Rachel Trixie Anne Gardner, Baroness Gardner of Parkes, AM,FRSA,JP[1] (néeMcGirr; 17 July 1927 – 14 April 2024) was an Australian-born British dentist and Conservative member of the House of Lords.[2] She was the first Australian woman to have been elevated to the peerage, and was the senior life peer in the House of Lords at the time of her death.
Gardner was a councillor of Westminster City Council from 1968 to 1978 and was Lady Mayoress (when her husband was Lord Mayor) during 1987–88. In 1970, she stood for Parliament for the Conservative Party against Labour'sBarbara Castle in Blackburn, and in February 1974 stood against the LiberalJohn Pardoe in North Cornwall. In 1971, she was made a Justice of the Peace. In addition, she was elected as a member of the Greater London Council (GLC) representing Havering (1970-1973) and Southgate (1977–1986) until the GLC's abolition. She held various directorships and was the UK Representative on the United Nations Status of Women Commission 1982–1988.
On 19 June 1981, Gardner was created a life peeress of the United Kingdom as Baroness Gardner of Parkes, of Southgate in Greater London, and of Parkes in the State of New South Wales and Commonwealth of Australia.[3] She was ennobled for her two decades of community and local government work as a Conservative, the first Australian woman to be so honoured. On 4 April 2007, she was made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Sydney.[4]
Her husband, Kevin Gardner, was also a native of Australia. He was educated at Waverley College and won a scholarship to the University of Sydney to study dentistry, winning the Arnott Prize for oral surgery in 1954. He spent a year on the university teaching staff at the Sydney Dental Hospital before going to London in 1955. He married Trixie McGirr in 1956 in Paris, and they set up their home in London.[5]
In May 1982, the year after she joined the House of Lords, Kevin was elected to Westminster City Council, where Trixie had been a councillor since 1968. He was the first Australian to be the Lord Mayor of Westminster. He was re-elected as a councillor in 2006 at age 75. Kevin Gardner died the following year, in 2007. The couple had three daughters: Joanna, Rachel and Sarah. Joanna was Mayor (2008–09) of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Gardner family is devoutly Catholic.[citation needed]
Baroness Gardner died on 14 April 2024, at the age of 96.[6]
Armsedit
Coat of arms of Trixie Gardner, Baroness Gardner of Parkes
Notes
Arms here displayed on a male escutcheon, with an inescutcheon argent
Coronet
Coronet of a Baron
Escutcheon
Per fess Azure and Vert in chief a representation of the constellation of the Southern Cross Argent issuing in base a Sun in Splendour Or all within a Bordure indented Gold
Supporters
Dexter: a Kangaroo Or gorged with a Crown Pallisado Vert grasping in the sinister forepaw a Branch of Tudor Roses slipped and leaved proper; Sinister: a Lion Or gorged with a Crown Pallisado Vert grasping in the dexter forepaw a Branch of Wattle slipped and leaved proper
Compartment
A Grassy Mount growing therefrom two Waratah Flowers slipped and leaved proper [7]
^"Honorary awards: Rachel Trixie Anne, Baroness Gardner of Parkes AM". University of Sydney. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
^"Kevin Gardner profile (1930-2007)". University of Sydney (edited version of obit published in the Sydney Morning Herald, 10 April 2007). Retrieved 6 February 2011.
^"Lady Gardner of Parkes, Conservative peer who championed women's rights in the EU and UN – obituary". The Telegraph. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
^. Cracroft's Peerage. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018.
Bibliographyedit
They Work For You: UK Parliament voting, speaking search engine
Elizabeth Sleeman (2001). The International Who's Who of Women 2002. Routledge. p. 198. ISBN978-1-85743-122-3.
