Ellen Sandell (born 26 November 1984) is an Australian politician and environmentalist. She has represented the electorate of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in the

Parliament of Victoria The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria that follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system. It consists of the King, represented by the Governor of Victoria, the Legislative Assembly an ...

since 2014 as a member of the Australian Greens. She is currently the Deputy Leader of the Victorian Greens. She was a recipient of the Young Environmentalist of the Year Award in 2009 and director of the

Australian Youth Climate Coalition The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) is a youth organisation in Australia. When the organisation first began, the coalition consisted of 25 other youth organisations, which included the National Union of Students amongst many, however ...

between 2011 and 2012.Crew, Becky
"Standing up for the planet"
, ''Cosmos magazine'', 27 October 2011Centre for Sustainability Leadership
"Alumni Profile: Ellen Sandell"

Education

Ellen Sandell grew up in

Mildura Mildura is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 34,565 in 2021. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point and Merbein are included, the area h ...

, where she attended St Joseph's College. She went on to study at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...

, graduating in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Spanish and linguistics) and a Bachelor of Science (majoring in genetics). She joined the

in 2007, and became director in 2011.

Career

Whilst at university she became involved in student politics and was elected as the environment officer for the

University of Melbourne Student Union The University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) is one of two student organisations at the University of Melbourne, Australia. UMSU, incorporated as University of Melbourne Student Union, Inc. (UMSU) provides representation and services for all ...

in 2007."Ellen Sandell – The Drum Opinion"
ABC From 2007 to 2009 Sandell was employed as a policy adviser in the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet working on the

Brumby A brumby is a free-roaming feral horse in Australia. Although found in many areas around the country, the best-known brumbies are found in the Australian Alps region. Today, most of them are found in the Northern Territory, with the second ...

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 la ...

Government's climate change strategy and Green Paper. Sandell worked for the

(AYCC) between 2009 and 2012 serving as general manager before becoming the group's National Director. After departing the AYCC Sandell worked as the

ACT Greens The ACT Greens is a green political party located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and a member of the federation of the Australian Greens. Both parties were formed in 1992, three years after the ACT achieved self-government in 1989. ...

Party campaign manager for

Simon Sheikh Simon Sheikh (born 1986 in Sydney) is the CEO of superannuation fund Future Super and an Australian activist. He was the National Director of GetUp! from 2008 to 2012. He was a delegate to the economics stream of the Australia 2020 Summit and w ...

's unsuccessful senate campaign in the

2013 Australian federal election The 2013 Australian federal election to elect the members of the 44th Parliament of Australia took place on 7 September 2013. The centre-right Liberal/National Coalition opposition led by Opposition leader Tony Abbott of the Liberal Party of A ...

. In 2013 she was pre-selected as the

Australian Greens Victoria The Australian Greens Victoria, commonly known as the Victorian Greens or just as The Greens, is the Victorian state member party of the Australian Greens, a green political party in Australia. History Early years The Australian Greens Vict ...

candidate at the 2014 state elections for the seat of

. Sandell won the seat of Melbourne in the 2014 state election, against Labor incumbent

Jennifer Kanis Jennifer Kanis (born 16 April 1970) is an Australian politician. She was the Labor Party member for Melbourne in the Victorian Legislative Assembly between 2012 and 2014. Kanis was born in Melbourne to migrant parents—a Greek father and Ital ...

. She then held the seat against the same Labor opponent on a slightly smaller margin at the 2018 election. Following that election Sandell was appointed deputy leader of a reduced Greens party-room in the Victorian Parliament, serving with leader of the party Samantha Ratnam.

Personal

Sandell has three children: Ada (born 2017), Gabriel (born 2019), and Luca (born 2022).

References

External links

Website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sandell, Ellen 1984 births Living people Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Australian environmentalists Australian women environmentalists Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Victoria University of Melbourne alumni People from Mildura 21st-century Australian politicians Women members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly 21st-century Australian women politicians