Liz Andrew (Elizabeth Jean Andrew‑Oates) — Northern Territory politician

Early life and background

Andrew was born on 28 February 1948 in Bordertown, South Australia. Public records note her family and personal life included two marriages and two children. Biographical details beyond her place and date of birth are relatively sparse in public sources, but her move into territorial politics placed her among a small number of women involved in Australian regional legislatures during the 1970s.

Political career

Liz Andrew won election to the newly established Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in 1974 as the member for Sanderson. The Assembly itself had been created that year to provide a local parliamentary forum for the Territory; members in that inaugural period helped shape debates on governance, services and the Territory's relationship with the federal government. Andrew served one term, leaving the Assembly in 1977.

Later life, illness and death

After leaving elected office Andrew continued to be remembered for her contribution to early Northern Territory parliamentary life. In 1989 she was diagnosed with cancer, an illness she battled for several years. She died on 12 April 1993 in Adelaide, South Australia, at the age of 45.

Significance and legacy

Andrew's political career is noted for occurring at a transitional moment in the Northern Territory's history. Serving during the Assembly's first term, she was one of the early women to hold a seat in that legislature and part of a generation of politicians who addressed foundational issues for the Territory. While not a long‑tenured legislator, her name appears in histories of the region's early parliamentary development.

• Full name: Elizabeth Jean Andrew‑Oates
• Born: 28 February 1948, Bordertown, South Australia
• Office: Member for Sanderson, Northern Territory Legislative Assembly (1974–1977)
• Party: Country Liberal Party
• Died: 12 April 1993, Adelaide, South Australia