Victoria will get its first ever female governor when newly-appointed Linda Dessau takes over the role in July.
Dessau is a lawyer, former family court judge and Victoria’s AFL Commissioner. She served as a judge on the Family Court of Victoria from 1995 to 2013 and prior to this role, she served as a magistrate in the Children’s Court and in the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court.
She was appointed AFL Commissioner in 2008 and was also the inaugural chair of the Essendon Football Club Women’s Network.
She will now take up the post of Victoria’s first female Governor when she replaces current Governor Alex Chernov on July 1.
“I absolutely leapt at (the chance to become Governor) because it just gives me a wonderful capacity to work with the community,” Dessau told reporters today.
“It is what I love most.”
Dessau said she was “extremely honoured” to be appointed to the role.
She hopes to use the position to address social and family issues, as well as engage young people and address issues of social inclusion.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews expressed his support for Dessau this morning.
“As an honest voice of change, Ms Dessau helped bring Australian family law and the Australian football league into the new century,” he said.
“From the sporting and cultural icons that make our state livable, to important family law work that keeps women and children safe, Ms Dessau has helped shape Victoria for the better.”
Victoria is the last jurisdiction in Australia to appoint a woman to any vice-legal representative role.
South Australia was the first state to appoint a female governor, with Dame Roma Mitchell being appointed in 1991. Queensland appointed its first woman to the position in 1992 and has had two female governors since, making it the state with the most women holding the officethus far.
NSW did not get its first female governor until Marie Bashir was appointed in 2001. The Northern Territory got its first female administrator ten years later.
Western Australia appointed its first female governor in October of 2014, and Tasmania then became the second-to-last state to do so in December of the same year.