Sonia Mc Mahon - Biography

Biography

Sonia Rachel Hopkins was born at 'Borambil', Redmyre Road, Strathfield. She was the daughter of W E and Lilla Hopkins and granddaughter of grazier William Matchett. Matchett was one of Australia's wealthiest men. His estate was valued at over £580,000 gross after his death in 1932, the year Sonia was born. Sonia Hopkins worked as an occupational therapist until 1965 when she married William (better known as Billy) McMahon, an aspiring politician in Sir Robert Menzies' government. She was 32, he 57. It was the only marriage for both. He became Prime Minister in 1971.

Later that year, Sonia McMahon made world headlines after being photographed at the White House wearing a revealing dress in the company of her husband and United States president Richard Nixon. The white full-length dress featured see-through slits down both sides. The Washington Post described the dress as one of the most talked about items of clothing ever to be worn to the White House. In later years (then Lady McMahon) she spoke to her biographer, commenting that her husband chose the dress and that it had "certainly made an impact".

Their first two children (Melinda; and Julian, an actor) were born before he became prime minister. Their third child, Deborah, was born in 1971, during McMahon's term as prime minister.

As a prime ministerial spouse from March 1971 to December 1972, Sonia McMahon organised for a nanny to look after the children at the family home in the Sydney suburb of Bellevue Hill, while she lived with her husband at The Lodge in Canberra, attending official duties. In an interview with her biographer, Sonia McMahon said: "It was a hard decision. I loved being with Bill and I loved being a mum. But I knew I had to make a decision, and I chose to be with my husband."

William McMahon was knighted in 1977, and she became Lady McMahon, although often still referred to as simply Sonia McMahon. She became a widow in 1988, and in the ensuing years she continued her philanthropic activities. Lady McMahon became a board member and patron of many charities, including the National Brain Foundation, the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation, the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, the Microsearch Foundation and Australia's Sudden Infant Death Syndrome association.

She had a very public falling out with her son Julian McMahon's then wife Dannii Minogue, calling her not worthy of being married into her family.