Margaret Guilfoyle

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Dame Margaret Guilfoyle AC, DBE (b. 15 May 1926) was an Australian Senator for the state of Victoria from 1971 to 1987. She was the second woman to receive a federal ministerial portfolio, and the first to be both a minister and a member of the cabinet. Following her retirement she has continued to serve the Australian public through numerous boards and directorships.

She was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland as Margaret Georgina Constance McCarthy. Her family migrated to Australia in 1928 and settled in Melbourne. She trained as an accountant, and later studied law at the Australian National University. She married Stanley Guilfoyle.

She joined the Young Liberals in 1949, and was active within the party from that point. In 1970, Guilfoyle was elected to the Senate for the Liberals in Victoria, her term began on 1 July 1971.

She served in the governments of Malcolm Fraser between 1975 and 1983, as minister, successively, for education, social security and finance.

She retired from politics on 5 June 1987.

[edit] Honours

She was appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire in January 1980, and a Companion of the Order of Australia in June 2005.

[edit] Reference

• National Archives of Australia (see [1]).