Hilda Gracia Baylor
AM (born 8 October 1929 in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
) is an Australian retired politician. Baylor was one of the first two women elected to the
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council (VLC) is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Co ...
in 1979, the other being
Joan Coxsedge
Joan Marjorie Coxsedge (born 5 January 1931) is an Australian artist, activist, and a former politician. She was one of the first two women elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in 1979.
Born Joan Rochester, she is a native of Ballarat. Af ...
.
Gracia was born in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
,
her father was in the military and the family eventually settled in
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
. She studied fine art and teaching, and taught in secondary schools until she married. Following her first marriage she worked as a law clerk and managed one of her husband's three law practices (Richard Baylor).
She became interested in local government when she noticed the lack of a kindergarten near her home. She was elected to the Healesville Shire council in 1966, and became Shire president from 1977 to 1978, she was the first female Shire president in Victoria. At the
1979 election, she was elected to
Boronia Province
Boronia Province was an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Council. It was abolished progressively in 1992 and 1996 and was replaced with Koonung Province
Koonung Province was an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Council.
It existe ...
in the
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council (VLC) is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Co ...
as a member of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
— one of the first two women elected to the Council alongside
Joan Coxsedge
Joan Marjorie Coxsedge (born 5 January 1931) is an Australian artist, activist, and a former politician. She was one of the first two women elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in 1979.
Born Joan Rochester, she is a native of Ballarat. Af ...
(Labor, Melbourne West). She held her seat until 1985 when she resigned to contest a seat in the Legislative Assembly, but her bid was unsuccessful.
She has continued to be involved in women's issues, including a term as the president of the
National Council of Women (1997–2000).
References
* Victorian Government, Office of Women's Policy
Victorian Honour Roll of Women, 2003
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baylor, Gracia
1929 births
Living people
Members of the Victorian Legislative Council
Mayors of places in Victoria (Australia)
Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria
Members of the Order of Australia
Women members of the Victorian Legislative Council
Women mayors of places in Victoria (Australia)