trixie, gardner, baroness, gardner, parkes, rachel, trixie, anne, gardner, baroness, gardner, parkes, frsa, née, mcgirr, july, 1927, april, 2024, australian, born, british, dentist, conservative, member, house, lords, first, australian, woman, have, been, elev. Rachel Trixie Anne Gardner Baroness Gardner of Parkes AM FRSA JP 1 nee McGirr 17 July 1927 14 April 2024 was an Australian born British dentist and Conservative member of the House of Lords 2 She was the first Australian woman to have been elevated to the peerage and was the senior life peer in the House of Lords at the time of her death The Right HonourableThe Baroness Gardner of ParkesAM FRSA JPOfficial portrait 2019Member of the House of LordsLord TemporalLife peerage 23 June 1981 14 April 2024Personal detailsBornRachel Trixie Anne McGirr 1927 07 17 17 July 1927Parkes New South Wales AustraliaDied14 April 2024 2024 04 14 aged 96 Political partyConservativeSpouseKevin Gardner m 1956 died 2007 wbr RelationsGreg McGirr father James McGirr uncle Patrick McGirr uncle Joe McGirr nephew Alma materUniversity of Sydney Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Early life and education 1 2 Politics 2 Background 3 Personal life 4 Arms 5 References 6 BibliographyBiography editEarly life and education edit Baroness Gardner was born in Parkes New South Wales the daughter of Greg McGirr a former leader of the New South Wales Labor Party 2 She earned a Bachelor of Dental Surgery BDS in 1954 from the University of Sydney where she was a resident at Sancta Sophia College and studied in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu She moved to the UK in 1957 Politics edit Gardner was a councillor of Westminster City Council from 1968 to 1978 and was Lady Mayoress when her husband was Lord Mayor during 1987 88 In 1970 she stood for Parliament for the Conservative Party against Labour s Barbara Castle in Blackburn and in February 1974 stood against the Liberal John Pardoe in North Cornwall In 1971 she was made a Justice of the Peace In addition she was elected as a member of the Greater London Council GLC representing Havering 1970 1973 and Southgate 1977 1986 until the GLC s abolition She held various directorships and was the UK Representative on the United Nations Status of Women Commission 1982 1988 On 19 June 1981 Gardner was created a life peeress of the United Kingdom as Baroness Gardner of Parkes of Southgate in Greater London and of Parkes in the State of New South Wales and Commonwealth of Australia 3 She was ennobled for her two decades of community and local government work as a Conservative the first Australian woman to be so honoured On 4 April 2007 she was made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Sydney 4 Background editGardner s father Gregory led the New South Wales Labor Party from March to July 1923 An uncle James McGirr was also in Labor politics serving as Premier of New South Wales from 1947 to 1952 A nephew Dr Jack McGirr is a dentist in Lane Cove a Sydney suburb and is a former Mayor of Lane Cove Council citation needed Personal life editHer husband Kevin Gardner was also a native of Australia He was educated at Waverley College and won a scholarship to the University of Sydney to study dentistry winning the Arnott Prize for oral surgery in 1954 He spent a year on the university teaching staff at the Sydney Dental Hospital before going to London in 1955 He married Trixie McGirr in 1956 in Paris and they set up their home in London 5 In May 1982 the year after she joined the House of Lords Kevin was elected to Westminster City Council where Trixie had been a councillor since 1968 He was the first Australian to be the Lord Mayor of Westminster He was re elected as a councillor in 2006 at age 75 Kevin Gardner died the following year in 2007 The couple had three daughters Joanna Rachel and Sarah Joanna was Mayor 2008 09 of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea London The Gardner family is devoutly Catholic citation needed Baroness Gardner died on 14 April 2024 at the age of 96 6 Arms editCoat of arms of Trixie Gardner Baroness Gardner of Parkes nbsp nbsp Notes Arms here displayed on a male escutcheon with an inescutcheon argent Coronet Coronet of a Baron Escutcheon Per fess Azure and Vert in chief a representation of the constellation of the Southern Cross Argent issuing in base a Sun in Splendour Or all within a Bordure indented Gold Supporters Dexter a Kangaroo Or gorged with a Crown Pallisado Vert grasping in the sinister forepaw a Branch of Tudor Roses slipped and leaved proper Sinister a Lion Or gorged with a Crown Pallisado Vert grasping in the dexter forepaw a Branch of Wattle slipped and leaved proper Compartment A Grassy Mount growing therefrom two Waratah Flowers slipped and leaved proper 7 Motto Keep GoingReferences edit Ministers Interests PDF UK Cabinet Office a b Baroness Gardner Guest Speaker Independent New South Wales Archived from the original on 3 March 2008 Retrieved 26 November 2007 No 48661 The London Gazette 24 June 1981 p 8445 Honorary awards Rachel Trixie Anne Baroness Gardner of Parkes AM University of Sydney Retrieved 6 February 2011 Kevin Gardner profile 1930 2007 University of Sydney edited version of obit published in the Sydney Morning Herald 10 April 2007 Retrieved 6 February 2011 Lady Gardner of Parkes Conservative peer who championed women s rights in the EU and UN obituary The Telegraph 22 April 2024 Retrieved 22 April 2024 Life Peerages G Gardner of Parkes Baroness of Southgate in Greater London and of Parkes in the State of New South Wales and Commonwealth of Australia Cracroft s Peerage Archived from the original on 23 August 2018 Bibliography editThey Work For You UK Parliament voting speaking search engine Elizabeth Sleeman 2001 The International Who s Who of Women 2002 Routledge p 198 ISBN 978 1 85743 122 3 The Long Table Couper Street Books November 2019 ISBN 978 1 99934 777 2 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Trixie Gardner Baroness Gardner of Parkes amp oldid 1220616717, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
