Robyn-Lyn Walmsley (known as Robyn Walmsley) is a former Australian politician. She was an

Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms t ...

member of the former

Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly The Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly was the main elected representative body of the Australian Capital Territory between 1975 and 1986, when preparations began to be made for the granting of self-government to the Territory. It ser ...

from 1979 to 1985.

Early life

Walmsley was born in Canberra. At the time of her election to the House of Assembly in 1979, she was 32, a qualified biochemist, a graduate student in politics at the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...

, and married with two children.

Community activism

Prior to election to the ACT House of Assembly, Walmsley was active in the Abortion Counselling Service. and a vice-president of the

Family Planning Association FPA (Family Planning Association) was a UK registered charity (number 250187) working to enable people to make informed choices about sex and to enjoy sexual health. It was the national affiliate for the International Planned Parenthood Federat ...

. She was also an active member of

Women Against Rape Women Against Rape (WAR) is a UK organisation founded in 1976. In their original Statement of Aims, they demanded: recognition of rape of every kind; not just by strangers but by husbands, fathers and stepfathers. They demanded that every woman ...

. In 1981 she was elected vice-president of the ACT Council of Social Service.

Career

Walmsley was elected to the ACT House of Assembly in 1979, for the

Division of Canberra The Division of Canberra is an Australian electoral division in the Australian Capital Territory. It is named for the city of Canberra, Australia's national capital, and includes all of central Canberra, Kowen, Majura, as well as part of West ...

. Peter Vallee was Labor leader from 1977 to 1982. He resigned, in order to allow a woman to lead Labor into the 1982 election. Walmsley then became the acting leader, but, as it turned out, a woman was not elected leader. The new leader was

Ken Doyle Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer. * ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film. * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine. * Ken Masters, a main character in ...

, but he resigned after a year, in 1983, and

Maurene Horder Maurene Horder (born 1950) is a former Australian politician. She is notable for having been the first woman to be the parliamentary leader of the Australian Labor Party in any state or territory of Australia, and also for having been the first ...

was elected leader in his place. Walmsley resigned as a MHA in 1985, and was replaced by

Rosemary Follett Rosemary Follett (born 27 March 1948) is a former Australian politician who was the inaugural Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory, serving in 1989 and again between 1991 and 1995. She was the first woman to become head of gove ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walmsley, Robyn Possibly living people Year of birth missing (living people) Members of the Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly Australian Labor Party members of the Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly Australian Labor Party politicians Australian Capital Territory politicians 20th-century Australian politicians People from Canberra