Rebekha Sharkie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rebekha Sharkie
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Sharkie speaking in the House of Representatives in 2025
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| Member of the Australian Parliament for Mayo | |
| Assumed office 28 July 2018 |
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| In office 2 July 2016 – 11 May 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Jamie Briggs |
| Second Deputy Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 26 July 2022 Serving with Ian Goodenough
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| Speaker | Milton Dick |
| Preceded by | Sharon Claydon |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Rebekha Carina Che
24 August 1972 Torbay, England |
| Nationality |
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| Political party | Centre Alliance (2013–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Liberal (2010–2012) |
| Spouses |
Kain Selby-Fullgrabe
(m. 1998; div. 2008)Nathan Sharkie
(m. 2009) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Birdwood, South Australia |
| Alma mater | Flinders University |
| Occupation | Legal researcher (Liberal Party of Australia) Policy adviser (Department for Communities and Social Inclusion) |
| Profession | Paralegal |
| Signature |  |
Rebekha Carina Sharkie (born 24 August 1972) is an Australian politician. She is a member of the Centre Alliance party. Rebekha Sharkie represents the area of Mayo in South Australia in the Australian House of Representatives.
In the 2016 Australian federal election, she won against Jamie Briggs from the Liberal Party of Australia. She was the first person from the Nick Xenophon Team to be elected to the Australian House of Representatives. On 11 May 2018, Sharkie had to leave her role because of a rule about citizenship. She ran again in a special election for Mayo on 28 July 2018 and was re-elected.
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About Rebekha Sharkie's Early Life and School
Rebekha Sharkie was born in Torbay, England, on 24 August 1972. Her parents were from Britain and America. When she was two years old, her family moved to Australia.
She went to Eyensbury Senior College for high school. Later, she studied international relations and public policy at Flinders University. Rebekha became an Australian citizen on 19 March 2007. She officially gave up her British citizenship in 2016.
Rebekha Sharkie's Career Path
Before becoming a politician, Rebekha Sharkie worked as a paralegal. A paralegal helps lawyers with their work. She worked in this role in Darwin and in South Australia.
How Rebekha Sharkie Started in Politics
Rebekha Sharkie showed interest in politics from a young age. As a high school student, she helped with election campaigns. In 2006, she worked as a researcher for a political leader in South Australia. She also worked for other politicians, helping them in their offices.
She officially joined the Liberal Party of Australia in 2010. She left the party in 2012 to work for a program called Youth Connections. This program helped young people. After that program ended, she worked for another group that helps young people in South Australia.
Sharkie thought about running for election with the Liberal Party in 2014. However, she felt that she needed special permission from senior politicians to do so. She did not like this idea. She also disagreed with some political campaigns at the time.
Because of these reasons, she was interested when Senator Nick Xenophon started his own political party. She began as a volunteer for the new Nick Xenophon Team. Eventually, she decided to run for election in the Mayo area.
Election Successes
The Mayo area had usually voted for the Liberal Party. However, in the 2 July 2016 election, Rebekha Sharkie won the seat. She defeated her former boss, Jamie Briggs. This made her the first member of the Nick Xenophon Team to join the Australian House of Representatives. She was also the first woman and the first non-Liberal member to represent Mayo.
On 9 May 2018, Rebekha Sharkie announced she would resign from parliament. This was because of a rule that said politicians could not have dual citizenship when they were elected. Like some other politicians, she had not fully given up her British citizenship before the 2016 election. She ran again in a special election for Mayo on 28 July 2018 and was re-elected.
Rebekha Sharkie successfully kept her Mayo seat in the 2019 Australian federal election. She won with a strong vote. She was re-elected again in the 2022 Australian federal election. She also won her fourth term in the 2025 Australian federal election.
Rebekha Sharkie's Achievements
Rebekha Sharkie has worked to bring important projects to her region. In 2019, she spoke with the finance minister about funding a research center. This center would study the important natural areas of the Coorong, Lower Lakes, and Murray Mouth.
The Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) Research Centre is in Goolwa. It is run by the Goyder Institute for Water Research. Rebekha Sharkie officially opened this research center in early February 2024.
Personal Life
Rebekha Sharkie is married to Nathan Sharkie. They live in Birdwood, South Australia. She has three children from a previous marriage.
