Jane Lomax-Smith

Jane Diane Lomax-Smith (born 19 June 1950) is an Australian histopathologist and politician serving as Lord Mayor of Adelaide since 14 November 2022. Lomax-Smith previously held the position of Lord Mayor between 1997 and 2000. She was the member of parliament (MP) for the electorate of Adelaide from 2002 to 2010, who represented the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP).

Lomax-Smith was born in Walthamstow, East London. She obtained her education in medicine from London Hospital Medical College where she graduated with degrees in anatomy and medicine. She gained experience in pathology at hospitals in London. After moving to Australia in 1977 to teach pathology at the University of Adelaide, she obtained her Doctor of Philosophy degree in pathology concentrating on IgA nephropathy and liver diseases. Prior to her career in politics, she did research work at Harvard University and has served as a pathologist in different hospitals including St James' Hospital, London Hospital, Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science and the Royal Adelaide Hospital until her exit from academics in 1991.

Lomax-Smith got into politics in 1991 after working in the pathology field. She served in the Adelaide City Council for Grey Ward and later as Lord Mayor of Adelaide between 1997 and 2000, making her the second woman ever to occupy this office. As a councillor, she championed issues such as heritage protection, the conservation of the Adelaide Park Lands, affordable housing, reconciliation and the attraction of foreign students via Study Adelaide. Following the 2002 election, Lomax-Smith was elected as ALP's representative for Adelaide in the South Australian House of Assembly and became a minister in the Rann government with several portfolios such as Tourism, Education, Small Business, Employment, Science and Information Economy, Mental Health and Substance Abuse, and Minister for the City of Adelaide. Lomax-Smith was reelected in 2006 although with an improved majority only to lose her seat in the 2010 South Australian state election against the Liberal Party's candidate Rachel Sanderson.

After leaving parliament, Lomax-Smith has had several positions in government and advisory roles such as chairwoman for the Higher Education Base Funding Review, acting director of the Royal Institution of Australia, chairwoman of the board of directors of the South Australian Museum, and also chaired other organisations such as the Don Dunstan Foundation and the Australian Federation of Friends of Museums. She rejoined the ranks of local government in 2022 by being elected as the Lord Mayor of Adelaide for a second term after defeating former senator Rex Patrick as well as current Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor. In 2025, she announced that she would seek re-election as Lord Mayor at the next council election.

Early life and education Jane Diane Lomax-Smith was born on 19 June 1950 in Walthamstow, East London, United Kingdom, to Olive Martha Lomax and Francis George, into a working-class family. Her father worked as a carpenter and her mother as a hairdresser. During her childhood, she assisted in her mother's hairdressing business. She later stated that she developed an early interest in pathology during her medical training, noting its academic demands compared with other medical specialties of the period. While living in London, she also participated in voluntary activities, including assisting with community services for older residents and teaching swimming at a local orphanage while still a student. She was the first member of her family to continue formal education beyond the age of 13. followed by a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and an additional Bachelor of Science (Honours) in 1974. She later worked as a registrar and houseman at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in Hammersmith and the London Hospital.

Lomax-Smith undertook doctoral research in pathology at the University of Adelaide, focusing on IgA nephropathy and liver disease, During her mayoralty, the council listed more than 1,300 structures as historic, and she supported initiatives relating to affordable housing, reconciliation, and formal "Sorry" acknowledgements. She also worked with the South Australian government and local universities through Study Adelaide to promote international student recruitment. She was selected by Rann as the party's candidate for the seat of Adelaide at the election. On 9 February, she was elected as the Member for Adelaide in the South Australian House of Assembly for the Labor Party, defeating Liberal candidate Michael Harbison, and securing a 3.2 per cent swing. She was the first woman to serve as both Member for Adelaide and Lord Mayor of Adelaide.

