There have been 60 women in the South Australian House of Assembly since its establishment in 1857. Women have had the right to vote and the right to stand as candidates since 1894.
In 1895, South Australian women became the first state in Australia, and some of the first in the world, to be given the right to vote and stand for election to Parliament. The following year at the 1896 election, the first women in Australia voted. Ironically, South Australia was the last state to elect a female representative, at the 1959 election, when Jessie Cooper and Joyce Steele were elected to the Parliament of South Australia for the Liberal and Country League (LCL). Molly Byrne was the first Labor woman in the House at the 1965 election.
Women have been continuously represented in the House since. Steele would also become the first female minister in 1968. Only three women have represented minor parties, these being Heather Southcott for the Democrats in 1982, Karlene Maywald for the Nationals from 1997 to 2010, and Chantelle Thomas for One Nation since 2026. Liberal Isobel Redmond in 2009 became the first woman to lead a major party in South Australia when she became Leader of the Opposition. Labor's Lyn Breuer from 2010 to 2013 was the first and only female Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly. South Australia has not had a female Premier or Treasurer.
List of women in the South Australian House of 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. An asterisk (*) indicates that the member also served in the Legislative Council.
#NamePartyElectoral DivisionPeriod of service1Joyce Steele LCL Burnside Davenport 7 March 1959 – 30 May 1970 30 May 1970 – 9 March 1973 (retired)2Molly Byrne Labor Barossa Tea Tree Gully Todd 6 March 1965 – 30 May 1970 30 May 1970 – 17 September 1977 17 September 1977 – 14 September 1979 (defeated)3Jennifer Cashmore Liberal Coles 17 September 1977 – 10 December 1993 (retired)4Heather Southcott Democrats Mitcham 8 May 1982 – 5 November 1982 (defeated)5June Appleby Labor Brighton Hayward 6 November 1982 – 7 December 1985 7 December 1985 – 24 November 1989 (defeated)Susan Lenehan Labor Mawson 6 November 1982 – 11 December 1993 (defeated)7Di Gayler Labor Newland 7 December 1985 – 24 November 1989 (defeated)8Colleen Hutchison Labor Stuart 25 November 1989 – 11 December 1993 (defeated)Dorothy Kotz Liberal Newland 25 November 1989 – 17 March 2006 (retired)10Julie Greig Liberal Reynell 11 December 1993 – 11 October 1997 (defeated)Joan Hall Liberal Coles Morialta 11 December 1993 – 9 February 2002 9 February 2002 – 17 March 2006 (defeated)Annette Hurley Labor Napier 11 December 1993 – 9 February 2002 (defeated)Liz Penfold Liberal Flinders 11 December 1993 – 20 March 2010 (retired)Lorraine Rosenberg Liberal Kaurna 11 December 1993 – 11 October 1997 (defeated)15Lea Stevens Labor Elizabeth Little Para 9 April 1994 – 18 March 2006 18 March 2006 – 20 March 2010 (retired)16Robyn Geraghty Labor Torrens 7 May 1994 – 15 March 2014 (retired)17Trish White Labor Taylor 5 November 1994 – 20 March 2010 (retired)18Frances Bedford Labor/Independent Florey 11 October 1997 – 19 March 2022 (defeated)Lyn Breuer Labor Giles 11 October 1997 – 15 March 2014 (retired)Vini Ciccarello Labor Norwood 11 October 1997 – 20 March 2010 (defeated)Steph Key Labor Hanson Ashford 11 October 1997 – 9 February 2002 9 February 2002 – 17 March 2018 (retired)Karlene Maywald National Chaffey 11 October 1997 – 20 March 2010 (defeated)Jennifer Rankine Labor Wright 11 October 1997 – 17 March 2018 (retired)Gay Thompson Labor Reynell 11 October 1997 – 15 March 2014 (retired)25Vickie Chapman Liberal Bragg 9 February 2002 – 31 May 2022 (resigned)Jane Lomax-Smith Labor Adelaide 9 February 2002 – 20 March 2010 (defeated)Isobel Redmond Liberal Heysen 9 February 2002 – 17 March 2018 (retired)28Chloë Fox Labor Bright 18 March 2006 – 15 March 2014 (defeated)Grace Portolesi Labor Hartley 18 March 2006 – 15 March 2014 (defeated)Lindsay Simmons Labor Morialta 18 March 2006 – 20 March 2010 (defeated)31Rachel Sanderson Liberal Adelaide 20 March 2010 – 19 March 2022 (defeated)Leesa Vlahos Labor Taylor 20 March 2010 – 17 March 2018 (retired)33Zoe Bettison Labor Ramsay 11 February 2012 – Susan Close Labor Port Adelaide 11 February 2012 – 21 March 2026 (retired)35Annabel Digance Labor Elder 15 March 2014 – 17 March 2018 (defeated)Katrine Hildyard Labor Reynell 15 March 2014 – Dana Wortley Labor Torrens 15 March 2014 – 21 March 2026 (retired)38Nat Cook Labor Fisher Hurtle Vale 6 December 2014 – 17 March 2018 17 March 2018 –39Paula Luethen Liberal King 17 March 2018 – 19 March 2022 (defeated)Carolyn Power Liberal Elder 17 March 2018 – 19 March 2022 (defeated)Jayne Stinson Labor Badcoe 17 March 2018 –42Andrea Michaels Labor Enfield 9 February 2019 – 21 March 2026 (retired)43Sarah Andrews Labor Gibson 19 March 2022 – Nadia Clancy Labor Elder 19 March 2022 – Lucy Hood Labor Adelaide 19 March 2022 – Ashton Hurn Liberal Schubert 19 March 2022 – Catherine Hutchesson Labor Waite 19 March 2022 – Rhiannon Pearce Labor King 19 March 2022 – Penny Pratt Liberal Frome 19 March 2022 – 21 March 2026 (defeated)Olivia Savvas Labor Newland 19 March 2022 – Erin Thompson Labor Davenport 19 March 2022 – 52Cressida O'HanlonLaborDunstan23 March 2024 – 53Aria Bolkus Labor Colton 21 March 2026 – Jenni Mitton Labor Mawson 21 March 2026 – Lou Nicholson Independent Finniss 21 March 2026 – Jenn Roberts Labor Hartley 21 March 2026 – Alice Rolls Labor Unley 21 March 2026 – Ella Shaw Labor Elizabeth 21 March 2026 – Meagan Spencer Labor Torrens 21 March 2026 – Chantelle Thomas One Nation Narungga 21 March 2026 –
Timeline
See also