Joan Child

The Honourable Joan Child AO
Member of the Australian Parliament for Henty
In office 18 May 1974 – 13 December 1975
Preceded by	Max Fox
Succeeded by	Ken Aldred
19th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
In office 11 February 1986 – 28 August 1989
Preceded by	Dr Harry Jenkins
Succeeded by	Leo McLeay
Personal details
Born	3 August 1921 (1921-08-03)
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party

Gloria Joan Liles Child AO (born 3 August 1921) is a former Australian politician. She was the first, and so far only, woman to be Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Child was elected to the House for the seat of Henty, in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, in 1974. She was the first female Labor member of the House, and only the fourth woman elected to the House in its history. She had also stood for Henty in 1972 but had narrowly failed to win it. After less than two years in the House she was defeated in the landslide Liberal victory in 1975. After unsuccessfully contesting the seat in 1977, she regained it in 1980 and served until her retirement in 1990.

Child became Speaker on 11 February 1986 as the unanimous nominee of the ALP, and was not opposed by the Liberal Opposition. She was liked and respected by MPs from both sides of the Chamber, but she found the notorious rowdyism of Australian parliamentary conduct difficult to deal with, and her health suffered under the strain. She resigned as Speaker in August 1989.

Child was Speaker when the Provisional Parliament House was closed and the Parliament moved to the new Parliament House in June 1988. There was some discussion of the old Speaker's Chair, which had been a gift from the Parliament of the United Kingdom, moving with the Parliament, but Child, as Speaker, refused to move the chair. Child retired from Parliament at the 1990 election, when the seat of Henty was abolished.

She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 1990.

Joan Child has remained active in Labor Party affairs in her retirement. She is a member of the Patrons Council of the Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria.

References

Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Harry Jenkins, Sr.	Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives 1986–1989	Succeeded by Leo McLeay
Preceded by Max Fox	Member for Henty 1974–1975	Succeeded by Ken Aldred
Preceded by Ken Aldred	Member for Henty 1980–1990	Division abolished