Margaret Guilfoyle

The Honourable Dame Margaret Guilfoyle AC, DBE
Senator for Victoria
In office 1 July 1971 – 5 June 1987
Personal details
Born	Margaret Georgina Constance McCarthy 15 May 1926 Belfast, Northern Ireland
Nationality	Irish Australian
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Spouse(s)	Stanley Guilfoyle
Alma mater	Australian National University
Occupation	Accountant

Dame Margaret Georgina Constance Guilfoyle, AC, DBE (née McCarthy; born 15 May 1926) is a British-born Australian who was a Senator for the state of Victoria from 1971 to 1987. She was the third woman to receive a federal ministerial portfolio, after Dame Enid Lyons and Dame Annabelle Rankin. Following her retirement she has continued to serve the Australian public through numerous boards and directorships.

Guilfoyle 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 Liberal Party in Victoria, her term beginning 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 at the double dissolution of 5 June 1987.

Honours

• Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE), 31 December 1979.^[1]
• Centenary Medal, 1 January 2001.^[2]
• Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), 13 June 2005.^[3]

References

1. The Order of the British Empire - Dame Commander (DBE), 31 December 1979, It's an Honour. Citation: Public & Parliamentary service.
2. Centenary Medal, 1 January 2001, It's an Honour. Citation: For service to the advancement of Australia's young political leaders.
3. Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), 13 June 2005, It's an Honour. Citation: For significant contributions to public life in Australia in support of hospital and health administration, social justice and education, to young people as a role model, and to the Australian Parliament.

External links

• National Archives of Australia
• Margaret Guilfoyle in The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in the Twentieth Century