After entering the South Australian Parliament, Lomax-Smith was appointed to cabinet by Rann. On 27 February 2003, she was appointed by the Governor in Executive Council as Acting Minister for Trade and Regional Development, Acting Minister for Local Government, and Acting Minister Assisting the Minister for Federal/State Relations for the period 4–7 March. Later that year, she oversaw the Bioscience Precinct project. In June, she publicly criticised a Commonwealth policy that required schools to meet specified conditions, including flying the Australian flag, in order to access funding.

In 2006, she returned to Parliament following a swing of more than 9% and had less difficulty obtaining reelection. It was later reported that she had privately opposed the construction of a permanent grandstand, describing herself as a "conviction politician" focused on acting in accordance with her views.

In April 2007, Lomax-Smith opposed proposed federal changes to the state's school entry system, arguing that requiring all students to begin school in the first term would reduce flexibility and disrupt arrangements she stated were effective in the state. She later reported that public school secondary retention rate had reached its highest level in 12 years, attributing the increase to reforms to the South Australian Certificate of Education, flexible learning pathways, school engagement policies, and the raising of the compulsory school leaving age. On 21 December, she announced funding for the implementation of the compulsory Year 12 Personal Learning Plan subject in South Australian secondary schools.

In April 2008, Lomax-Smith announced that South Australia would pursue national childcare reform through the establishment of integrated children's centres combining family support, education, childcare, and health services. In July, she was appointed Acting Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Acting Minister for Science and Information Economy, Acting Minister for Youth, and Acting Minister for Gambling during the absence of Paul Caica. During the same month, teachers represented by the Australian Education Union protested outside her electorate office during an industrial dispute concerning wages, class sizes, and school resources in South Australia. On 24 July, her portfolio of Minister for Education and Children's Services was renamed Minister for Education, and she was additionally appointed Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse. During the same period, she participated in the opening of the APY Lands Substance Misuse Facility at Amata, which provided outreach programs and residential rehabilitation services addressing drug abuse and petrol sniffing in Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) communities. In December, she defended the continued use of A to E grading in South Australian school reports.

Even when water levels were restored, Lomax-Smith told ABC Radio Adelaide in February 2009 that blue-green algae would likely continue to affect the River Torrens. In June, she participated in the launch of an evaluation of South Australia's Keeping Safe child protection curriculum and related respectful relationships education initiatives aimed at supporting students' development of interpersonal skills. In August, in response to concerns about limited secondary school options in Adelaide's inner northern suburbs, she stated that the government was investing in new facilities and considering expanding capacity at Adelaide High School, noting that earlier school closures had influenced current provision. In October, she announced the establishment of a Teacher Education Taskforce comprising university deans and school leaders to address teacher shortages and improve teacher training quality in South Australia.

Lomax-Smith was defeated at the 2010 South Australian state election. At the time, she was serving in cabinet as Minister for Tourism and Minister for Education. She lost the seat of Adelaide to Liberal candidate Rachel Sanderson following a 14.7% swing, one of the largest in the state, overturning a margin of more than 10%. a federal government review examining university funding models, including incentives related to teaching quality, student outcomes, and participation in tertiary education. Later in November, she was appointed acting director of the Royal Institution of Australia on a part-time basis following the resignation of the previous director, a position she held until February 2012. She also served as director of JamFactory until 2019, In August 2011, she was appointed chair of the South Australian Museum Board as part of a governance renewal process. with a focus on strengthening institutional direction and collaboration with the University of Adelaide in scientific research. She later held a series of governance and advisory positions, including membership of the advisory board of UCL Australia, presidency of the Australian Federation of Friends of Museums from 2016 to 2020, and service as presiding member of the Teachers Registration Board from 2017 to 2021. She also served as vice-president of the World Federation of Friends of Museums from 2018 to 2021, and in mid-2020 became a trustee of the Pioneer Women's Memorial Trust. succeeding Lynn Arnold.

