Noel Padgham-Purich facts for kids
Cecilia Noel Padgham-Purich is an Australian former politician. She was born on December 25, 1927. She was a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for many years, from 1977 to 1997. This assembly is like a parliament for the Northern Territory, where laws are made.
Noel Padgham-Purich represented different areas during her time in politics. She represented Tiwi until 1983, then Koolpinyah until 1990, and finally Nelson until she retired. She was also given an award called the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her service.
| Years | Term | Electoral division | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977–1980 | 2nd | Tiwi | Country Liberal Party | |
| 1980–1983 | 3rd | Tiwi | Country Liberal Party | |
| 1983–1987 | 4th | Koolpinyah | Country Liberal Party | |
| 1987–1990 | 5th | Koolpinyah | Independent | |
| 1990–1994 | 6th | Nelson | Independent | |
| 1994–1997 | 7th | Nelson | Independent | |
Early Political Career
Noel Padgham-Purich was born in Quairading, Western Australia. She first became a politician as a member of the Country Liberal Party. This is a political party in Australia.
From 1983 to 1984, she served as a Minister. A Minister is a politician in charge of a specific government department. Noel was the Minister for Housing and Conservation. This meant she helped make decisions about homes and protecting nature.
Becoming an Independent
In 1987, something changed in her political career. Her party, the Country Liberal Party, did not choose her to run for election again. This is called losing "preselection."
Even though her party didn't choose her, Noel Padgham-Purich decided to run for election on her own. She ran as an Independent politician. An Independent politician is someone who does not belong to a major political party. She was re-elected, showing that people still wanted her to represent them.
Retirement and Family
Noel Padgham-Purich retired from politics in 1997. When she retired, she supported another independent candidate named Dave Tollner. He almost won the election, but not quite.
Noel has six children. Their names are Melissa, Peregrine, Gervase, Kezia, Plaxy, and Thisbe. Her daughter, Kezia Purick, also became a politician. Kezia was elected to the seat of Goyder in 2008, as a member of the Country Liberal Party.
