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Ryan, Susan (1942-)

Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-618663

Biographies

Australian Women's Register

Susan Ryan was appointed the first Labor Senator for the Australian Capital Territory, 1975. In the Federal Parliament she was the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister Bob Hawke on the Status of Women 1983-88 and the Minister for Education, 1984-87. She presided over the passage of the federal government's Sex Discrimination Act 1984 and the Affirmative Action (Equal Opportunities in Employment) Act 1986.She later worked in the plastics industry, and in superannuation.

Susan Ryan was awarded her BA from the University of Sydney in 1962, and MA in English Literature from the Australian National University in 1972. She worked as a school teacher in 1963 and then tutor in English Literature at ANU between 1970-72.

Ryan was a founding member of the Belconnen Branch of the ALP in 1969, and was later Vice-President of the Branch. She was delegate to the ALP ACT Branch Council between 1973-76. Ryan attended the World Conference on Women in Mexico City in 1975 and the United Nations Decade for Women Conference in Copenhagen in 1980. She was a member of the ALP Federal Policy Committee on Women and Education Officer of the International Women's Year Secretariat.

Elected as one of the first of two Senators for the ACT and the first Labor Senator for the ACT in 1975, Ryan served on a number of parliamentary committees between 1975-83. She was a member of the Council of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies 1981-83; member of the Opposition Shadow Ministery, Dec 1977-March 1983; Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, Hawke Labor Government, 1983; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Status of Women, 1983-88; Minister for Education, Dec 1984; and Special Minister of State including responsibilities for the bicentenary, the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse and the implementation of the Australia Card program. She advocated for the Senate to pass the Sex Discrimination Bill 1982 and enact the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination, the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 and the Affirmative Action (Equal Opportunities in Employment) Act 1986. Ryan resigned as Minister and Senator in January 1988.

Following her resignation she worked as Publishing Editor of Penguin Books in 1988 and Executive Director of the Plastics Industry Association Inc in 1989. She has been Executive Director of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia since 1993.

Susan Ryan was a founding member of the Women's Electoral Lobby, ACT Branch. She was awarded the Order of Australia in 1990.

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

Related people and organisations

Resources for Susan Ryan

Selected resources (5)

Australian Women's Register

  1. Person Description - CP 435 - Susan Maree Ryan Law
  2. Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy: The Task of Opposition. Catching the Waves: Susan Ryan at the Hawke Institute
    Ryan, Susan
    [1999]
    Published: University of South Australia
  3. Getting Equal: The History of Australian Feminism
    Lake, Marilyn
    [1999]
    Published: Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, New South Wales
  4. Catching the Waves
    Ryan, Susan
    [1999]
    Published: Harper Collins
  5. A long wave still rolling
    Bilney, Gordon
    [1999]

Resources By Susan Ryan (52)

  1. Catching the waves : life in and out of politics / Susan Ryan
    Ryan, Susan, 1942-
    [Book : 1999]
  2. The Hawke government : a critical retrospective / edited by Susan Ryan & Troy Bramston
    [Book : 2003]
  3. Working Party on Affirmative Action Legislation report
    Australia. Working Party on Affirmative Action Legislation
    [Book : 1985]
  4. Interview with Susan Ryan, politician interviewer, Sara Dowse
    Ryan, Susan, 1942-
    [Sound : 1991]
  5. Affirmative action for women. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
    Australia. Dept. of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
    [Article, Book : 1984]
  6. Film and the arts : the Australian Labor Party's commitment to an Australian culture / Susan Ryan
    Ryan, Susan, 1942-
    [Book : 1980]
  7. Women and discrimination : can the law help? : the inaugural Caroline Chisholm lecture / delivered by Susan Ryan, September 1979
    Ryan, Susan, 1942-
    [Book : 1980]
  8. The Australian Labor Party and Australian women : a discussion paper / Susan Ryan
    Ryan, Susan, 1942-
    [Article : 1980]
  9. Supplementary guidelines to the Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission for the 1985-87 triennium / Minister for Education Senator the Hon. Susan Ryan
    Ryan, Susan, 1942-
    [Book : 1985]
  10. Guidelines to the Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission for 1987 / statement by the Commonwealth Minister for Education, Senator the Honorable Susan Ryan
    Australia. Dept. of Education
    [Book : 1986]

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Resources About Susan Ryan (11)

