Mary Crooks

Mary Lynn Crooks, (born 1950) is an Australian feminist and public policy specialist. She has been the Executive Director of the Victorian Women's Trust since 1996.

Early life Born in Camperdown, Victoria, Crooks grew up in Heywood in southwestern Victoria. She attended the University of Melbourne, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts.

Crooks became the Executive Director of the Victorian Women's Trust in 1996. The Trust was first established in 1985. The Trust has since then been a part of a number of community engagements focussed on women's safety, the environment and sustainability, and other themes of social justice.

The Purple Sage Project was a notable initiative led by Crooks in 1998. Reflecting on political and industrial changes that had occurred in Victoria in the late 1990s under the premiership of Jeff Kennett, the initiative attempted to re-engage citizens in participatory democracy. The Purple Sage Project focussed on key issues of the time, with six thousand participants meeting in small groups of ten to lead and explore discussion. 2012 Officer of the Order of Australia 2016 Winner, Public Policy category, Australian Financial Review/Westpac's 100 Women of Influence