{{Short description|Australian politician (1942–2020)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2014}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Susan Ryan | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=|AO|FAICD}} | image = Susan Ryan 2015-02.jpg | caption = Ryan in 2015 | title = Age Discrimination Commissioner | appointer = Julia Gillard | term_start = 30 July 2011 | term_end = 29 July 2016 | predecessor = Elizabeth Broderick | successor = Kay Patterson | office1 = Special Minister of State | prime_minister1 = Bob Hawke | term_start1 = 24 July 1987 | term_end1 = 19 January 1988 | predecessor1 = Michael Tate | successor1 = Frank Walker | office2 = Minister for Education | prime_minister2 = Bob Hawke | term_start2 = 11 March 1983 | term_end2 = 24 July 1987 | predecessor2 = Peter Baume | successor2 = John Dawkins | office4 = Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women | prime_minister4 = Bob Hawke | term_start4 = 11 March 1983 | term_end4 = 19 January 1988 | predecessor4 = Office Created | successor4 = Margaret Reynolds | title5 = Senator for the Australian Capital Territory | term_start5 = 13 December 1975 | term_end5 = 29 January 1988 | predecessor5 = Seat Created | successor5 = Bob McMullan | birth_name = Susan Maree Ryan | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1942|10|10}} | birth_place = Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2020|9|27|1942|10|10}} | death_place = Randwick, New South Wales, Australia | spouse = {{marriage|Richard Butler|1963|1972|reason=div}} | party = Labor | relations = | children = 2 | alma_mater = University of Sydney,<br />Australian National University | occupation = | profession = Educator | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Susan Maree Ryan''' (10 October 1942{{spnd}}27 September 2020) was an Australian politician and public servant. She was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and held ministerial office in the Hawke government as Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women (1983–1988), Minister for Education and Youth Affairs (1983–1984), Minister for Education (1984–1987) and Special Minister of State (1987–1988). She was the first woman from the ALP to serve in cabinet and was notably involved in the creation of the ''Sex Discrimination Act 1984'' and the ''Affirmative Action (Equal Opportunities in Employment) Act 1986''. Ryan served as a senator for the Australian Capital Territory from 1975 to 1987. After leaving politics she served as the Age Discrimination Commissioner from 2011 to 2016, within the Australian Human Rights Commission.<ref name="Pres+Comm">{{cite web |url=https://www.humanrights.gov.au/about/commissioners/age-discrimination-commissioner-hon-susan-ryan-ao |title=Age Discrimination Commissioner The Hon Susan Ryan AO |work=President & Commissioners |publisher=Australian Human Rights Commission |year=2013 |access-date=7 July 2013 }}</ref>
==Early life== Ryan was born on 10 October 1942 in Camperdown, New South Wales. She was the daughter of Florence Ena (née Hodson) and Arthur Francis Aloysius Ryan;<ref>{{Cite web|last=Murphy|first=Damien|date=2020-10-20|title=First woman in a Labor cabinet drove sex discrimination laws|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/first-woman-in-a-labor-cabinet-drove-sex-discrimination-laws-20201020-p566p8.html|access-date=2022-02-22|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}}</ref> her mother worked as a sales assistant and her father was a public servant. Ryan grew up in the suburb of Maroubra and attended the Brigidine Convent. She enrolled at the Sydney Teachers' College in 1960, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1963. In the same year she married future diplomat Richard Butler.<ref name=bio>{{cite news|url=https://biography.senate.gov.au/ryan-susan-maree/|title=Ryan, Susan Maree (1942–2020|work=The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate|year=2017|volume=4|first=Diane|last=Langmore|publisher=Department of the Senate}}</ref>
Ryan worked as a schoolteacher until the birth of her first child in 1964, later running a small business, the Living Parish Hymn Book Publishing Company, from her home in Cremorne. In 1965 the family moved to Canberra for her then husband Richard Butler's career. She enrolled as a postgraduate at the Australian National University (ANU), studying English literature. In 1966 the family moved to Austria, where Butler was second secretary at the Australian embassy in Vienna. They returned to Australia in 1969 and Ryan resumed her studies at ANU, also tutoring part-time at the Canberra College of Advanced Education. In 1970 they moved to New York for another of Butler's diplomatic postings; however, the marriage broke down and Ryan returned to Australia the following year. They divorced in 1972.<ref name=bio/>
In 1973, Ryan graduated from ANU with a Master of Arts degree. In the same year she was appointed national executive officer of the Australian Council of State School Organisations. Ryan was also a foundation member of the Belconnen branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Women's Electoral Lobby. She unsuccessfully stood for ALP preselection in the Division of Fraser prior to the 1974 federal election.<ref name=bio/>
