Dorothy Tangney | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senator for Western Australia | |
| In office 21 August 1943 – 30 June 1968 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 March 1907 North Perth, Western Australia |
| Died | 3 June 1985 (aged 78) Wembley, Western Australia |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Alma mater | University of Western Australia |
| Occupation | Teacher |
Dame Dorothy Margaret Tangney DBE (13 March 1907 – 3 June 1985) was an Australian politician. She was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and served as a Senator for Western Australia from 1943 to 1968. She was the first woman elected to the Senate and one of the first two women elected to federal parliament, along with Enid Lyons.
Tangney was born in Perth to a working-class family of Irish descent. She spent her early years in country Western Australia and later in Fremantle. She trained as a schoolteacher and attended the University of Western Australia, where she was president of the University Labor Club. She was active in the Teachers' Union and community organisations. Tangney was elected to the Senate at the 1943 federal election, after several previous candidacies at state and federal level. She was re-elected on four further occasions before her defeat in 1967, serving nearly 25 years in the Senate. In the Senate, Tangney served on numerous committees and was particularly interested in education and social policy. She was her party's only female parliamentarian throughout her service.