Hilda Gracia Baylor AM (born 8 October 1929 in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

) 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 C ...

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

, 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 in the

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

(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)