0% |
| 1957–1960 | 0 | 20 | 0.0% | 0 | 18 | 0.0% | 0 | 24 | 0.0% | 0 | 13 | 0.0% | 0 | 75 | 0.0% |
| 1960–1963 | 0 | 25 | 0.0% | 0 | 20 | 0.0% | 0 | 26 | 0.0% | 0 | 7 | 0.0% | 0 | 78 | 0.0% |
| 1963–1966 | 0 | 26 | 0.0% | 0 | 20 | 0.0% | 0 | 26 | 0.0% | 0 | 6 | 0.0% | 0 | 78 | 0.0% |
| 1966–1969 | 1 | 26 | 3.8% | 0 | 20 | 0.0% | 0 | 27 | 0.0% | 0 | 5 | 0.0% | 1 | 78 | 1.3% |
| 1969–1972 | 1 | 31 | 3.2% | 0 | 19 | 0.0% | 0 | 26 | 0.0% | 0 | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | 78 | 1.3% |
| 1972–1974 | 1 | 33 | 3.0% | 0 | 21 | 0.0% | 0 | 26 | 0.0% | 0 | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | 82 | 1.2% |
| 1974–1977 | 0 | 11 | 0.0% | 1 | 30 | 3.3% | 1 | 39 | 2.6% | 0 | 2 | 0.0% | 2 | 82 | 2.4% |
| 1977–1980 | 0 | 23 | 0.0% | 1 | 24 | 4.2% | 1 | 35 | 2.9% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 82 | 2.4% |
| 1980–1983 | 0 | 25 | 0.0% | 2 | 22 | 9.1% | 0 | 35 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 82 | 2.4% |
| 1983–1986 | 1 | 32 | 3.1% | 0 | 8 | 0.0% | 2 | 41 | 4.9% | 0 | 1 | 0.0% | 3 | 82 | 3.7% |
| 1986–1989 | 1 | 30 | 3.3% | 0 | 10 | 0.0% | 4 | 49 | 6.1% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 5 | 89 | 5.6% |
| 1989–1992 | 8 | 54 | 14.8% | 0 | 8 | 0.0% | 1 | 27 | 3.7% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 9 | 89 | 10.1% |
| 1992–1995 | 9 | 54 | 16.7% | 1 | 9 | 11.1% | 3 | 26 | 11.5% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 13 | 89 | 14.6% |
| 1995–1998 | 6 | 45 | 13.3% | 2 | 14 | 14.2% | 4 | 29 | 13.7% | 1 | 1 | 100.0% | 13 | 89 | 14.6% |
| 1998–2001 | 11 | 44 | 25.0% | 1 | 9 | 11.1% | 2 | 23 | 8.7% | 2 | 13 | 15.3% | 16 | 89 | 18.0% |
| 2001–2004 | 27 | 66 | 40.9% | 1 | 3 | 33.3% | 1 | 12 | 8.3% | 4 | 8 | 50.0% | 33 | 89 | 37.1% |
| 2004–2006 | 23 | 63 | 36.5% | 1 | 5 | 20.0% | 2 | 15 | 13.3% | 4 | 6 | 66.7% | 30 | 89 | 33.7% |
| 2006–2009 | 24 | 59 | 40.7% | 1 | 8 | 12.5% | 2 | 17 | 11.8% | 3 | 5 | 60.0% | 30 | 89 | 33.7% |
| 2009–2012 | 25 | 51 | 49.0% | 5 | 34 | 14.7% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | 32 | 89 | 36.0% |
| 2012–2015 | 4 | 7 | 57.1% | 13 | 78 | 16.7% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 4 | 25.0% | 18 | 89 | 20.2% |
| 2015–2017 | 17 | 44 | 38.6% | 8 | 42 | 19.0% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 3 | 0.0% | 25 | 89 | 28.1% |
| 2017–2020 | 23 | 48 | 47.9% | 6 | 39 | 15.4% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 6 | 16.7% | 30 | 93 | 32.3% |
| 2020– | 21 | 52 | 40.4% | 6 | 34 | 17.6% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 7 | 28.6% | 29 | 93 | 31.2% |