The Honourable Virginia Chadwick AO, BA, DipEd |
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President of the New South Wales Legislative Council | |
In office 29 June 1998 – 5 March 1999 |
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Preceded by | Max Willis |
Succeeded by | Meredith Burgmann |
Member of New South Wales Legislative Council | |
In office 6 November 1978 – 5 March 1999 |
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Personal details | |
Born |
Newcastle, New South Wales |
19 December 1944
Died | 17 September 2009 Toronto, New South Wales |
(aged 64)
Political party | Liberal Party of Australia |
Spouse(s) | Bruce Sheldon |
Residence | Lake Macquarie |
Virginia Anne Chadwick AO (19 December 1944 – 17 September 2009) was a Liberal Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1978 to 1999. She was the first NSW female Minister for Education; the first female President of the New South Wales Legislative Council; and Chair and CEO of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
She was born in Newcastle and educated at the Newcastle Girls High School from 1967 until 1968, then at Dormers Wells, Southall, UK 1969–70. She attended Newcastle Technical College 1971–73 and achieved her B.A., Dip.Ed. at the University of Newcastle.
Chadwick served as a Member of the Liberal Party State Executive before being elected to the NSW Legislative Council in 1978. She served as Opposition Whip and a member of the Opposition front bench before becoming the first female NSW Liberal Minister when the Greiner Government swept into power in 1988.
Chadwick was a minister of the Greiner-Fahey era, initially serving as Minister for Family and Community Services, Minister for the Hunter and Minister for Women (25 March 1988 – 20 July 1990). Following the resignation of Education Minister Terry Metherell, Chadwick was appointed the state's first female Minister for Education (20 July 1990 – 4 April 1995), and was later given additional responsibility as Minister for Tourism (26 May 1993 – 4 April 1995).