Women We Love: Joan Child

Until Anna Burke was elected as speaker of the House of Representatives last October, no woman had held that role since Joan Child, who served as speaker in Bob Hawke’s Labor government from 1986 to 1989.

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Then aged 65 and having raised five sons after the sudden death of her husband 20 years earlier, Joan “was a woman determined to be judged on her character, not her gender”, Ms Gillard told mourners at her state funeral in Melbourne on Tuesday.

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Son Peter said, “Mum had a clear view of right and wrong. The principle of doing right was never compromised.”

Joan was 91.