List of the first women holders of political offices in Oceania

This is a list of political offices which have been held by a woman, with details of the first woman holder of each office. It is ordered by the countries in Oceania and by dates of appointment. Please observe that this list is meant to contain only the first woman to hold of a political office, and not all the female holders of that office.

Australia

Local government councillor – Grace Benny – 1919 Member of a state parliament – Edith Cowan (Western Australia) – 1921 Mayor – Lilian Fowler – 1938 Member of the House of Representatives – Dame Enid Lyons – 1943 Member of the Senate – Dorothy Tangney – 1943 Member of Federal Cabinet – Dame Enid Lyons (Vice-President of the Executive Council) – 1949 Member of a state or territory cabinet – Florence Cardell-Oliver (Western Australia, Minister for Health) – 1949 Member of the federal ministry (with a portfolio) – Dame Annabelle Rankin (Minister for Housing) – 1966 Leader of the government in an upper house – Phyllis Benjamin (Tasmania) – 1968 Member of Federal Cabinet (with a portfolio) – Margaret Guilfoyle (Minister for Education) – 1975 Lord Mayor – Joy Cummings (Newcastle) – 1975 Leader of a parliamentary party – Elisabeth Kirkby (Australian Democrats, New South Wales) – 1981 Leader of a federal parliamentary party – Janine Haines (Australian Democrats) – 1986 Speaker of the House of Representatives – Joan Child – 1986 Head of a state or territory government – Rosemary Follett (Australian Capital Territory) – 1989 Chief Minister – Rosemary Follett (Australian Capital Territory) – 1989 Leader of a state or territory opposition – Rosemary Follett (Australian Capital Territory) – 1989 State Premier – Carmen Lawrence (Western Australia) – 1990 State Governor – Dame Roma Mitchell (South Australia) – 1991 President of the Senate – Margaret Reid – 1996 Leadership position in a major party – Jenny Macklin (Deputy Leader, Labor Party) – 2001 Deputy Prime Minister – Julia Gillard – 2007 Governor-General – Quentin Bryce – 2008 Leader of a major party – Julia Gillard (Leader, Labor Party) – 2010 Prime Minister – Julia Gillard – 2010 Foreign Minister – Julie Bishop – 2013

Australian Capital Territory

Elected Member of the Australian Capital Territory Advisory Council – Mary Steel Stevenson – 1951 Member of the Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly – Ros Kelly, Susan Ryan and Maureen Worsley – 1975 Minority Leader of the Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly - Maurene Horder – 1983 Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory – Rosemary Follett – 1989 Leader of the Opposition – Rosemary Follett – 1989 Speaker of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly – Roberta McRae – 1992 Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory – Katy Gallagher – 2006

New South Wales

Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly – Millicent Preston-Stanley – 1925 Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council – Catherine Green and Ellen Webster – 1931 Cabinet Minister – Janice Crosio – 1984 (She became the Minister for Natural Resources.) President of the New South Wales Legislative Council – Virginia Chadwick – 1998 Leader of the Opposition – Kerry Chikarovski – 1999 Governor of New South Wales – Marie Bashir – 2001 Lord Mayor of Sydney – Lucy Turnbull – 2003 Deputy Premier of New South Wales – Carmel Tebbutt – 2008 Premier of New South Wales – Kristina Keneally – 2009 Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly – Shelley Hancock – 2011

Northern Territory

Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Council – Lyn Berlowitz – 1960 Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly – Liz Andrew, Dawn Lawrie – 1974 Lord Mayor of Darwin – Ella Stack – 1975 Cabinet Minister – Noel Padgham-Purich – 1983 (She became the Minister for Housing and Conservation.) Leader of the Opposition – Maggie Hickey – 1996 Speaker of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly – Loraine Braham – 1997 Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Clare Martin – 2001 Deputy Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Marion Scrymgour – 2007 Administrator of the Northern Territory – Sally Thomas – 2011

