Jane Lomax-Smith

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Jane Lomax-Smith
Lord Mayor of Adelaide
Assumed office
14 November 2022
Preceded bySandy Verschoor
In office
12 May 1997 – 13 May 2000
Preceded byHenry Ninio
Succeeded byAlfred Huang
Minister for Education
In office
5 March 2004 – 25 March 2010
Preceded byTrish White
Succeeded byJay Weatherill
Minister for Tourism
In office
6 March 2002 – 25 March 2010
Preceded byMartin Hamilton-Smith
Succeeded byJohn Rau
Minister for Employment, Training, Further
Education, Science and Information Economy
In office
6 March 2002 – 5 March 2004
Preceded byMichael Armitage
Succeeded byTrish White
Member for Adelaide
In office
9 February 2002 – 20 March 2010
Preceded byMichael Armitage
Succeeded byRachel Sanderson
Councillor on the City of Adelaide
Assumed office
14 November 2022
In office
4 May 1991 – 13 May 2000
Personal details
Born (1950-06-19) 19 June 1950 (age 73)
Political partyLabor
ProfessionResearcher

Jane Diane Lomax-Smith, AM (born 19 June 1950, in the United Kingdom) is an Australian politician and histopathologist who has been the Lord Mayor of the City of Adelaide since 14 November 2022. She was previously in local government for nine years (1991 to 2000), as a councillor for three terms and Lord Mayor of Adelaide for two terms (1997 to 2000). She was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Adelaide representing the Labor Party from 2002 to 2010, and throughout this time was a Minister of Education and Tourism and a range of other portfolios. In 2010–2011, she was the Interim Director of the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus). Since 2011, she has been the chair of the Board of the South Australian Museum.[1][2]

Early life and career[edit]

Lomax-Smith was born in Walthamstow in the East End of London, in the United Kingdom. She attended the Woodford County High School Grammar School, and received a grant to attend the London Hospital Medical College, in Whitechapel, where she obtained her medical degree (BSc MBBS) and BSc(Hons).[3][4] After migrating to Australia, she was made FRCPA (Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia) in 1984 and received a Ph.D. from the University of Adelaide in 1985 on "IgA Nephropathy and Liver Disease". Before entering politics she was a clinical pathologist, medical researcher and teacher. In 2017 she was awarded an honorary DSc by the University of Adelaide.[5]

Political career[edit]

Lomax-Smith first entered public office in 1991. She served as Lord Mayor of Adelaide in 1997–2000.

At the 2002 state election she was elected a member of the South Australian House of Assembly for the seat of Adelaide, defeating the Liberal Party candidate Michael Harbison, who had been preselected after the retirement of the Liberal Party incumbent Michael Armitage. She retained the seat at the 2006 election with a 60 percent two-party vote but was defeated at the 2010 election by Liberal candidate Rachel Sanderson,[6] with a two-party preferred swing of 14.5 percent, the second-largest swing at that election.[7]

She served as the South Australian State Minister for Education, Minister for Mental Health & Substance Abuse, Minister for Tourism, and Minister for the City of Adelaide between 2002 and 2010 in Premier Rann's Labor Government.[8]

Later career[edit]

In October 2010 the Federal Minister for Tertiary Education, Senator Chris Evans, announced a Higher Education Base Funding Review, to be chaired by Lomax-Smith. The review was released in December 2011.[9]

On 28 November 2010, the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) announced that Lomax-Smith was to act in the role of Director until a permanent appointment was made, but that she would not be an applicant for the permanent role.[10]

On 18 August 2011 Premier Mike Rann announced that Lomax-Smith had been appointed as the new chair of the South Australian Museum board.[1] She is on the Board of the Jam Factory,[11] and TechInSA and in 2017 was made the Presiding Member of The South Australian Teachers Registration Board.

From 2016–2017, Lomax-Smith had a position on the Advisory Board of UCL Australia.[12]

In 2015 she was commissioned by Premier Jay Weatherill to examine options for the post coal-mining future of Leigh Creek, a purpose-built mining town in the Northern Flinders Ranges,[13] and wrote a report entitled Leigh Creek Futures.

On 3 June 2020, Lomax-Smith was announced as new chair of the Don Dunstan Foundation, taking over from Lynn Arnold,[14] who had held the position for 10 years and remains on the Board as Director and Patron.[15]

Lomax-Smith defeated incumbent Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor and former senator Rex Patrick in the 2022 Adelaide City Council election to become Lord Mayor again after 22 years.[16][17]

Personal life[edit]

Lomax-Smith is married with two children,[4] and lives in Adelaide.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Martin, Sarah (19 August 2011). "Former Rann Cabinet minister Jane Lomax-Smith to chair South Australian Museum". The Advertiser. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  2. ^ Museum Board
  3. ^ "About Jane". Jane Lomax-Smith Personal Website. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Hon JANE LOMAX-SMITH MP". Ministers - Premier & Ministers of South Australia. Government of South Australia. Archived from the original on 2 August 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  5. ^ Jane Lomax-Smith citation The University of Adelaide, 4 May 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  6. ^ "2010 South Australian Election: Adelaide". ABC News Online. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 March 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
  7. ^ Green, Antony. "Final Boundaries Released for South Australian Redistribution". Antony Green's Election Blog. Australian Boradcating Corporation. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  8. ^ "Lomax-Smith, Jane". Former members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Base Funding Review". National Tertiary Education Union. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  10. ^ "Dr Jane Lomax-Smith to be interim director for the RiAus" (PDF). Royal Institution of Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  11. ^ Dr Jane Lomax-Smith AM Board Member Jam Factory, Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  12. ^ UCL > People > Advisory Board Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  13. ^ Jane Lomax-Smith to collect ideas for Leigh Creek's future after Alinta Energy mine closure ABC News, 13 October 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  14. ^ "Dr Jane Lomax-Smith AM appointed as new Chair of the Don Dunstan Foundation". Don Dunstan Foundation. 10 May 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  15. ^ "The Hon. Rev. Dr Lynn Arnold AO". Don Dunstan Foundation. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  16. ^ Hough, Andrew (15 November 2022). "Local government elections 2022: Lord Mayor-elect Jane Lomax-Smith says top job is restoring Adelaide City Council reputation". The Advertiser. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  17. ^ Jones, Erin (19 November 2022). "Jane Lomax-Smith and six new councillors join Adelaide City Council, but will much change?". The Advertiser. Retrieved 19 November 2022.

External links[edit]

 

Civic offices
Preceded by Lord Mayor of Adelaide
1997 – 2000
Succeeded by
Preceded by Lord Mayor of Adelaide
2022 – present
Incumbent
Parliament of South Australia
Preceded by Member for Adelaide
2002 – 2010
Succeeded by