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 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. Born Joan Rochester, she is a native of

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

. After leaving school, she worked as a professional artist. She joined the Labor Party in 1967. A leading figure in the Victorian ALP's left wing, she soon became involved with the Save Our Sons Movement, opposed to conscription for the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, and in 1971 (along with four other members of this movement) was imprisoned for anti-conscription activities. Two years later she was the founding chairman of the Committee for the Abolition of Political Police. Her first attempts at gaining parliamentary office were unsuccessful. She stood for election for the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The presiding ...

at the 1973 and 1976 state elections, but failed to win a seat on either occasion. In 1979, nevertheless, she was elected to the

for the

Melbourne West Province Melbourne West Province was an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Council from 1904 until 2006. It was created in June 1904 when Melbourne Province was reduced in size (four members down to two), North Yarra Province and South Yarra Pro ...

. She served there until 1992.

External links

Interview with Joan CoxsedgeParliament of Victoria: biography
1931 births Living people Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria Australian socialists Members of the Victorian Legislative Council People from Ballarat Women members of the Victorian Legislative Council {{Australia-Labor-Victoria-MP-stub