Elizabeth Andrew was born in Bordertown, South Australia. She attended Western Teachers College, gaining a Diploma of Infant Teaching, and then graduated from the University of Adelaide with a Diploma in Arts and Education in 1968. Elizabeth came to the Territory with the Commonwealth Teaching Service in 1972 and taught at Gillen primary School, Katherine Area School and Wagaman Primary School.
In 1974 Elizabeth, at the age of 26, was elected to the Legislative Assembly as the Member for Sanderson. This was the Northern Territory's first fully elected Legislative Assembly and Elizabeth was one of the original seven members appointed to executive positions. Elizabeth is the youngest woman to have been elected to the Legislative Assembly to date.
Following her political career, Elizabeth returned to teaching at Howard Springs and Parap Primary Schools before being appointed Administrator of the Northern Territory Arts Council in 1980.
Elizabeth left the Territory in 1986 to accompany her second husband, Patrick Oates, to his naval posting to Canberra. Elizabeth was diagnosed with Ross River fever in 1989 and then with cancer later that year, succumbing to the disease on 12 April 1993. She is survived by her husband Patrick, daughter Edwina, and Stephen, a son by her first marriage.
Source: Who's who in Australia, 1977, p. 52
Source: Dean Jaensch & Deborah Wade-Marshall Point of order! : the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory 1974-1994. Darwin : Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory [and] North Australia Research Unit, Australian National University, 1994, p. 128.,
Subject
Women,
Northern Territory,
Related materials
Andrew, Elizabeth. "Maiden Parliamentary Speech", Northern Territory Hansard. Thursday 13 February 1975, pp. 149.,