Date of Birth: 14/09/1927
Place of Birth: Kiama, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 11/10/2018
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
05 Dec 1984 |
01 Jul 1991 |
6 years 6 months 27 days |
A Member of the directly elected Legislative Council. Date of Election 5 December 1984 |
Political Party Activity
Call To Australia Group (CTA). Stood for 1984 election to Legisative Council as No 2 on a group ticket for CTA , a non-party citizens movement; its aim being to support Parliamentary independent candidates free to vote on all issues according to their conscience under the guidance of God
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Lawyer. LLB (Sydney University) 1949; admitted as a solicitor June 1950. The first lady lawyer to take a seat in the Legislative Council. Overriding interest in Parliament was to maintain or put into legislation coming before the House during her service the Judeo-Christian ethic upon which all legislation was originally based. See 'Hansard' for maiden speech and all following speeches on numerous topics. On 30 October 1986 she moved in the Legislative Council and spoke to her own anti-abortion motion and completed her speech on 21 November 1986. The motion was then debated by the House over two years and finally won the approval of the House on 2 June 1988 at 10.20pm.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Daughter of Owen James Thomas, solicitor, of Parkes and Wollongong, and his wife Sylvia May Reid of Tenterfield. Married to the Hon. Justice Neal Bignold, who has been a Judge of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales since 1984. 1 daughter, Alicia Bignold Powell, who has a son Thomas Powell. Anglican.
Additional Information
A member of the Former Members Association.
