Ruby Florence Hutchison (15 February 1892 – 17 December 1974) was an Australian politician. She was a Labor Party member of the

Western Australian Legislative Council The Western Australian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of Western Australia, a state of Australia. It is regarded as a house of review for legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly, the lower house. The two Houses ...

from 1954 to 1971, representing Suburban Province (1954–1965) and North-East Metropolitan Province (1965–1971). She was the first woman to be elected to the Legislative Council, the fourth woman to be elected to the

Parliament of Western Australia The Parliament of Western Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Western Australia, forming the legislative branch of the Government of Western Australia. The parliament consists of a lower house, the Legislati ...

, and with her third marriage in 1966 to Frederick Lavery, the first woman in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

to serve in parliament alongside her husband. Prior to entering politics, she was a homemaker, ran boarding houses, and worked as a dressmaker. She was active in community organisations, among her roles being as the founding chairperson of the Epilepsy Association of Western Australia and a founding member of the

Australian Consumers Association Most commonly known as CHOICE (all capitals), the Australian Consumers' Association is an Australian not for profit consumer organisation, consumer advocacy organisation. It is an independent membership based organisation founded in 1959 that ...

in Western Australia. The Ruby Hutchison Memorial Lecture is held annually in her honour by the ACCC and CHOICE.

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* 1892 births 1974 deaths Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council 20th-century Australian politicians 20th-century Australian women politicians Women members of the Western Australian Legislative Council 19th-century Australian women {{Australia-politician-stub