==Political career== In 1974, Ryan was appointed to the non-governing ACT Advisory Council and elected to the non-governing ACT House of Assembly, serving briefly between 1975 and 1976 as the member for Fraser.<ref name=bio/>
In 1975 she was elected as one of the first two senators for the ACT, on the slogan "A woman's place is in the Senate".<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Canberra Times |date=27 September 2020 |access-date=27 September 2020 |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6943572/a-womans-place-is-in-the-senate-former-act-senator-susan-ryan-dies/ |title='A woman's place is in the Senate': Former ACT senator Susan Ryan dies |first=Katie |last=Burgess}}</ref> She was the ACT's first female senator and first Labor senator.<ref name=bio/> When the Hawke Labor government was elected in March 1983, Ryan was appointed Minister for Education and Youth Affairs and Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women. She was Minister for Education in the second Hawke Ministry and opposed the re-introduction of fees for tertiary education despite strong support in Cabinet for the user-pays principle. She lost the education portfolio in the third Hawke Ministry and was instead given a much reduced role as Special Minister of State, with responsibility for the ill-fated Australia Card.<ref>{{cite news |first=Don |last=Woolford |date=27 September 2020 |title=Hawke government feminist dies |newspaper=The Guardian News |url=https://www.nambuccaguardian.com.au/story/6943640/hawke-government-feminist-dies/?cs=9397 |access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref> Subsequently, the Higher Education Contribution Scheme was introduced to partially fund higher education.<ref name=usa/> Ryan resigned from the Senate on 29 January 1988.<ref name=aph>{{cite web |title = Biography for Ryan, the Hon. Susan Maree, AO |publisher = Parliament of Australia |work = ParlInfo Web |url = http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=7992&TABLE=BIOGS&TARGET= |access-date = 17 December 2007 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080802034104/http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=7992&TABLE=biogs&TARGET= |archive-date = 2 August 2008 |df = dmy-all }}</ref>
Ryan had a strong focus on gender equality in politics. A private member's bill introduced by her in 1981 was crucial to the development of the ''Sex Discrimination Act 1984'', the ''Affirmative Action (Equal Employment Opportunity for Women) Act 1986'', the ''Public Service Reform Act 1984'' and the ''Equal Employment Opportunity (Commonwealth Authorities) Act 1987''. She was also a founding member of the Women's Electoral Lobby ACT branch.<ref name=usa/>
As Minister for Education Ryan was responsible for steering through the government's adoption of the National Policy on Languages in 1987, Australia's first explicit language policy, which she had commissioned Joseph Lo Bianco to prepare. In 2016 she participated in the 30th anniversary celebrations of this breakthrough, held at the RJ Hawke Centre, University of South Australia.
==After politics== thumb|right|Ryan at the 2013 Human Rights Awards Following her resignation from politics, Ryan worked as an editor and in the insurance, plastics and superannuation industries.<ref name="Financial Review">{{cite web |first=Colleen |last=Ryan |date=28 January 2012 |title=Age won't weary Susan Ryan |newspaper=Financial Review |url=https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/age-won-t-weary-susan-ryan-20120128-i3qjv |access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref> In November 1998 Ryan was appointed one of the first two pro-chancellors of the University of New South Wales,<ref name="unsw-timeline">{{cite web |title=Pro-Chancellor position creation, 1998 |url=https://www.recordkeeping.unsw.edu.au/historicalresources/onlineexhibitions/unitimelineexhibition/1990s.html#1997 |website=University Timeline |publisher=University of New South Wales |access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref> a position she held until 2011. She was president of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees from 2000 to 2007. Ryan campaigned for an Australian bill of rights<ref name=usa/> and was deputy chairman of the Australian Republican Movement from 2000 to 2003.<ref name=bio /> In 1999 Ryan published a political autobiography, ''Catching the Waves: life in and out of politics''.<ref>{{cite book | last =Ryan | first =Susan | title =Catching the waves : life in and out of politics | publisher =HarperCollins | year =1999 | location =Pymble, NSW | isbn = 0-7322-5959-2 | page =308}}</ref>
In July 2011, Ryan was appointed as Australia's inaugural Age Discrimination Commissioner with the Australian Human Rights Commission for a 5-year term.<ref>{{cite news |agency=AAP |title=Susan Ryan appointed Australia's first age discrimination commissioner |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/susan-ryan-appointed-australias-first-age-discrimination-commissioner/story-fn3dxity-1226104939983 |work=The Australian |date=30 July 2011 |access-date=7 July 2013 }}</ref> She was also the Disability Discrimination Commissioner, from 2014 to 2016.<ref name="ahrc">{{cite web |title=Age and Disability Discrimination Commissioner The Hon Susan Ryan AO {{!}} Australian Human Rights Commission |url=https://humanrights.gov.au/about/commissioners/age-and-disability-discrimination-commissioner-hon-susan-ryan-ao |publisher=Australian Human Rights Commission |access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://humanrights.gov.au/about/commissioners |title=Commissioners |website= Australian Human Rights Commission |access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref>
