Bronwyn Bishop facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Bronwyn Bishop AO
Bishop in 2012
29th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
In office 12 November 2013 – 2 August 2015
Deputy	Bruce Scott
Preceded by	Anna Burke
Succeeded by	Tony Smith
Minister for Aged Care
In office 21 October 1998 – 26 November 2001
Prime Minister	John Howard
Preceded by	Peter Staples
Succeeded by	Kevin Andrews
Minister for Defence Industry, Science and Personnel
In office 11 March 1996 – 21 October 1998
Prime Minister	John Howard
Preceded by	Gary Punch
Succeeded by	Warren Snowdon
Member of the Australian Parliament for Mackellar
In office 26 March 1994 – 9 May 2016
Preceded by	Jim Carlton
Succeeded by	Jason Falinski
Senator for New South Wales
In office 11 July 1987 – 24 February 1994
Preceded by	Sir John Carrick
Succeeded by	Bob Woods
Personal details
Born	Bronwyn Kathleen Setright (1942-10-19) 19 October 1942 (age 82) North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Alan David Bishop ​ ​ (m. 1966; div. 1992)​
Residence	Newport, New South Wales
Education	Cremorne Girls High School University of Sydney (no degree)
Occupation	Solicitor and company director

Bronwyn Kathleen Bishop (born 19 October 1942) is an Australian former politician. She was a member of the Liberal Party of Australia. She served in the Australian Parliament for many years.

Bishop was the 29th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015. Before that, she was a Senator for New South Wales from 1987 to 1994. Then, she became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area of Mackellar from 1994 to 2016.

During her time in parliament, she also worked as a minister. She was the Minister for Defence Industry from 1996 to 1998. Later, she was the Minister for Aged Care from 1998 to 2001. These roles were under Prime Minister John Howard.

Bishop was born in Sydney and trained as a lawyer. After leaving politics, she became a political commentator.

Early Life and Education

Bronwyn Kathleen Setright was born on 19 October 1942 in North Sydney. Her father was an engineer. Her mother was an opera singer.

Bishop went to Roseville Public School. She then attended Cremorne Girls High School. In 1960, she started studying law at the University of Sydney. She later became a solicitor in New South Wales in 1967. A solicitor is a type of lawyer who gives legal advice.

Political Career

Bishop joined the Liberal Party when she was 17. She wanted to become a politician. She was very active in the party. From 1985 to 1987, she was the first female president of the New South Wales Liberals.

Serving as a Senator (1987–1994)

In 1987, Bishop was elected to the Australian Senate. Senators represent their state in the Australian Parliament. She was the second woman to be a Senator for New South Wales. She was also the first woman from the state to be chosen by popular vote.

In 1989, she became a shadow minister. This means she was part of the opposition party's team. She would speak against the government's ideas. She was known for being a strong debater.

Moving to the House of Representatives

Bishop early in her political career

After the 1993 election, Bishop became very popular. Many people thought she might become the leader of the Liberal Party.

In 1994, she decided to move from the Senate to the Australian House of Representatives. This is the main house of parliament where the government is formed. She won a special election for the area of Division of Mackellar.

When a new leader was chosen for the Liberal Party, Bishop became the Shadow Health Minister. This was an important role.

In the Howard Government (1996–2007)

When the Liberal Party won the election in 1996, John Howard became Prime Minister. He made Bronwyn Bishop a minister. She was the first Liberal woman from New South Wales to become a minister.

She was the Minister for Defence Industry, Science and Personnel from 1996 to 1998. Then, she became the Minister for Aged Care from 1998 to 2001. In this role, there were concerns about the standards of care in some nursing homes. She left the ministry after the 2001 election.

Bishop was a strong supporter of Australia remaining a monarchy. She also believed in protecting the Australian flag. In 2006, she tried to introduce a law to make it an offence to damage the flag.

In Opposition (2007–2013)

After the Liberal Party lost the 2007 election, Bishop returned to being a shadow minister. She was the Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs.

Later, she became the Shadow Minister for Seniors. She was re-elected in 2010. In 2011, she shared her views on climate change. She suggested that the planet's climate changes naturally.

Speaker of the House (2013–2015)

Bishop with Gabriela Rivadeneira, her Ecuadorian counterpart, at the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum in 2015

In 2013, the Liberal Party won the election. Bronwyn Bishop was chosen to be the Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives. The Speaker is like a referee in parliament. They make sure debates follow the rules.

She was the third woman to hold this important job. She was also the first woman from a non-Labor party to be Speaker.

In October 2014, Bishop became the longest-serving woman in the history of the Australian Parliament.

During her time as Speaker, some people felt she was not always fair. They noticed that she ejected more Labor MPs from the House than Coalition MPs.

She resigned in 2015 after concerns were raised about her travel expenses. She then lost the chance to run for her seat again in the 2016 election. This marked the end of her time in parliament.

After Politics

After leaving parliament, Bishop joined Sky News Live. She became a political commentator in June 2016. She shares her opinions on current events.

In 2018, her official painting as Speaker was hung in Parliament House, Canberra. This is a tradition for former Speakers.

In 2020, Bishop was given the Officer of the Order of Australia award. This was for her important service to the Australian Parliament and to women in politics.

Personal Life

Bronwyn Bishop enjoys acting as a hobby. She has appeared in charity plays. She also loves opera and music. She is a patron of Opera Australia.

In 1966, she married Alan David Bishop. He was a judge. They had two daughters, Angela and Sally. Angela Bishop is a well-known entertainment reporter. Bronwyn and Alan Bishop divorced in 1992.

See also

• Women in the Australian Senate
• Women in the Australian House of Representatives