Melissa Parke - Member for Fremantle

Parliament House Office

PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Tel:

(02) 6277 2189

Fax:

(02) 6277 8430

Email:

Email Melissa

Fremantle Electorate Office

62 Wray Avenue
Fremantle WA 6160

Tel:

(08) 9335 8555

Fax:

(08) 9336 1059

Postal Address:

PO Box 1224
Fremantle WA 6959

Biography

Melissa Parke grew up in country Western Australia on an apple orchard. She attended Bunbury Senior High School and later graduated with a Bachelor of Business from Curtin University. She completed a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at the University of NSW and a Master of Laws (LLM) in Public International Law at Murdoch University. She worked in private practice in Sydney and then as the solicitor-in-charge at the Bunbury Community Legal Centre.

Melissa’s community engagement and contributions have included being a Western Australian representative on the national council of the Australian Conservation Foundation, a spokesperson for the Communities for Coastal Conservation, a management committee member of the Environmental Defenders Office (WA), and the President of Labor Lawyers (WA).

In November 1999, Melissa accepted a job with the UN Mission in Kosovo. Since that time Melissa has also worked for the UN in Gaza, Beirut, Cyprus, and New York, and her varied roles have encompassed the investigation of terrorist crimes in the Middle East and the establishment of a UN Ethics Office.

Melissa’s experience at the United Nations has only deepened her understanding of the need for national and international mechanisms that promote social justice, economic opportunity, and environmental conservation.

Electorate Profile

State: Western Australia

Name Derivation:Named after the city of Fremantle which was named after Captain Charles Fremantle 1800-69 who established the port at the mouth of the Swan River in 1829.

Area and Location Description: Fremantle covers an area of approximately 199 sq km from the Swan River in the north to Jandakot Airport in the east and Wattleup in the south. It also includes Rottnest Island. The main suburbs include Atwell, Banjup, Beaconsfield, Beeliar, Bibra Lake, Bicton, Coogee, Coolbellup, East Fremantle, Hamilton Hill, Hilton, Jandakot, North Fremantle, Palmyra, Samson, South Fremantle, South Lake, Spearwood, Success, Wattleup, White Gum Valley, Willagee, Yangebup, and the City of Fremantle.

Products/Industries of the Area: Small goods factories, ship building, market gardens, brewing, hospitality, tourism and fishing.

First Proclaimed/Election: 1901

Demographic Rating: Inner Metropolitan

Members:

• Melissa Parke (ALP) 2007-
  
• Lawrence, C (ALP) 1994-2007
• Dawkins, J S (ALP) 1977-1994
• Beazley, K E (ALP) 1945-1977
• Curtin, J (FLP/ALP) 1934-1945
• Watson, W (UAP) 1931-1934
• Curtin, J (ALP) 1928-1931
• Watson, W (IND) 1922-1928
• Burchell, R J (ALP/NAT) 1913-1922
• Hedges, W N (WAP/LIB) 1906-1913
• Carpenter, W H (ALP) 1903-1906
• Solomon, E (FT) 1901-1903