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Paul Tracey collection: Jeannette McHugh Campaign papers – NJSN_AC-044 1980 - 1990

By: Series: Series title: Jeannette McHugh Campaign papersDescription: 0.36 linear metres Papers held in manilla folders 2 x Type 1 archive boxes of (H)25cm x (W)18cm x (D)40cm NIL 2 x standard archive boxes 2 x (H)25cm x (W)18cm x (D)40cmSubject(s): Production credits:
  • CREATION/PRODUCTION CREDITS NOTE: Library permission and acknowledgement required.
Summary: BIOGRAPHY Born in 1934, Jeannette McHugh was the first woman from New South Wales to be elected to the Australian Federal Parliament. She won the seat of Phillip in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in 1983 – eighty years after non-Aboriginal women were eligible to vote and stand for the parliament. Jeannette’s campaign papers have been donated to the Library by her former campaign director, Paul Tracey, who has written the following article: While women could legally participate in Federal elections from 1903, political parties were unwilling to give them any winnable positions. The first women to enter Federal Parliament were in the 1940s – two widows who followed their husbands into politics. Occasionally a senator was elected, low down on a party list but in a winner take all system. New South Wales was extremely slow to elect women Federal MPs. It was not until 1980 that a number of women were endorsed by the ALP in seats that seemed to be winnable - as it turned out, none of them was successful. One of those women, Jeannette McHugh stood for Phillip, a true swing seat that had been shared by Liberal and Labor since 1949. Jeannette, after a vigorous campaign, lost by an estimated fourteen votes in each of the twenty odd polling booths. Jeannette was a local party worker without any factional connection to ALP Head Office. She was secretary of her local Bronte Branch and also of the Phillip ALP Electorate Council. An activist against Vietnam and uranium mining, Jeannette was involved in advocating for public education and demanding improved women’s services and childcare. She was well known and respected within the left of the party and especially among the local party members. But it was not plain sailing and Jeannette had to beat off a male challenger for the preselection. In those days, having a women candidate was still a bit of a novelty.  (The Liberals did not have any in winnable seats until the 1990s.) We were constantly reminded, in the party and in the pubs and clubs, that with all the male dominated RSL, surf, football and cricket clubs in the electorate, a women could not possibly win Phillip. But the Phillip rank and file ALP members would not be persuaded out of backing their favoured candidate. Come 1983, Jeannette won the preselection easily against two males and then went on to become NSW’s first Federal woman MP. She held the seat for over ten years until it was abolished, became a Federal Minister and had a final term as the MP for Grayndler from 1993 to 1996.  With her community involvement, Jeannette increased her share of the vote at every election she contested. The campaign papers I have now lodged with the Library are my own records as Campaign Director of Jeannette’s Phillip campaigns. These are records of meetings, strategies, volunteers, fund raising, printed materials. There is also material produced by opposing candidates, from the ‘Keep the Left out of Phillip’ Liberal advertising, through the Right to Life anti-Jeannette propaganda and onto the great victory against the economic rationalists behind Charles Copeman’s 1990 challenge. These records are about local activists’ campaigning in the days prior to spin doctors and massive donations.   Jessie Street herself stood for Federal Parliament in the 1940s. She contested Wentworth, which included what was to become a large part of Phillip, twice - the first time as the Labor candidate, the second as an independent. She then contested the first election for Phillip in 1949, again as an independent. There is little record of her campaigns. In depositing Jeannette McHugh’s campaign papers with the Library, I want to ensure that future researchers have access to the story of the election of NSW’s first female federal MP. [Paul Tracey: 8.9.2015]
Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Call number Status Date due Barcode
Archives - Collection Archives - Collection Jessie Street National Women's Library Archives Paul Tracey collection: Jeannette McHugh Campaign papers Compartment 2/Bay 8/Shelf 4/Position 2-3 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available for reference in the library

Jeannette McHugh Campaign papers: This series is comprised of records of meetings, strategies, volunteers, fund raising, and campaign leaflets; also includes material produced by opposing candidates, from the ‘Keep the Left out of Phillip’ Liberal advertising, through the Right to Life anti-Jeannette propaganda and onto the great victory against the economic rationalists behind Charles Copeman’s 1990 challenge. These records provide an example of local activists’ campaigning in the days prior to spin doctors and massive donations. BOX 1

1. 1980, folder 1;
2. 1980, folder 2;
3. 1980, folder 3
4. 1983, folder 1;
5. 1983, folder 2;
6. 1983, folder 3;
7. 1983, folder 4;
8. 1984, folder 1;
9. 1984, folder 2. BOX 2

10. 1987, folder 1;
11. 1987, folder 2;
12. 1990, folder 1;
13. 1990, folder 2;
14. 1990, folder 3.

RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLICATION:
Reproduction rights are owned by Jessie Street National Women's Library. Material may be saved or printed for private research, however, if it is to be used for any other purpose, a ‘Request Permission to Publish’ form should be completed.
RESTRICTIONS ON PHYSICAL ACCESS:
Available for research.

CREATION/PRODUCTION CREDITS NOTE:
Library permission and acknowledgement required.

BIOGRAPHY

Born in 1934, Jeannette McHugh was the first woman from New South Wales to be elected to the Australian Federal Parliament. She won the seat of Phillip in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in 1983 – eighty years after non-Aboriginal women were eligible to vote and stand for the parliament. Jeannette’s campaign papers have been donated to the Library by her former campaign director, Paul Tracey, who has written the following article:

While women could legally participate in Federal elections from 1903, political parties were unwilling to give them any winnable positions. The first women to enter Federal Parliament were in the 1940s – two widows who followed their husbands into politics. Occasionally a senator was elected, low down on a party list but in a winner take all system.

New South Wales was extremely slow to elect women Federal MPs. It was not until 1980 that a number of women were endorsed by the ALP in seats that seemed to be winnable - as it turned out, none of them was successful.

One of those women, Jeannette McHugh stood for Phillip, a true swing seat that had been shared by Liberal and Labor since 1949. Jeannette, after a vigorous campaign, lost by an estimated fourteen votes in each of the twenty odd polling booths.

Jeannette was a local party worker without any factional connection to ALP Head Office. She was secretary of her local Bronte Branch and also of the Phillip ALP Electorate Council. An activist against Vietnam and uranium mining, Jeannette was involved in advocating for public education and demanding improved women’s services and childcare. She was well known and respected within the left of the party and especially among the local party members. But it was not plain sailing and Jeannette had to beat off a male challenger for the preselection.

In those days, having a women candidate was still a bit of a novelty.  (The Liberals did not have any in winnable seats until the 1990s.) We were constantly reminded, in the party and in the pubs and clubs, that with all the male dominated RSL, surf, football and cricket clubs in the electorate, a women could not possibly win Phillip. But the Phillip rank and file ALP members would not be persuaded out of backing their favoured candidate.

Come 1983, Jeannette won the preselection easily against two males and then went on to become NSW’s first Federal woman MP. She held the seat for over ten years until it was abolished, became a Federal Minister and had a final term as the MP for Grayndler from 1993 to 1996.  With her community involvement, Jeannette increased her share of the vote at every election she contested.

The campaign papers I have now lodged with the Library are my own records as Campaign Director of Jeannette’s Phillip campaigns. These are records of meetings, strategies, volunteers, fund raising, printed materials. There is also material produced by opposing candidates, from the ‘Keep the Left out of Phillip’ Liberal advertising, through the Right to Life anti-Jeannette propaganda and onto the great victory against the economic rationalists behind Charles Copeman’s 1990 challenge. These records are about local activists’ campaigning in the days prior to spin doctors and massive donations.
 
Jessie Street herself stood for Federal Parliament in the 1940s. She contested Wentworth, which included what was to become a large part of Phillip, twice - the first time as the Labor candidate, the second as an independent. She then contested the first election for Phillip in 1949, again as an independent. There is little record of her campaigns. In depositing Jeannette McHugh’s campaign papers with the Library, I want to ensure that future researchers have access to the story of the election of NSW’s first female federal MP. [Paul Tracey: 8.9.2015]



RESTRICTIONS ON REPRODUCTION
Library permission and acknowledgement is required to copy material for research purposes.

DATE OF ACQUISITION:
8 September 2015.
EXTENT:
2 x standard archive boxes

Paul Tracey INFORMATION RELATING TO COPYRIGHT STATUS:
Copyright holder is JSNWL.

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