Gertrude Mary Melville (née Day; 7 October 1884 – 21 August 1959) was an Australian politician of the Labor Party. In 1952 she was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council.

Life and career

Melville was born Gertrude Mary Day on 7 October 1884 to parents John Joseph Day, a sawyer, and Mary Ann Dunbar in

Port Macquarie Port Macquarie is a coastal town in the local government area of Port Macquarie-Hastings. It is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The town is located on the Tasman Sea c ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. She moved to Sydney to attend the St Peter's convent school in the inner-city suburb of

Surry Hills Surry Hills is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Surry Hills is immediately south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney. Surry Hills is surround ...

. In 1903 she married Arthur Melville, a New Zealand labourer, with whom she had five sons. Melville became a member of the Labor Party (ALP) in 1904 and campaigned extensively with other party members for women and children's rights. In the periods of 1922–26 and 1950–52, she was a member of the party's central executive committee. She stood as an ALP candidate for the Eastern Suburbs district in the 1925 NSW election, but was unsuccessful. She was again unsuccessful in 1932 election for Hurstville. Throughout the 1940s, she worked as a justice of the peace, a member of the New South Wales Board of Health, an alderman of the

Cabramatta Cabramatta ('Cabra') is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cabramatta is located south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Fairfield. Cabramat ...

and Canley Vale municipal council, vice-president of the

Country Women's Association The Country Women's Association (CWA) is the largest regional and rural advocacy group in Australia. It comprises seven independent State and Territory Associations, who are passionate advocates for country women and their families, working ...

's Cabramatta branch, and director of Fairfield Hospital. She was Mayor of Cabramatta–Canley Vale from 1945 to 1948. In 1952 Melville was nominated by Labor to fill a vacancy in the New South Wales Legislative Council caused by the death of

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

member

Ernest Farrar Ernest Bristow Farrar (7 July 1885 – 18 September 1918) was an English composer, pianist and organist. Life Ernest Farrar was born in Lewisham, London, but moved in 1887 to Micklefield in Yorkshire, where his father was a clergyman. The rest ...

. At the time seats in the council were elected at a joint sitting of both houses of parliament. Melville was re-elected a twelve-year term in 1957. In her five years in the council, she earned a reputation as the "grand old lady of the Labor Party". She dedicated her time in parliament to being a "spokesman for the women" and "the little people", supporting equal pay for women, child welfare, housing and hospitals. She died on 21 August 1959 in

Little Bay Little Bay is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Little Bay is located 14 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Randwic ...

, Sydney, and was buried in Randwick.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Melville, Gertrude 1884 births 1959 deaths Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council Politicians from Sydney Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales 20th-century Australian politicians 20th-century Australian women politicians Women members of the New South Wales Legislative Council 19th-century Australian women