Queensland

Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly – Irene Longman – 1929 Lord Mayor of Brisbane – Sallyanne Atkinson – 1985 Cabinet Minister – Yvonne Chapman – 1986 (She became the Minister for Welfare Services, Youth and Ethnic Affairs.) Governor of Queensland – Leneen Forde – 1992 Deputy Premier of Queensland – Joan Sheldon – 1996 Premier of Queensland – Anna Bligh – 2007 Leader of the Opposition – Annastacia Palaszczuk – 2012 Speaker of the Legislative Assembly – Fiona Simpson – 2012

South Australia Member of the South Australian House of Assembly – Joyce Steele – 1959 Member of the South Australian Legislative Council – Jessie Cooper – 1959 Cabinet Minister – Joyce Steele (Minister for Education) – 1968 Lord Mayor of Adelaide – Wendy Chapman – 1983 President of the South Australian Legislative Council – Anne Levy – 1986 Governor of South Australia – Dame Roma Mitchell – 1991 Leader of the Opposition – Isobel Redmond – 2009 Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly – Lyn Breuer – 2010

Tasmania Member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council – Margaret McIntyre – 1948 Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly – Amelia Best, Mabel Miller – 1955 Cabinet Minister – Gillian James – 1980 (She became the Minister for Public and Mental Health, Consumer Affairs and Administrative Services.) Party Leader – Christine Milne (Tasmanian Greens) – 1993 Leader of the Opposition – Sue Napier – 1999 President of the Tasmanian Legislative Council – Sue Smith – 2008 Premier of Tasmania – Lara Giddings – 2011 Speaker of the Tasmanian House of Assembly – Elise Archer – 2014 Governor of Tasmania – Kate Warner – 2014

Victoria

Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly – Millie Peacock – 1933 Member of the Victorian Legislative Council – Gracia Baylor – 1979 Cabinet Minister – Pauline Toner (Minister for Community Welfare Services) – 1982 Lord Mayor of Melbourne – Alexis Ord – 1986 Deputy Premier of Victoria – Joan Kirner – 1989 Premier of Victoria – Joan Kirner – 1990 Leader of the Opposition – Joan Kirner – 1992 Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly – Judy Maddigan – 2003 President of the Victorian Legislative Council – Monica Gould – 2003 Governor of Victoria – Linda Dessau – 2015

Western Australia

Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly – Edith Cowan – 1921 Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council – Ruby Hutchison – 1954 Cabinet Minister – Florence Cardell-Oliver (Minister for Health) – 1947 Premier of Western Australia – Carmen Lawrence – 1990 Leader of the Opposition – Carmen Lawrence – 1993 Lord Mayor of Perth – Lisa Scaffidi – 2007 Governor of Western Australia – Kerry Sanderson – 2014 Deputy Premier of Western Australia — Liza Harvey – 2016 President of the Western Australian Legislative Council – Kate Doust – 2017

Cook Islands Member of Parliament – Fanaura Kingstone – 1983 Minister of Internal Affairs and Postmistress General – Fanaura Kingstone – 1983

Fiji Members of Parliament: Losalini Raravuya Dovi, Loloma Livingston, and Irene Jai Narayan – 1966 Minister of Culture – Litia Cakobau – 1987

French Polynesia Minister of Social Affairs, Housing and Unity – Huguette Hong-Kiou – 1982

Kiribati Gilbert and Ellice Islands (British colony): Member of the House of Assembly – Tekarei Russell – 1971"Pacific Islands History", Queensland University of Technology, p.13 Member of Cabinet (Minister of Health) – Tekarei Russell – 1975

Kiribati: Vice President – Teima Onorio – 2003 Speaker of the House of Assembly – Tangariki Reete – 2020 Member of the House of Assembly representing Maiana island – Ruta Teretia Babo – 2024

Marshall Islands

Senator (i.e., member of the Nitijeļā, the unicameral legislature) – Evelyn Konou – 1978"Marshall Islands: past national woman MPs", Pacific Women in Politics Member of Cabinet – Evelyn Konou, as Minister for Health Services and the Environment – 1993 President – Hilda Heine – 2016

