27 Facts About Karin Sowada

Karin Nicole Sowada was born on 1 November 1961 and is an Australian archaeologist and former politician.

Karin Sowada served two years as an Australian Democrats senator for New South Wales between 1991 and 1993.

Karin Sowada's father was a photographer whose picture "The Rigger" was published by the Sydney Morning Herald in 1965.

Karin Sowada went to Bronte Public School and Randwick North High School and started her working life as a strapper in the thoroughbred horse racing industry.

Karin Sowada briefly worked as an insurance broker before commencing studies at the University of Sydney.

Karin Sowada graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in archaeology in 1989.

Karin Sowada made a final bid for the seat at the 1987 election.

Karin Sowada served as the Democrat campaign manager for the 1988 NSW State election and the 1990 federal election.

An investigation was held into irregularities in campaign funding at the time, but Karin Sowada was not involved and initiated legal action against media organisations who suggested otherwise at the time.

Karin Sowada then shifted her attention to the Senate, and gained second place on the Democrat New South Wales Senate ticket for the 1990 election, behind Vicki Bourne.

Karin Sowada was nominated by the party to fill the casual vacancy and was sworn in as a Senator in September 1991.

Karin Sowada was, at the time, the youngest female senator in Australian history.

Karin Sowada was assigned the role of spokesperson on industrial relations, and she controversially backed the Hawke government's move to enshrine the right to strike in legislation.

In 1992, Karin Sowada helped to set up a mentoring program for the intellectually disabled in Sydney, and was assigned the services of then student politician Stott Despoja as a staffer.

Karin Sowada was active in the education debate, which had taken centre stage owing to the draconian tertiary-education reforms initiated by former Hawke education minister, John Dawkins.

Karin Sowada faced her first and only electoral test at the 1993 election.

Karin Sowada blamed party leader Coulter for the swing against the Democrats, which saw her lose her seat and called for him to be replaced by Cheryl Kernot.

In 1997, Karin Sowada made a brief return to political life when she was nominated to become an Australian Republican Movement delegate to the 1998 Constitutional Convention on whether Australia should become a republic.

Karin Sowada became a prominent spokesperson for the Australian Republican Movement during the convention, vigorously opposing direct election of the president and supporting the movement's sometimes-controversial leader, Malcolm Turnbull.

Karin Sowada undertakes archeological fieldwork and research in Egypt and Jordan and has published in scholarly books, academic journals and popular magazines.

Karin Sowada has lectured around Australia and appeared as a media commentator on archaeology and Egyptology.

Karin Sowada was controversially passed over for the job when it was revised while she was on maternity leave and she had to reapply for it.

Karin Sowada is a researcher in Egyptian archaeology with Macquarie University and is a specialist in the foreign relations of Egypt and the Near East during the Bronze Age.

In 2008, Karin Sowada was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Anglican Deaconess Institution Sydney.

Karin Sowada stepped down from the role in February 2015.

Karin Sowada has been elected to a number of committees in the Anglican Church Sydney Diocese, including the Standing Committee, Sydney Synod and General Synod.

Karin Sowada acted as a lobbyist for Capitol Research, a small corporate communications company run by her and her husband.