Judy Gamin

Judith Margaret (Judy) Gamin (born 18 July 1930) is a former Australian politician. She was a National Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, representing the district of South Coast from 1988 to 1989 and the district of Burleigh from 1992 to 2001.

Gamin was born in Broken Hill, New South Wales, the daughter of George Read Fisher, chairman of Mount Isa Mines Ltd, and Eileen Elaine Triggs, a registered nurse. She was educated at Broken Hill convent and Loreto convent in Adelaide before studying at the University of Adelaide. She moved to Queensland in the early 1950s where she married Paul Barry Gamin in 1957. Mr Gamin would also go onto become an elected politician, serving as a City of Gold Coast councillor. The couple produced three sons and two daughters.

Gamin became involved with the National Party in the late 1960s, benefiting from her father's deep ties within the party. She stood as the National Party candidate for the Gold Coast-based seat of Moncrieff at the 1984 federal election, losing to Liberal candidate Kathy Sullivan. Gamin's chances were hindered by the decision of National Party state minister Russ Hinze to rezone a section of the Tamborine Mountain as "extractive industry" just two weeks before the election, sparking fierce opposition among its residents.

From 1984 onwards, Gamin increased her involvement with the National Party. She became Division president and South East Zone vice-president, the latter role giving her responsibility for nine state and three federal electorates. When the aforementioned Russ Hinze retired in 1988, Gamin was preselected as the National Party candidate for the subsequent South Coast state by-election. She narrowly defeated Liberal candidate Bob Quinn. Gamin served for sixteen months as a member of state parliament before her defeat to Quinn at the 1989 state election.

When the 1991 redistribution increased the number of seats in Queensland's urban south-east, Gamin nominated and was endorsed unopposed as the National Party candidate for the new Gold Coast based electorate of Burleigh. Over the six months leading up to the 1992 state election, Gamin claimed to have knocked on 10,780 doors in her quest to return to state parliament. In another close contest, Gamin prevailed by 382 votes.

Re-elected at the 1995 state election and 1998 state election, Gamin could not withstand the Labor landslide that was the 2001 state election. She lost her seat to Labor candidate Christine Smith.

References

• Women Members of the Queensland State Parliament: Judith Margaret Gamin