Political Partner
We don’t debate in Parliament and we are not elected but we are just as important to Australia’s democracy as our partners…We lead our own lives and we make our own contribution - Annita Keating, addressing Parliamentary wives at the Lodge, 1993.
Every Australian Prime Minister has had a wife. They have assisted their husbands with their political careers and acted as national hostess.
Whether on the campaign trail making speeches or working behind the scenes offering care and support, the wives are, as Annita Keating once said, ‘the anchor’ that allows their partner to do their job well. In the world of politics, particularly at election time, wives are often used to ‘soften’ their husband’s image or reputation, or to appeal to family or female voters.
Mrs Vera Forde’s speech notes
Vera Forde was Australia’s shortest-serving Prime Ministerial wife, occupying the position in an official capacity for only eight days. However, she filled the position several times when he husband was acting Prime Minister. She was dedicated to her husband’s career and actively undertook all duties required of her.‘I take an interest in politics… but being a woman I am chiefly interested in the part played by women in our everyday lives.’ - Mrs Forde, speech to women in America, 1945. Read the text of the speech.
Enid Lyons speaking to a group of women. Image courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales.
Enid Lyons speaking to a group of women
Joe and Enid were a partnership in every sense of the word—in marriage and in politics. Enid described herself as ‘Joe’s public relations man’, and spent much of her time as a Prime Ministerial wife travelling the country campaigning for Joe. She spoke a minimum of three times a week, discussing issues that related to women and families. Their lives, she said, were lived at ‘killing pace’.
Bettina Gorton was presented with this Indonesian village sculpture by Madame Suharto in recognition of her contribution to Australian-Indonesian relations. Courtesy of the Gorton Family.
Section of Indonesian village sculpture
For Bettina Gorton, a trip to South-East Asia in 1960 began a love-affair with all aspects of Asian cultures, prompting her to enrol in a Bachelor of Arts degree in Oriental Studies. During an official visit to Indonesia in 1968, her ability to converse with the people in their own tongue was widely respected and reported. Speaking in 1997, Former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam praised Bettina’s language skills as making ‘a lasting and valuable contribution to Australia’s relations with our great neighbour’.
