Kathleen Harris Anderson (née Hough; 1 November 1921 – 19 September 1996) was an Australian politician. She was a Labor member of the

New South Wales Legislative Council The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in th ...

from 1973 to 1981. Her husband, Keith Anderson, was briefly a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly (1961–1962), while her son,

Peter Anderson Peter Anderson may refer to: Sportspeople *Peter Anderson (cricketer, born 1933) Peter Anderson (born 4 October 1933) is an Australian cricketer. He played eight first-class matches for New South Wales in 1966/67. See also * List of New Sou ...

, was a minister in the Unsworth Government (1986–1988). She was born Kathleen Harris Hough in Canowindra to carpenter Tom Hough, later secretary of the Bridge and Wharf Carpenters' Union, and his wife, who was matron of a private hospital in Rodd Street, Canowindra. She attended Sydney Girls High School, and joined the Labor Party in 1963. In that year she became the first woman appointed to

Sydney County Council The Sydney County Council (SCC) was formed in 1935 to produce electricity and operate the electricity network in a number of municipalities in metropolitan Sydney. Unlike other New South Wales county councils, which were voluntary associations o ...

, and served as chairperson from 1966 to 1970. She was active in the women's movement within the Labor Party, and was ultimately elected to the

in 1973. She became the first woman to serve as Government Whip in 1976. Anderson left the Council in 1981, and in 1982 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia "in recognition of service to the community, politics and the government". She became a member of the Local Government Boundaries Commission in 1981, and a member of the Zoological Parks Trust in 1990. Anderson died in 1996 in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

References

1921 births 1996 deaths Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council Members of the Order of Australia 20th-century Australian politicians Women members of the New South Wales Legislative Council People educated at Sydney Girls High School Councillors of Sydney County Council 20th-century Australian women politicians {{Australia-Labor-NewSouthWales-MP-stub