Federated States of Micronesia Member of Congress – Perpetua Sappa Konman - 2021"FSM: past national women MPs", Pacific Women in Politics

Nauru Member of Parliament – Ruby Dediya (subsequently known as Ruby Thoma) – 1986"Nauru: past national women MPs", Pacific Women in Politics Member of Cabinet – Ruby Dediya – 1996 (as Minister for Finance)

New Zealand

Mayor – Elizabeth Yates – 1894 Member of Parliament – Elizabeth McCombs – 1933 Cabinet Minister – Mabel Howard – 1947 Mayor of Auckland City – Dame Catherine Tizard – 1983 Governor-General – Dame Catherine Tizard – 1990 Deputy Prime Minister – Helen Clark – 1989 Mayor of Christchurch – Vicki Buck – 1989 Minister of Finance – Ruth Richardson – 1990 Mayor of Wellington – Fran Wilde – 1992 Leader of the Opposition – Helen Clark – 1993 Prime Minister – Jenny Shipley – 1997 Attorney-General – Margaret Wilson – 1999 Speaker of the House of Representatives – Margaret Wilson – 2005 Minister of Justice - Annette King - 2007-2008

Palau

Minister of Administration and Budget – Sandra Pierantozzi – 1989 Foreign Minister – Sandra Pierantozzi – 2009

Papua New Guinea

Member of the Legislative Council – Doris Booth – 1951Booth, Doris Regina (1895–1970) Australian Dictionary of Biography Member of Parliament – Dame Josephine Abaijah – 1972Brij V. Lal, Kate Fortune. The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia. Published by University of Hawaii Press, 2000. pg 297. Cabinet Minister – Nahau Rooney, as Minister for Justice – 1977"PNG --30 YEARS ON; The Challenges, Successes and Tragedies" , Rowan Callick, Islands Business

Samoa Member of the Legislative Assembly – Faimaala Filipo – 1970(2) W. Samoa Pacific Islands Monthly, February 1970, p26 Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports – Fiame Naomi Mata'afa – 1991 Minister of Justice and Courts Administration - Fiame Naomi Mata'afa - 2011

Solomon Islands Member of the Legislative Council – Lilly Ogatina Poznanski – 1965British Solomons Get Their First Elected Legislature Pacific Islands Monthly, June 1965, pp45–47 Member of Parliament – Hilda Kari – 1989New politics in the South Pacific, 1994, p.205"Solomon Islands: past national women MPs", Pacific Women in Politics Member of Cabinet – Hilda Kari – 1993"Solomon Islands: Women Confronting Violence", Amnesty International, p.15

Tonga Member of the Legislative Assembly – Princess Mele Siuʻilikutapu – 1975"Advancing Women’s Representation in Tonga", Secretariat of the Pacific Forum Cabinet of Tonga – ‘Alisi Taumoepeau – 2006 Attorney General and Minister of Justice - 'Alisi Taumoepeau (2006)

Tuvalu Member of Parliament – Naama Maheu Latasi – 1989"Country profile: Tuvalu", The Guardian, 25 April 20098 (She became the country's first female Cabinet Minister upon becoming the Minister for Health) Governor-General – Temukisa Auina Penehuro Hauma – 2026

Vanuatu Member of Parliament – Hilda Lini and Maria Crowby – 1987"Hon Hilda Line", Pacific Women in PoliticsSelwyn Arutangai, "Post-Independence Developments and Policies", in Howard Van Trease (éd.), Melanesian Politics: Stael Blong Vanuatu, University of the South Pacific, 1995, , p.70 Member of Cabinet – Hilda Lini, as Minister for Rural Water Supply and Health – 1991 Minister of Justice, Culture and Women - Motarilavoa Hilda Lini - 1996

Footnotes and references

See also List of elected and appointed female heads of state and government List of the first openly LGBT holders of political offices