Hon. Barbara Scott OAM

Barbara Scott OAM was a member of WA’s Legislative Council from 1993 until her retirement in 2009. She represented the South Metropolitan Region for the Liberal Party and was Shadow Minister for Education, Children, Culture and the Arts, and Censorship.

Ms Scott began her working life as a teacher in a small country community. After working in the UK, she returned to WA and engaged in community work.

Her first role was President of the local kindergarten, which eventually saw her founding the Community Kindergartens Association of which she was President from 1978 to 1992.

Ms Scott went on to help form the Meerilinga Council that then became the Meerilinga Young Children’s Foundation. The Meerilinga Council brought together 47 voluntary organisations dealing with young children and their families.

As a member of the Legislative Council, Ms Scott was appointed as Chair of the Select Committee to investigate the establishment of an independent Children’s Commissioner in WA and was instrumental in shaping the legislation which governs this office, later chairing the Joint Standing Committee on the Commissioner for Children and Young People. She lists the establishment of the Commissioner’s office as one of her parliamentary achievements, along with mandatory reporting of child abuse, the expansion of kindergarten and pre-primary education, and a 40 km/h speed limit around schools.

She is the President of the Friends of Ngala and Deputy Chair of the Ngala board. She is Patron of Kalparrin, Trustee of the May Gibbs Foundation, member of the Australian Family Association and Patron of Pineview Kindergarten in Coolbellup.

In 2017 Ms Scott was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to children and to the Parliament of Western Australia.