Return as Lord Mayor (2022–present)

On 6 September 2022, Lomax-Smith announced her candidacy for the Adelaide City Council election, advocating changes to council leadership and governance and calling for what she described as a "radical reset" of council operations. She was elected Lord Mayor of Adelaide, defeating former senator Rex Patrick and incumbent Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor, and joining a progressive council majority following losses by several Team Adelaide members on 14 November. During the campaign, she identified priorities including post-pandemic budget recovery, leadership and governance reform, reducing office vacancy rates, protecting park lands, addressing climate change, and encouraging the conversion of commercial tenancies to housing, as well as supporting an expanded city population target of 50,000. Citing concerns about irregular postal ballots, Patrick disputed the result, which Lomax-Smith won by 52 votes, and called for the Court of Disputed Returns to consider invalidating the poll. Patrick later dropped the legal case after receiving electoral information indicating the outcome was unlikely to be overturned in March 2023.

Following the election, on 1 November 2022, Greens MP Robert Simms raised Lomax-Smith's concerns about incremental encroachment on the new Women's and Children's Hospital proposed parklands location. A few days later, on 15 November, she stated that her priorities included restoring council reputation and credibility, alongside housing, economic development, skills shortages, and park lands preservation. In 2023, Lomax-Smith appeared as a witness before the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education & Care. In April, she described conditions in Adelaide CBD as being in a "shocking state" and called for improved maintenance and urban management amid public debate about safety and economic activity in the city centre. In August, she advocated for replacing council prayers with a secular alternative, arguing for a clearer separation of religious practice from official council proceedings. In October, she used her casting vote to support a state government proposal for a commercial and aquatic development in the Adelaide Park Lands, breaking a council deadlock despite public opposition and ongoing debate regarding environmental and heritage impacts.

In June 2024, Councillor Henry Davis received a legal concerns letter from Lomax-Smith regarding alleged defamatory remarks made during a council meeting, in which she sought an apology and warned of reputational damage. In August, she called for reforms to Adelaide's heritage protection framework, arguing that reliance on community protest to preserve heritage buildings was unsustainable and advocating clearer planning mechanisms to manage redevelopment in the city centre. Later that month, she was unanimously endorsed by her council to stand for election as president of the South Australian Local Government Association, citing her experience in both local and state government and her capacity to represent councils facing shared policy and governance challenges.

In June 2025, Lomax-Smith defended council decision-making and its continued responsibility for managing growth and protecting the Park Lands, stating that criticisms of the City of Adelaide's role in development were "pure arrogance." Amid ongoing political debate concerning impartiality, election timing, and council leadership stability during the current term, the Adelaide City Council appointed Councillors Keiran Snape and Carmel Noon as successive Deputy Lord Mayors through 2026 during her mayoralty in September. In October, she was scheduled to attend the C40 World Mayors Summit in Rio de Janeiro alongside two other South Australian mayors to participate in international discussions on climate and sustainability.

Following the Adelaide Writers' Week boycott in January 2026, Lomax-Smith described a potential replacement program for the event as "not much more than a thought bubble," stating that discussions with organisers were ongoing but noting that the council could not commit substantial funding without clearer planning. On 25 May, she announced that she would seek re-election as Lord Mayor of Adelaide in the upcoming election, citing the need to manage the city's expansion and maintain council stability following recent construction activity and financial recovery measures. In early June, Premier Peter Malinauskas accused the council of attempting to undermine a major state initiative after Lomax-Smith stated that while she supported major events, she questioned whether the MotoGP should be held in the Park Lands. Amid ongoing disputes regarding tree removal, land use, and heritage conservation, she later reaffirmed council opposition to proposed motorsport events and redevelopment projects within the Adelaide Park Lands.

Awards and honours In 1985, Lomax-Smith was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, and in 1996 she was named a Foundation Fellow in the Faculty of Oral Pathology by the same organisation. In 2014, The Advertiser listed her among South Australia's most influential people. In 2017, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science (honoris causa) by the University of Adelaide. during her time as a research fellow at Harvard University. Together, they have two sons.