Rosemary Follett

Rosemary Follett AO (born 27 March 1948), Australian politician, was the first Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory. She was the first woman to become head of government in an Australian state or territory.

Follett was born in Sydney, New South Wales in 1948, and moved with her family to Canberra in 1952 where she was educated at Canberra Catholic Girls' High School. She joined the Public Service after leaving school, but was made to resign when she married, as was the policy at the time. She studied stenography, and worked as a secretary for various politicians over the next ten years.

The dismissal of Gough Whitlam's government in 1975 inspired Follett to join the Australian Labor Party. In the meantime, she returned to university, studying arts and administration at the Canberra College of Advanced Education, and rejoined the Public Service.

Follett became the Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) on 11 May 1989 following the Australian Labor Party's victory in the first ACT election. She was deposed as Chief Minister in 1990, but returned to office in 1991. In 1995 she was defeated by the Liberal Party of Australia under Kate Carnell. Follett resigned from the ACT Legislative Assembly in December 1996 and was replaced by Simon Corbell.

Follett was the ACT's Sex Discrimination Commissioner from 1996 to 2004.