17 Facts About Shelley Hancock

Shelley Hancock previously served as the thirtieth Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was the first woman to hold the role, serving between May 2011 and March 2019.

Shelley Hancock served as the Minister for Local Government in the second Berejiklian ministry and the Perrottet ministry between April 2019 and December 2021.

Shelley Hancock stood down at the 2023 New South Wales state election.

Shelley Hancock grew up in Chatswood and attended primary schools in Chatswood and Artarmon and the North Sydney Girls High School.

Shelley Hancock completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Sydney and was a former joint owner of the H Ranch at Milton and was a high school teacher at Ulladulla for 26 years.

Shelley Hancock is married to Ossie and they have three children.

Shelley Hancock served on Shoalhaven City Council for 17 years as a ward three alderman and councillor, serving on a number of council committees.

Shelley Hancock was elected deputy mayor from September 2000 to September 2001.

Shelley Hancock has represented South Coast for the Liberal Party since 2003.

Shelley Hancock was the only Liberal candidate to win a seat from the governing Labor Party at the 2003 state election with 52.8 per cent of the two-party vote.

Shelley Hancock went on to defeat Michelle Miran achieving a 6.2-point two-party-preferred swing in her favour.

At the 2011 general election, Shelley Hancock was re-elected to the South Coast with a swing of 11.2 points and won the seat with 70.4 per cent of the two-party vote.

Shelley Hancock contested the 2015 general election and was re-elected with a swing against her of 10.5 points.

Shelley Hancock organised a 'loo coup' where, along with a number of other female MPs and ministers, she arranged for the substandard female bathrooms on a lower level of the parliament building to be swapped with the superior male bathroom facilities.

Shelley Hancock presided over an incident in the Legislative Assembly where she was forced to call upon the Sergeant-at-arms to remove Michael Daley, a senior Labor Party shadow minister, who was accused of drunken misconduct in the chamber.

In March 2017, Shelley Hancock, launched the 'NSW Parliament: A Fit Place for Women' exhibition which showcased the expanding role of women in NSW politics throughout its history.

Shelley Hancock was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours for "service to the people and Parliament of New South Wales".