Virginia Judge
Dianne "Virginia" Judge Australian politician. A former successful local and State representative. A member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Electoral district of Strathfield, in Syndey's Inner West, for the Australian Labor Party from 2003 until the New South Wales state election, March 2011. In 2007 Judge was made Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Minister for Education and Training, Industrial Relations, and Minister Assisting the Minister for Finance. In 2008 was appointed Minister for Fair Trading, Minister for Citizenship, and Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts. In 2010 was the first woman to be appointed Arts Minister: a portfolio traditionally held by State Premiers and was the first woman to hold the seat of Strathfield.
Judge was a Councillor with the Strathfield Municipal Council from 1995 to 2004, and was Mayor from 2000 to 2003 (four terms).
[edit] Early life
Virginia Judge born in country NSW Australia.Primary schooling, St Josephs Parish School O'Connor, Canberra ACT, and The British School, New Delhi, India. Secondary Schooling, Catholic Girls High School, Braddon, Canberra, ACT. Judge completed a Double Music Major at the Canberra School of Music (Conservatorium)majoring in voice, piano, with a Commonwealth Scholarship. Judge concurrently studied Education at the Canberra University and graduated as a high school music specialist with Bachelor of Education Degree.
During this period she was an active supporter of a number of charitities and won the "Miss Personality Quest" for the Lions Clubs of the Act, raising several thousands of dollars to set up a "Save the Sight Foundation" to support people with severe eye anomalies, for the Lions clubs of NSW. Judge gave vocal concerts for the Arts Council ACT and was an active member of Canberra Philharmonic Society and Canberra Opera.
Judge taught in primary and secondary schools in Canberra ACT and Sydney NSW, including at the Evandale Special School in Croydon NSW, a school catering for intellectually disabled students. Judge worked as a volunteer abroad for the Overseas Service Bureau, in the Kingdom of Tonga, teaching at Queen Salote College,Nulu'alofa, and later as a project officer for a small non-government organisation, The Australian Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific, delivering items such as humidicribs, toilets and ovens to Pacific islands such as the kingdom of Tonga, the Solomon Islands and Fiji.[1]
Judge returned to Sydney,worked in real estate, qualifying for her real estate licence. She was also studying Law part-time at Macquarie University prior to her election to the Legislative Assembly.[1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b "Judge, (Dianne) Virginia". Australian Women. http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE1863b.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
Since July 2011, Virginia Judge is the National Manager, Strategic Partnerships and Capital Works Program for a not for profit NGO, The Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, Sydney, NSW. November 2011 was appointed in a voluntary capacity to the Advisory Board,The Riverside Theatre by Parammatta City Council.
[edit] External links
www.virginiajudge.com
| Parliament of New South Wales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Paul Whelan |
Member for Strathfield 2003 – 2011 |
Succeeded by Charles Casuscelli |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Nathan Rees |
Minister for the Arts 2009 – 2011 |
Succeeded by George Souris |
