Joyce Steele
Encyclopedia
Joyce Steele was an Australia
n politician and one of the first two women elected to the Parliament of South Australia
, the other being Jessie Cooper
. Steele was elected to the House of Assembly
and Cooper was elected to the Legislative Council
at the same election.
Prior to her election, Joyce Steele was a homemaker
, an ABC
broadcaster and active in community organisations, including the Queen Adelaide Club (the women's equivalent of the restricted Adelaide Club
). She was pre-selected for the Liberal and Country League
's (LCL) safest metropolitan seat, Burnside, in 1959 and was comfortably elected. She was not a feminist
, and was affiliated with the conservative
wing of the LCL.
Steele was also the first South Australia
n woman to achieve Cabinet
rank in the South Australian Parliament as Minister of Education in the Hall
Government from 1968 to 1969. As South Australian schools were increasingly overcrowded due to the children of the baby boomers passing through, it was a tough portfolio, although moderate increases in education spending were allocated. She took the Social Welfare ministry for the remainder of the Hall government's term.
After the government had passed electoral reform legislation in 1968, Steele was moved to the LCL's safest new seat, Davenport
, which covered the south-east of the City of Burnside
. She received 68% of the primary vote in the 1970 election
. On 9 June 1973, Young Liberals State President and Liberal Movement member Dean Brown
announced his intention to stand for Davenport pre-selection. Steele, in response, announced her retirement, but not without declaring that "[Dean] certainly will not have my support. I think my attitude to the Liberal Movement is well known".
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 and one of the first two women elected to the Parliament of South Australia
Parliament of South Australia
The Parliament of South Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of South Australia. It consists of the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly. It follows a Westminster system of parliamentary government....
, the other being Jessie Cooper
Jessie Cooper
Jessie Mary Cooper . Elected as a Liberal and Country League representative to the South Australian Legislative Council in 1959, she was the first female member of the Parliament of South Australia, beating Joyce Steele, who had been elected to the House of Assembly the same day, by only an hour...
. Steele was elected to the House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
and Cooper was elected to the Legislative Council
South Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...
at the same election.
Prior to her election, Joyce Steele was a homemaker
Homemaker
Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping or household management...
, an ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
broadcaster and active in community organisations, including the Queen Adelaide Club (the women's equivalent of the restricted Adelaide Club
Adelaide Club
The Adelaide Club is an exclusive gentlemen's club in the South Australian capital city of Adelaide. Founded in 1863, the club comprises members of the Adelaide establishment....
). She was pre-selected for the Liberal and Country League
Liberal and Country League
The Liberal and Country League was a major political party in South Australia throughout its forty year existence. Thirty-four years were spent in government, in part due to the electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, introduced after coming to power.Created on 9 June 1932 as the...
's (LCL) safest metropolitan seat, Burnside, in 1959 and was comfortably elected. She was not a feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, and was affiliated with the conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
wing of the LCL.
Steele was also the first South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n woman to achieve Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
rank in the South Australian Parliament as Minister of Education in the Hall
Steele Hall
Raymond Steele Hall was the 36th Premier of South Australia 1968-70, a senator for South Australia 1974-77, and federal member for the Division of Boothby 1981-96.-Biography:...
Government from 1968 to 1969. As South Australian schools were increasingly overcrowded due to the children of the baby boomers passing through, it was a tough portfolio, although moderate increases in education spending were allocated. She took the Social Welfare ministry for the remainder of the Hall government's term.
After the government had passed electoral reform legislation in 1968, Steele was moved to the LCL's safest new seat, Davenport
Electoral district of Davenport
Davenport is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after nineteenth-century pioneer and politician Sir Samuel Davenport. Davenport is a 37.4 km² electorate covering part of outer suburban Adelaide and the southern foothills of...
, which covered the south-east of the City of Burnside
City of Burnside
The City of Burnside is a local government area with an estimated population of 44,300 people in the South Australian city of Adelaide. Burnside was founded in August 1856 as the District Council of Burnside, and was classed as a city in 1943. It is named after the property of an early settler and...
. She received 68% of the primary vote in the 1970 election
South Australian state election, 1970
State elections were held in Australia on 30 May 1970. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Steele Hall was defeated by the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition Don...
. On 9 June 1973, Young Liberals State President and Liberal Movement member Dean Brown
Dean Brown
Dean Craig Brown, AO was the Liberal Premier of South Australia between 14 December 1993 and 28 November 1996, and Deputy Premier of South Australia between 22 October 2001 and 5 March 2002 to Rob Kerin.-Political career:...
announced his intention to stand for Davenport pre-selection. Steele, in response, announced her retirement, but not without declaring that "[Dean] certainly will not have my support. I think my attitude to the Liberal Movement is well known".