Maria Vamvakinou was born on 4 January 1959 and is an Australian politician.
16 Facts About Maria Vamvakinou
2.
Maria Vamvakinou is a member of the Australian Labor Party and has served in the House of Representatives since the 2001 federal election, representing the Division of Calwell in Victoria.
3.
Maria Vamvakinou arrived in Australia with her family in 1963 at the age of four, settling in Melbourne.
4.
Maria Vamvakinou renounced her Greek citizenship in 2000 prior to standing for parliament.
5.
Maria Vamvakinou was educated at public schools in Carlton and Brunswick before going on to attend Princes Hill High School.
6.
Maria Vamvakinou completed a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Greek and political science at the University of Melbourne.
7.
Maria Vamvakinou went on to complete a diploma in education and worked as a high school teacher from 1982 to 1987, teaching Greek.
8.
Maria Vamvakinou held office in the Australian Labor Party and worked as a political staffer for a number of years before entering parliament herself.
9.
Maria Vamvakinou worked as an electorate officer to Andrew Theophanous, executive assistant to Joan Kirner, personal secretary to Andrew McCutcheon, and electorate officer to Senator Kim Carr.
10.
Maria Vamvakinou served on the Northcote City Council from 1990 to 1992.
11.
Maria Vamvakinou was elected to parliament at the 2001 federal election, regaining the Division of Calwell for the ALP against the incumbent MP Andrew Theophanous, who had resigned from the party in 2000 to sit as an independent.
12.
Maria Vamvakinou is the first woman born in Greece to serve in federal parliament.
13.
Maria Vamvakinou has been re-elected on seven further occasions, most recently at the 2022 federal election.
14.
Maria Vamvakinou has served on numerous House and joint committees during her time in parliament, including as chair of the House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Innovation from 2008 to 2010.
15.
Maria Vamvakinou has served on the Speaker's panel from 2010 to 2013 and again from 2016.
16.
Maria Vamvakinou is a member of the ALP's Socialist Left faction.