28 Facts About Olive Zakharov

Alice Olive Zakharov was an Australian politician.

Olive Zakharov was re-elected in 1984,1987, and 1993, and was in the midst of her final term in the Senate when she was killed in an automobile accident in early 1995.

Olive Zakharov studied psychology as part of an arts degree at Melbourne University, where she joined the local branch of the Communist Party of Australia, something which she later discovered had brought her to the attention of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

Olive Zakharov briefly married while at university, but the couple separated in 1949, and she soon moved to Yallourn to live with a new partner, unionist John Zakharov, who she later married and began a family with.

Olive Zakharov continued to be politically active, being involved in the local branch of the Australian Labor Party.

In 1968, after the last of her children had reached primary school, Olive Zakharov separated from her husband, and later divorced him, though she retained his surname.

Olive Zakharov proceeded to raise her children alone, and in 1969 began as a student welfare co-ordinator at Montmorency High School in Melbourne.

Olive Zakharov served as president of her local party branch, and was a delegate to the party's state conference.

Olive Zakharov was offered a safe Labor seat in the Parliament of Victoria in the 1970s, but declined for family reasons.

Olive Zakharov subsequently sought preselection to run as a Labor Senate candidate in Victoria at the double dissolution 1983 federal election.

Olive Zakharov received the fifth position on the Labor ticket, and easily swept into parliament in the landslide Labor victory, taking the final position well ahead of her nearest rival, Democrat John Siddons.

Olive Zakharov soon established herself as a loyal member of the Socialist Left faction and as an advocate for equal rights for women and the rights of the disadvantaged.

Olive Zakharov was the lone voice of dissent when the other five members of the Senate Select Committee on Video Material urged the banning of X-rated videos in 1984.

Olive Zakharov remained involved in her local community; she used her political connections to help save her historic neighbourhood in Port Melbourne from demolition, and at one point painted "NOT FOR SALE" on her roof in order to promote the message.

In 1988, Olive Zakharov was the only 1st world politician invited to witness the first destruction of nuclear weapons at a ceremony in the Soviet Union after the signing of a disarmament agreement.

Olive Zakharov did manage to win some small concessions through the committee's final report, and somewhat embarrassed Deputy Prime Minister Brian Howe in the process.

One of the strangest moments in Olive Zakharov's career occurred in late 1990, when, as a member of the parliamentary Australian Security Intelligence Organisation committee, she was given access to her own intelligence file.

Olive Zakharov was not surprised to discover that ASIO had shown interest in her membership of the Communist Party while at university; what she was not prepared for was a detailed investigation the organisation had made in 1963, after becoming concerned that John Zakharov was a bigamist.

Olive Zakharov had always been a strong supporter of gay rights, and successfully nominated for the investigating committee.

Olive Zakharov helped push the proposals through caucus, to see them become law not long afterwards.

Olive Zakharov lost the second position on the ticket to factional powerbroker Kim Carr, but secured the third position against several challengers, including former lower house MP David McKenzie.

Labor was not expected to do well at the election, and it was thought that Olive Zakharov was likely to lose, just as Carr had done from the same position at the 1990 election.

In November 1993, Olive Zakharov publicly revealed that she had been a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her deceased husband for ten years prior to their separation.

Olive Zakharov launched the government's Campaign to Stop Violence Against Women, and urged other victims and their neighbours to speak up.

Olive Zakharov was struck by a car on the afternoon of 12 February 1995, while crossing St Kilda Road after leaving the Midsumma gay and lesbian festival.

Olive Zakharov lay in a coma for more than a month, but did not regain consciousness.

Olive Zakharov was the first woman Senator to die in office.

Deputy Prime Minister Brian Howe attempted to convince the state Kennett government to save the historic Missions to Seamen building in Port Melbourne, which Olive Zakharov had been fighting to save, as a memorial to her, but was unsuccessful.