Rosemary Follett

Rosemary Follett (born 27 March 1948) is an Australian former politician who was the first Chief Minister of Australian Capital Territory, serving in 1989 and again between 1991 and 1995. She was the first woman to become head of government in an Australian state or territory.

Early life Follett is the daughter of hansard writer Aubrey Follett, an Anglican, and his wife Judith (née Lusby), a teacher and Roman Catholic. Follett was born in Sydney in 1948, and moved with her family to Canberra in 1952. She took inspiration from female models of leadership in her own family from an early age — her mother was a teacher who had worked in naval intelligence with the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service during World War II, while her aunt, Dr Gwen (Lusby) Fleming, had been a Major in the Australian Army Medical Corps, and aunt, Elizabeth Lusby was a school prioress in the Dominican Sisters.

Follett attended Canberra Catholic Girls' High School. She joined the Australian Public Service after leaving school, and travelled to Darwin and Sydney. She returned to Canberra with the public service, but was required to resign when she married. She studied stenography, and worked as a secretary for various politicians over the next ten years. Prior to her election to the Assembly, Follett was an elected Member for Fraser in the representative advisory ACT House of Assembly, serving between 1985 and 1986; The first Assembly was characterised by a hung parliament and significant political instability.

Months later, confidence was waning in the minority Follett Labor government. On 5 December 1989, Bernard Collaery, leader of the Residents Rally group (with three members in the Assembly) moved the following motion in the Assembly:

The vote was resolved in affirmative (10 votes to 7 votes), and Trevor Kaine was elected as the second Chief Minister. After another motion of no confidence was passed, this time against Kaine, Follett returned to office in 1991 and she led Labor to victory at the 1992 general election. Defeated by the Liberals under Kate Carnell at the 1995 general election. Follett continued to lead the ALP until the following year 1996. With a caucus of six members, Follett stood down as leader after she was tapped on the shoulder by Andrew Whitecross, the man who would become her successor and two of their colleagues. Follett then resigned from the ACT Legislative Assembly in December 1996. Simon Corbell was elected to fill the casual vacancy.

Later career Since leaving politics, Follett has been Deputy Vice-chancellor at the University of Canberra; Chair of the Vocational Education and Training Authority; a member of the University of Canberra Council; member of the Sentence Administration Board and chair of the board of Senior Secondary School Studies.