Education changed the course of my life: Former MP and OAM reveals all
Mar 30, 2021
In this episode, Claire has the great privilege of speaking with former MP and OAM, Ros Kelly. She shares her personal and professional life story that was fuelled by a desire to escape a cycle of poverty and disempowerment by throwing herself into her education. With the support of her mother, she received a scholarship at St. Ursula's College, Ashbury, and later obtained a BA DipEd from the University of Sydney. She was the first woman in her family to complete high school, let alone university, where again, she threw herself into the opportunities that presented themselves.
She became a teacher, but was also politicised by the Vietnam War, so joined the Labor Party while at the University of Sydney. While a junior high school teacher, Ros got more actively involved in politics in Canberra and became the secretary for her branch. She was then elected the first woman member of the ACT House of Assembly and also became the first woman chair of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Schools Authority. She decided to leave her teaching days behind her as she pursued a career in politics, which later saw her become the first Labor woman federal minister in the House of Representatives and the first to give birth while holding office.
Ros resigned from federal politics in 1995, and has worked as a senior executive in environmental management since that time. She has been on the Board of Trustees of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, a trustee for the World Wide Fund for Nature and a board member of the Westpac Emergency Helicopter Service. In 2004, Ros was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to the community through promoting corporate environmental responsibility and fostering dialogue between business and conservation groups, to the Australian Parliament, and to women's health.
Hear directly from Ros why it’s important to take opportunities as they present themselves, to know who you are and to choose the right partner, because we all need someone who has our back.
LinkedIn Ros Kelly | Claire Braund (host)