Anniversary of Nova Peris Becoming the First Indigenous Woman Elected to Federal Parliament

7 September

On 7 September 2013, Nova Peris was elected to the Senate for the Northern Territory. She became the first Indigenous woman elected to Australia’s federal Parliament. The anniversary recognises a milestone in political participation alongside the broader work of First Nations women in public and community life.

The date and the parliamentary first

The Parliamentary Education Office and Parliamentary Handbook identify the 2013 federal election date as 7 September. Peris’s own account of her life also records this election milestone.

This entry marks her election, rather than her swearing-in or first speech later in the year. It is a first across the federal Parliament as a whole. Linda Burney’s later election in 2016 was the distinct milestone of the first Indigenous woman elected to the House of Representatives.

Representing the Northern Territory

Peris entered the Senate, where senators represent states and territories. Learning about her election provides a way to explore the difference between the two federal chambers and the different forms of representation within them.

Her achievement should also be read in the context of the First Nations women whose organising, community leadership and advocacy took place outside parliamentary institutions. Entering Parliament is one form of political participation, not the beginning of Indigenous women’s political history.

A public life across sport and politics

Before her Senate service, Peris was an Olympic hockey gold medallist and a Commonwealth Games athletics champion. Parliament’s biography records both her sporting achievements and her parliamentary responsibilities.

The move from sport to politics invites discussion about public leadership, but one field should not be used to overlook the work required in the other. Her story encompasses personal experience, professional achievement and contributions to public debate.

Ways to mark the anniversary

Compare the milestones of Bonner, Wyatt, Peris and Burney, noting the chamber and the exact achievement in each case. Ask why the phrases ‘first federal parliamentarian’, ‘first Indigenous woman’ and ‘first Indigenous woman in the House’ refer to different events.

Use Peris’s own account alongside official parliamentary records. Recognise the achievement without assuming that any individual represents every First Nations woman or community. A respectful discussion allows different political views and keeps historical recognition separate from party endorsement.

Sources and further reading

These resources provide original records, contemporary accounts and historical context. Linked collections may include names, images or voices of people who have died.

First Indigenous woman senator. Parliamentary Education Office. Records 7 September 2013 and the first Indigenous woman in federal Parliament.
First Indigenous woman senator

Nova Peris parliamentary record. Parliamentary Handbook. Service dates, roles and sporting background.
Nova Peris parliamentary record

Nova’s story. Nova Peris. A personal account recording her election and wider life.
Nova’s story