Judith Anne Winstanley Levy (born 29 September 1934) is a former Australian politician. She was a

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

member of the

South Australian Legislative Council The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly. It sits in Parli ...

from 1975 to 1997. Levy was born in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Western Australia, and moved to

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

at the age of six. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in Science from the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

, and worked at the university as a senior tutor in genetics until she decided to enter politics. Levy served as the first Labor

President of the South Australian Legislative Council The president of the South Australian Legislative Council is the presiding officer of the South Australian Legislative Council, the upper house of the Parliament of South Australia. The other presiding officer is the speaker of the South Australia ...

, from 1986 to 1989. Labor had not previously ever held the Legislative Council presidency. Additionally, Levy was the first and so far only woman to hold the Legislative Council presidency. In fact, she was the first woman to chair any House of any Parliament in Australia. Levy was also Labor's first female elected to the Legislative Council, and only the second female elected to the Legislative Council after the

Liberal and Country League Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and ...

Jessie Cooper Jessie Mary Cooper (née McAndrew; 29 June 191428 December 1993) was elected as a Liberal and Country League representative to the South Australian Legislative Council at the 1959 election. She was one of the first two women elected to the Parl ...

. In April 1989, Levy was appointed Minister for Local Government and the Arts, with State Services added in December. In early 1991, her portfolios were re-organised as Local Government Relations and Arts and Cultural Heritage with the additional portfolio of Status of Women. She ceased to be a minister following Labor's election loss in 1993 and she retired from the Council in 1997. From 2000 to 2005, Levy served as

honorary consul A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

for France in South Australia. At the end of her term, she was conferred a

Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

by the French government. In 1986 she was given the award of Australian Humanist of the Year for her work towards abortion law reform, voluntary euthanasia, family planning, decriminalisation of prostitution, and other reforms. Anne was a founding member and a Patron of the Humanist Society of South Australia. In 2011, she was made an Officer of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

.Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Governor-General of Australia, 2011.

References

1934 births Living people Members of the South Australian Legislative Council Presidents of the South Australian Legislative Council Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of South Australia Officers of the Order of Australia Knights of the Legion of Honour University of Adelaide alumni Academic staff of the University of Adelaide Women members of the South Australian Legislative Council {{Australia-Labor-politician-stub

See also

References