Mary Meillon
Encyclopedia
Mary Meillon, née Lawson (4 October 1919 – 9 June 1980) was an Australia
n politician. She was the Liberal
member for Murray
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1973 to 1980.
Born Mary Lawson in Deniliquin, her father Joe Lawson
was also a New South Wales
politician. She attended Hornsby
Girls' High School before working as a stenographer. She married Francis Meillon on 5 September 1942, with whom she had two daughters.
When her father, the member for Murray
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
, died in 1973, Meillon was selected as the Liberal Party
's candidate for the by-election to replace him (Joe Lawson had been an ex-Country Party
Independent
). She narrowly defeated the Country Party's candidate, Bruce Jeffery
, who later represented the Oxley and Port Macquarie
electorates. Meillon was the fourth woman elected to the Assembly, the first Liberal woman, and the first woman to win a seat since 1946. Defeating an independent Jeffery in the 1973 state election
, she held the seat against challenges from Independent Country candidates (since the Coalition
agreement prohibited the party from endorsing candidates to run against sitting Liberals) until her death in Deniliquin in 1980; the by-election to replace her was won by future federal Nationals leader Tim Fischer
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. She was the Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
member for Murray
Electoral district of Murray (New South Wales)
Murray was an electoral district in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was a single-member electorate from 1859 to 1920, but from 1920 to 1927 it was merged with Albury, Corowa and Wagga Wagga to create a three-member electorate, voting by proportional representation. It was recreated as a...
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
from 1973 to 1980.
Born Mary Lawson in Deniliquin, her father Joe Lawson
Joe Lawson (politician)
Joseph Alexander Lawson was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly....
was also a New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
politician. She attended Hornsby
Hornsby, New South Wales
* Highest Maximum Temperature: 42 °C* Lowest Maximum Temperature: 4.9 °C* Warmest Month: January* Coolest Month: July* Highest Precipitation: February* Lowest Precipitation: July-Notable residents:...
Girls' High School before working as a stenographer. She married Francis Meillon on 5 September 1942, with whom she had two daughters.
When her father, the member for Murray
Electoral district of Murray (New South Wales)
Murray was an electoral district in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was a single-member electorate from 1859 to 1920, but from 1920 to 1927 it was merged with Albury, Corowa and Wagga Wagga to create a three-member electorate, voting by proportional representation. It was recreated as a...
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
, died in 1973, Meillon was selected as the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
's candidate for the by-election to replace him (Joe Lawson had been an ex-Country Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
). She narrowly defeated the Country Party's candidate, Bruce Jeffery
Bruce Jeffery
Bruce Leslie Jeffery is a former Australian politician. He was a National Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing Oxley from 1984 to 1988, Port Macquarie from 1988 to 1991, and Oxley again from 1991 to 1999....
, who later represented the Oxley and Port Macquarie
Electoral district of Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Leslie Williams of the National Party....
electorates. Meillon was the fourth woman elected to the Assembly, the first Liberal woman, and the first woman to win a seat since 1946. Defeating an independent Jeffery in the 1973 state election
New South Wales state election, 1973
Elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly were held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 17 November 1973. The result was a win for the Liberal-Country Party coalition under Sir Robert Askin, which had been in office since 1965....
, she held the seat against challenges from Independent Country candidates (since the Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
agreement prohibited the party from endorsing candidates to run against sitting Liberals) until her death in Deniliquin in 1980; the by-election to replace her was won by future federal Nationals leader Tim Fischer
Tim Fischer
Timothy Andrew Fischer, AC , is a former Australian politician. He served as Deputy Prime Minister in the Howard Government from 1996 before retiring from Cabinet in 1999...
.