The Hon. Caroline Hogg AO

Since retiring from Parliament in 1999, she has continued this commitment through a range of voluntary positions. Born in Somerset in England in 1942, Caroline and her Australian-born mother moved to Australia in 1950. She went to school and university in Adelaide, later moving to Melbourne, where she taught at Fitzroy High School for 15 years.

Caroline's interest in politics was kindled in the turbulent 1960s, when she became actively involved in demonstrations against the Vietnam War and capital punishment. She joined the Australian Labor Party in 1966. For nine years from 1970 to 1979 she was a councillor at the City of Collingwood and its first woman mayor in 1978-79. In 1982, Caroline stood for the Victorian Parliamentary seat of Melbourne North and was successfully elected and went on to become Victorian Labor's longest serving woman MP.

In 1985, she was sworn in as Minister for Community Services in the Cain Government and held that ministry until 1987, when she moved to head the Education portfolio. In 1988, Caroline became Minister for Ethnic Affairs. For two years from 1989 until 1991, she was Minister for Health. During that time, she worked to ensure that Victoria had one of the best prevention and support programs in Australia for people with HIV. She took on the demanding role of Minister for Ethnic, Municipal and Community Affairs in January 1991 and held the portfolio until the change of Government in 1992, when Labor moved into Opposition.

From 1990-96 she was the Deputy Leader of the Labor Party in the Legislative Council. Caroline then held various Shadow Ministerial positions when in Opposition and was the ALP Whip in the Legislative Council, when she retired in 1999. In addition, Caroline made major contributions to a range of Parliamentary and Cabinet committees, including the Social Development Committee of Cabinet and the Rural Affairs Committee of Cabinet.

Throughout her political career, Caroline made many friends in the women's community, including women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and was well loved and respected in the neighbourhood house and rural women's networks. Since her retirement she has chaired the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Women's Health and Wellbeing and since July 2000 has been on the Board of beyondblue, the National Depression Initiative. "My commitment to public life was underpinned by a very strong desire to make life better and fairer for people," says Caroline.