Lyons, Dame Enid (1897-1981), the wife of Australian Prime Minister Joseph Lyons, was the first woman member of Australia’s House of Representatives. She entered Parliament as Liberal Party member for Darwin, Tasmania, in 1943. She was also the first woman to reach Cabinet rank. She was vice president of the Executive Council from 1949 until her retirement from Parliament in 1951. From 1951 to 1962, she was a member of the Australian Broadcasting Commission.
Enid Muriel Burnell was born in Leesville (formerly Duck River), Tasmania, on July 9, 1897. She died on Sept. 2, 1981.
