# Muriel Patterson

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Australian politician

The Honourable Muriel Patterson OAM Member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia In office 22 May 1989 – 21 May 2001 Serving with Cowdell, House, Jones, Montgomery, Sharp, Stretch, Thomas, Wenn Constituency South West Region Personal details Born Muriel Grace Quartermaine (1931-09-20) 20 September 1931 (age 94) Katanning, Western Australia, Australia Party Liberal

**Muriel Grace Patterson** [OAM](/source/Medal_of_the_Order_of_Australia) (née **Quartermaine**; born 20 September 1931) is a former Australian politician who served as a [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Australia_(Western_Australian_Division)) member of the [Legislative Council](/source/Western_Australian_Legislative_Council) of [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia) from 1989 to 2001, representing [South West Region](/source/Electoral_region_of_South_West). She was a farmer and small-business owner before entering politics.

## Early life

Patterson was born in [Katanning, Western Australia](/source/Katanning%2C_Western_Australia), to Grace Gertrude (née Harris) and Charles Lewis Quartermaine. She attended a state school in [Woodanilling](/source/Woodanilling%2C_Western_Australia) and later studied at [Perth Technical College](/source/Central_Institute_of_Technology) as an external student. In 1964, Patterson and her husband began farming at [Tambellup](/source/Tambellup%2C_Western_Australia), on what had previously been virgin bushland. She opened a craft-supply store in [Albany](/source/Albany%2C_Western_Australia) in 1976, and eventually became the first female president of the local chamber of commerce. Patterson served on the state council of the [Western Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry](/source/Western_Australian_Chamber_of_Commerce_and_Industry) from 1984 to 1988, including on the state executive from 1987 to 1988, where she was the first female member.[1]

## Politics

Patterson joined the Liberal Party in 1980, and served as president of the Albany branch from 1984 to 1987.[1] At the [1989 state election](/source/1989_Western_Australian_state_election), she ran in second place on the party's ticket in [South West Region](/source/Electoral_region_of_South_West), and was elected to a term beginning in May 1989. Patterson was made deputy chairman of committees soon after entering parliament, and in May 1992 was also included in the [shadow cabinet](/source/Shadow_cabinet) of [Richard Court](/source/Richard_Court). However, she was not promoted to the ministry when the Liberal Party won the [1993 state election](/source/1993_Western_Australian_state_election), instead being made government [whip](/source/Whip_(politics)). Patterson remained a whip until her retirement at the [2001 state election](/source/2001_Western_Australian_state_election).[2]

She was awarded the [Medal of the Order of Australia](/source/Order_of_Australia) in the [2023 King's Birthday Honours](/source/2023_King's_Birthday_Honours_(Australia)) for service to the [Parliament of Western Australia](/source/Parliament_of_Western_Australia).[3]

## See also

- [Women in the Western Australian Legislative Council](/source/Women_in_the_Western_Australian_Legislative_Council)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bio_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bio_1-1) [Muriel Grace Patterson](http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/library/MPHistoricalData.nsf/(Lookup)/87644338046B6872482577E50028A763?OpenDocument), Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 7 February 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["The Hon. Muriel Grace Patterson MLC"](http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament%5CMemblist.nsf/WAllMembersFlat/Patterson,+Muriel+Grace?opendocument). [Parliament of Western Australia](/source/Parliament_of_Western_Australia).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["The Honourable Muriel Grace PATTERSON"](https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2014209). *Australian Honours Search Facility*. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.

Authority control databases: People Trove Australian Women's Register

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Muriel Patterson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muriel_Patterson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muriel_Patterson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.