1. Biography for the Hon Dr Sharman Stone
About the Hon Dr Sharman Stone
Biography
Sharman Stone was born in a small rural community in Northern Victoria and grew
up on the family farm. Her lifelong concerns about the disadvantage experienced in
isolated, rural and indigenous communities began there.
Before entering parliament Sharman had long championed rural communities,
indigenous, women’s and prisoner’s rights in her work, her writing and advocacy.
She broke through customary barriers as the first woman entering senior
management in the Victorian Rural Water Corporation, as the first woman Director in
the Department of Agriculture and also in the Victorian Farmer’s Federation. She
was the first women Supervisor with the Office of Corrections and is now the only
woman Director of Murray Irrigation.
Achieving greater gender equality in the workplace and society has always been one
of Sharman’s strongest commitments.
The Hon Dr Sharman Stone was elected the
Federal Member for Murray in 1996. She retired
from the seat at the 2016 elections.
As the chair of the House of Representatives
Indigenous Affairs Committee Sharman tabled
reports with recommendations on the impacts of
alcohol abuse in indigenous communities; the
rates of incarceration of indigenous youth;
educational disadvantage and indigenous
language protection and promotion.
Sharman represented the Australian Government on the Council for Reconciliation
from 1997-2000.
2. In 2011 she gained bipartisan parliamentary support for the establishment of a
national strategy to help eliminate Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. She is patron
of the FASD support group for parents, carers and victims.
As a long serving member and recently Chair of the Australian Parliamentarians for
Population Development Group (APPDG), Sharman was elected the Vice Chair of
the Asia-Pacific Population Development Group with special responsibilities for
promoting the rights of women and girls in the region. In this role and as the Chair of
the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade, Aid Sub Committee, Sharman
has championed the cause of eliminating child marriages, FGM, human trafficking,
poverty and disease in our region. She delivered Australia’s Statement on the Status
of Women in the UNGA in 2014, where she also worked on the development of the
new SDGs and has advocated for overcoming disadvantage in numerous
international fora, always addressing the role and partnering of Australia in
supporting our region’s special needs.
In the last parliament Sharman chaired the Australian Timor-Leste, the Australian-
Moroccan and the Australian-Mongolian Parliamentary Friendship Groups.
From 1998 Sharman Stone held parliamentary secretary positions in the
Environment and Finance portfolios and was Minister for Workforce Participation.
Her Shadow portfolios included Indigenous Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship,
Early Childhood Education, Childcare and the Status of Women
Dr Stone has authored a number of books including Aborigines in White Australia: A
Documentary History of Official Policy and the Australian Aborigines 1697-1973,
books on natural and social history and has published journal articles and papers on
environmental and rural community development, water conflict and conservation.
Parliamentary service
• Elected to the House of Representatives for Murray, Victoria, 1996, 1998, 2001,
2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013. Retired from parliamentary service in July 2016.
Ministerial positions
• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage
21.10.98 to 26.10.04.
3. • Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration
26.10.04 to 27.1.06.
• Minister for Workforce Participation 27.1.06 to 3.12.07.
• Shadow Minister for the Environment, Heritage, the Arts and Indigenous
Affairs 6.12.07 to 22.9.08; Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
from 22.9.08 to 8.12.09; Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education and
Childcare from 8.12.09 to 14.9.10; Shadow Minister for the Status of Women
from 8.12.09 to 14.9.10.
Personal
• Born at Pyramid Hill, Victoria.
• Sharman has two daughters and a son and eleven grandchildren.
Qualifications
• BA (Hons) Monash University, (Anthropology)
• M.A. La Trobe University, (Rural Sociology)
• Grad Diploma in Tertiary Education, Hawthorne CAE
• PhD. Monash University, (Economics & Business)
Positions Before Entering Federal Parliament
• Member, Governing Council, La Trobe University of Northern Victoria 1987-93;
Governing Council, La Trobe University 1991-93.
• Manager, International Development, University of Melbourne 1994-95.
• Pricing & Water Conservation Consultant, Melbourne Water.
• Director, Social Policy & Communications Victorian Farmers Federation.
• Director, Communications, Victoria Department of Agriculture.
• Manager, Consumer Policy, Rural Water Corporation of Victoria.
• Manager, Community Engagement & Victorian Salinity Program, Victorian
Ministry of Planning & Environment.
• Regional Assistant Manager, Victorian Office of Corrections, Southern
Metropolitan Region.
• Curriculum Development & Prison Liaison Officer, Victorian Aboriginal Education
Service.
• Lecturer, Institute of Early Childhood Development, University of Melbourne.
4. • Lecturer, Social Science, La Trobe University.
• Community Development Officer, Westernport Regional Council