==Honours and awards== Ryan was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in June 1990.<ref name="ao">{{cite web |title=The Honourable Susan Maree RYAN |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/884410 |website=Australian Honours Search Facility |publisher=Australian Government |access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref> She received honorary doctorates from the Australian National University, University of Canberra, Macquarie University and the University of South Australia.<ref name=usa>{{cite web |title=Hon Susan Ryan AO Citation |publisher=University of South Australia |url=http://www.unisa.edu.au/unicouncil/honorary_awards/citations/hon_doc/Ryan_citation.pdf |access-date=17 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070913181555/http://www.unisa.edu.au/unicouncil/honorary_awards/citations/hon_doc/Ryan_citation.pdf |archive-date=13 September 2007 }}</ref>
In April 2018 Ryan was awarded the Australian National University's Alumni of the Year award.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/anu-honours-distinguished-alumni-1|title=ANU honours distinguished alumni|date=6 April 2018|work=ANU|access-date=26 July 2018|language=en}}</ref>
== Death == Ryan died on 27 September 2020 in Sydney, aged 77.<ref name="deathabc">{{cite news |title=Pioneer of Sex Discrimination Act Susan Ryan dead aged 77 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-27/former-minister-susan-ryan-dies/12705746 |access-date=27 September 2020 |work=www.abc.net.au |date=27 September 2020 |language=en-AU}}</ref><ref name="deathguardian">{{cite news |last1=Henriques-Gomes |first1=Luke |title=Susan Ryan, pioneering Labor senator and campaigner on discrimination, dies aged 77 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/sep/27/susan-ryan-former-labor-senator-and-campaigner-on-discrimination-dies-aged-77 |access-date=27 September 2020 |work=Guardian Australia |date=27 September 2020}}</ref> She had fallen ill after going for a swim on 25 September, and had been in intensive care at Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick since then.<ref name="australian">{{cite news |last1=Ritchie |first1=Emily |title=Former Hawke minister Susan Ryan dead at 77 |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/former-hawke-minister-susan-ryan-dead-at-77/news-story/27d3c2647041b9033b6cfcb4c5a67175 |access-date=27 September 2020 |work=The Australian |date=27 September 2020|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Paying tribute, former Prime Minister Paul Keating said Ryan's greatest achievement in politics had been as Education Minister helping lift Australian high school retention from a rate of three children in 10 to nine children in 10. Incumbent Prime Minister Scott Morrison also paid tribute, calling her a "ground breaker" as the first Minister for Women. ACT senator Katy Gallagher said Ryan campaigned that a woman's place was in "all the places where decisions were being made".<ref name="deathabc"/>
==See also== *List of the first women holders of political offices in Oceania
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Australian Women and Leadership|WLE0352b|Ryan, Susan}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef | before = Peter Baume }} {{s-ttl | title = Minister for Education | years = 1983–1987 }} {{s-aft | after = John Dawkins }} {{s-bef | before = Office Created }} {{s-ttl | title = Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women | years = 1983–1988 }} {{s-aft | after = Margaret Reynolds }} {{s-bef | before = Michael Tate }} {{s-ttl | title = Special Minister of State | years = 1987–1988 }} {{s-aft | after = Frank Walker }} {{s-par|au}} {{s-bef|before=Seat Created }} {{s-ttl | title = Senator for the Australian Capital Territory | years = 1975–1988 }} {{s-aft | after = Bob McMullan }} {{s-legal}} {{s-bef | before = Elizabeth Broderick }} {{s-ttl | title = Age Discrimination Commissioner | years = 2011–2016 }} {{s-aft|after=Kay Patterson}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Susan Maree}} Category:1942 births Category:2020 deaths Category:University of Sydney alumni Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia Category:Australian republicans Category:Members of the Australian Senate for the Australian Capital Territory Category:Members of the Australian Senate Category:Members of the Cabinet of Australia Category:Officers of the Order of Australia Category:Fellows of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Category:Republic Advisory Committee Category:Women members of the Australian Senate Category:Members of the Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly Category:Women government ministers of Australia Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly Category:20th-century Australian politicians Category:Australian National University alumni Category:20th-century Australian women politicians Category:Women's ministers of Australia Category:Ministers for education of Australia