Trailblazing Women

The firsts

Fourteen women who entered rooms for the first time.

This is the collection’s second layer of navigation:

Not by colour, and not by party,
But by the institutional threshold each woman crossed.

  1. 1980

    First Female Cabinet Minister with a Major Portfolio

    The Hon. Dame Margaret Guilfoyle AC DBE — Minister for Finance

    Forest Blue
  2. 1986

    First Female Speaker of the House of Representatives

    The Hon. Joan Child AO

    Undersea Green
  3. 1986

    First Female Leader of an Australian Political Party

    Janine Haines AM

    Tundra Pink
  4. 1990

    First Female Premier of an Australian State

    The Hon. Dr. Carmen Lawrence AO — Western Australia

    Galaxy Pink
  5. 1997

    First Woman to Co-Found and Lead Her Own Political Party into Parliament

    Senator Pauline Hanson

    Transparent Red Oxide
  6. 1997

    Youngest person in Australian history to serve as Deputy Leader of an established institutional third political party holding the balance of power

    Natasha Stott Despoja AO

    Blue Apatite Genuine
  7. 2001

    Youngest person in Australian history to serve as Leader of an established institutional third political party holding the balance of power and lead that party into a federal election campaign

    Natasha Stott Despoja AO

    Blue Apatite Genuine
  8. 2002

    First Openly Gay Woman
    First Female Asian-Australian Elected to Federal Parliament

    Senator the Hon. Penny Wong

    Moonglow
  9. 2008

    First Female Governor-General of Australia

    The Hon. Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO

    Shadow Violet
  10. 2010

    First Female Prime Minister

    The Hon. Julia Gillard AC

    Bloodstone Genuine
  11. 2013

    First Female Foreign Minister

    The Hon. Julie Bishop

    Sodalite Genuine
  12. 2013

    First Indigenous Woman Elected to Federal Parliament
    First Indigenous Female Senator

    Nova Peris OAM

    Transparent Brown Oxide
  13. 2013

    First Woman to Lead a Major Party in the Senate
    (Leader of the Government In the Senate)

    Senator the Hon. Penny Wong

    Moonglow
  14. 2014

    First Female ADF Veteran Elected to Federal Parliament

    Senator Jacqui Lambie

    Jane’s Grey
  15. 2015

    First Female Minister for Defence

    The Hon. Marise Payne

    Piemontite Genuine
  16. 1987–2016

    Longest-Serving Female Member of the Australian Parliament

    The Hon. Bronwyn Bishop AO — 29 years

    Rare Green Earth
  17. 1997–2023

    Longest-Serving Female Senator

    The Hon. Marise Payne — 26 years 5 months

    Piemontite Genuine
  18. 2007–2018

    Longest-Serving Female Deputy Leader of a Major Political Party

    The Hon. Julie Bishop — 11 years

    Sodalite Genuine