  1. Catching the waves : life in and out of politics / Susan Ryan
    Ryan, Susan, 1942-
    [Book : 1999]
  2. Working Party on Affirmative Action Legislation report
    Australia. Working Party on Affirmative Action Legislation
    [Book : 1985]
  3. [Biographical cuttings on Susan Ryan, author and politician, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals]
    [Published : 1900-1990]
  4. Interview with Susan Ryan, politician interviewer, Sara Dowse
    Ryan, Susan, 1942-
    [Sound : 1991]
  5. Portrait of Susan Ryan [Terry Milligan]
    Milligan, Terry
    [Photograph : 1999]
    Available online
  6. "Another bloody good story bites the dust" [Susan Ryan] Pryor
    Pryor, Geoff, 1944-
    [Art work : 1983]
    Available online
  7. Women and the Guidelines, a critique : a discussion of the potential effects on women of the federal government's Guidelines for the 1985-87 triennium / Federation of Australia University Staff Associations
    [Book : 1984]
  8. "What am I going to say to them?" [Susan Ryan and Bob Hawke] Pryor
    Pryor, Geoff, 1944-
    [Art work : 1984]
    Available online
  9. Portrait of Susan Ryan, former Minister assisting the Prime Minister on the Status of Women and a member of the Australian official delegation to the Mexico City International Women's Year conference, 6th August 2005 / Bob Givens
    Givens, Bob
    [Photograph : 2005]
    Available online
  10. Portrait of Senator Kay Paterson, with former Senators Susan Ryan and Jocelyn Newman, 6th August 2005 / Bob Givens
    Givens, Bob
    [Photograph : 2005]
    Available online

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  1. Portrait of Susan Ryan [Terry Milli...
    Milligan, Terry
    [Photograph : 1999]
  2. "Another bloody good story bites th...
    Pryor, Geoff, 1...
    [Art work : 1983]
  3. "What am I going to say to them?" [...
    Pryor, Geoff, 1...
    [Art work : 1984]
  4. Portrait of Senator Kay Paterson, w...
    Givens, Bob
    [Photograph : 2005]
  5. Portrait of Susan Ryan, former Mini...
    Givens, Bob
    [Photograph : 2005]
  6. "By golly some of you kids have gro...
    Pryor, Geoff, 1...
    [Art work : 1985]
  1. Website: John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library
    john.curtin.edu.au
    Matching pages:
    View 15 matching archived pages
  2. Website: Australian Women's Archives Project
    www.womenaustralia.info
    Matching pages:
    View 55 matching archived pages
  3. Website: Australian Women in War
    www.womenaustralia.info
    Matching pages:
    View 24 matching archived pages
  1. Family Notices
    The Sydney Morning Herald..., Tuesday 28 July 1942 p 10
    ... Doreen, aged 66 years. RICHARDS.-July 27, 1942, Florence Lil- lian Susan, dearly-loved «vite of ... vcars. RYAN.-July 27. 1942, at a private hos- pital. Randwick. Alice Josephine, daughter of tile late Mr. ... Neu tral Bay._ ROLL OF HONOUR ANDERSON.-July 22, 1942. al Dorval Canada, result ot aircraft accident, ... 6534 words
  2. Family Notices
    The Sydney Morning Herald..., Wednesday 7 October 1942 p 12
    ... BIRTHS ASHTON.-October 3, 1942, at Crown Street Heïpltal. to Mr. and Mrs. R. Ashton, 198 Queen ... 1942, at St. Luke's to Patricia, wife of SCrgt. C. J. Connelly-a daughter. ENGEUT.-October 4, 1942, at ... 1942. at Sunbury private hospital. Ashfield, to Sgt. and Mrs. E. H. Hokln. of Ashfield the gift of ... 6460 words
  3. Family Notices
    The Sydney Morning Herald..., Tuesday 4 August 1942 p 10
    ... Brownhlll. Privately cre- mated. August 1st. BURY.-August 3, 1942, .Susan Rutherford Bury, aged 87 years. ... BIRTHS BEDELL-DONALD.-August 1, 1942, to Olga, wife of Lieut. Y. Bedell-Donald-a daughter. ... Hoowortn).-August 2, 1942, at Mater Misericordia« private hospital, North Sydney, to Sub-Lieut, and Mrs. Sydney ... 8696 words