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Shirley Margaret McKerrow OAM (née Gardini; 18 September 1933 – 16 October 2023) was the first woman to serve as federal president of an Australian political party, as president of the National Party from 1981 to 1987.
Shirley McKerrow | |
|---|---|
| Born | Shirley Margaret Gardini 18 September 1933 |
| Died | 16 October 2023 (aged 90) Darwin, Northern Territory |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
| Political party | National Party of Australia |
| Spouse | John Alexander McKerrow (1955–1996) |
| Children | 4 |
| Awards | Centenary Medal (2001) Medal of the Order of Australia (2002) |
McKerrow was born to Dante Gardini and Margaret (Peggy), née Kelly. She attended Genazzano Convent in Kew and Ingergowrie Homecrafts Hostel in Hawthorn before studying at the University of Melbourne. In 1955 she married John Alexander McKerrow, with whom she had four children. She served on the central council of the Country Party from 1972 and was a junior vice-president from 1975 to 1976. In 1976 she became the first woman to serve as state president of an Australian party, becoming president of the Victorian branch of the renamed National Party and serving until 1980.[1] In 1980, McKerrow unsuccessfully contested the preselection for the casual vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator James Webster.[2]
In 1981 McKerrow became federal president of the National Party, again the first woman to hold this position for an Australian party; she held this position until her retirement in 1987.[3][4] In 2001 she received the Centenary Medal for services to Australian politics,[5] and in 2002 she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.[6]
References
edit- ^ Lofthouse, Andrea (1982). Who's Who of Australian Women. Methuen Australia.
- ^ "Senate place sought". The Canberra Times. 30 January 1980.
- ^ Folo, Lincoln (1 November 2015). "The Nationals Women". The Nationals. National Party of Australia. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ Davey, Paul (2022). A Centenary of Achievement, National Party of Australia 1920-2020. Queanbean, NSW: Homestead Press. p. 54. ISBN 9780648651512.
- ^ "McKERROW, Shirley Margaret". It's an Honour. Australian Government. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ "McKERROW, Shirley Margaret". It's an Honour. Australian Government. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ Harris, Matthew (2022). 105th State Conference, National Party of Victoria. Shepparton, Vic: National Party of Victoria. p. 28.
- ^ Davey, Paul (2020). A Centenary of Achievement, National Party of Australia 1920-2020. Queanbean, NSW: Homestead Press. p. 54. ISBN 9780648651512.
- ^ Davey, Paul (2022). John McEwan House and the company that built it. Queanbean, NSW: Homestead Press. p. 140, Appendix 2. ISBN 9780648651529.
- ^ Davey, Paul (2022). John McEwan House and the company that built it. Queanbean, NSW: Homestead Press. p. 141, Appendix 2. ISBN 9780648651529.
- ^ Davey, Paul (2022). John McEwan House and the company that built it. Queanbean, NSW: Homestead Press. p. 139, Appendix 2. ISBN 9780648651529.