Robin Adams (politician)

Robin Eleanor Adams is a Norfolk Islander politician. Adams was elected to the Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly in 2010, becoming the body's first female speaker. When the assembly was dissolved five years later, she became a member of the Norfolk Island Regional Council and was elected as mayor of the island, a position she held until the entire council was dismissed in 2021.

Robin Adams
Mayor of Norfolk Island
In office
2016–2021
Preceded byLisle Snell
(Chief Minister)
Succeeded byMike Colveary
(interim administrator)
Speaker of the Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly
In office
24 March 2010 – 20 March 2013
Preceded byLisle Snell
Succeeded byDavid Buffett
Personal details
BornSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyIndependent

Early life and education

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Robin Eleanor Adams was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, to a Norfolk Islander family of Pitcairn descent.[1][2][3]

After being educated in Sydney, she worked as a teacher there.[3] Then, in 1966, she married a Norfolk Islander and moved to the island, returning to her roots.[1][2]

Career

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Adams entered the public service on Norfolk Island. Beginning in 1981, she worked as deputy clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Norfolk Island.[3] Then, in 1984, she became the assembly's clerk, a position she held until 2010.[1][4]

In March 2010, Adams was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Norfolk Island.[4] One week later, she was chosen as speaker of the assembly, becoming its first female speaker.[3] Adams remained on the assembly until Norfolk Island lost its local administration in 2015–2016; she had been serving as culture minister and acting chief minister at the time.[5][6][7]

After the change in governing structure, Adams joined the Norfolk Island Regional Council and was subsequently elected mayor on 6 July 2016.[8] She served as mayor until 2021, when Adams and the rest of the Norfolk Island Regional Council were dismissed by the Australian government and replaced with an administrator, Michael Colreavy, for a three-year term in anticipation of elections in 2024.[5][9][10][11][12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Latham, Tim (2005). Norfolk: Island of Secrets. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-74114-373-X. OCLC 224326436.
  2. ^ a b "Norfolk's Pitcairners fear loss of self governance". RNZ. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Robin-Eleanor Adams". Przewodniczące Parlamentów 2007 (in Polish). Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b The Parliamentarian: Journal of the Parliaments of the Commonwealth. General Council of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Norfolk Island down but not out - says sacked mayor". RNZ. 22 December 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Norfolk Islanders mourn loss of self-governance". RNZ. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Australian parliament strips Norfolk Island of its autonomy". RNZ. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  8. ^ Nobbs, Chris (2018). "Norfolk Island". The Contemporary Pacific. 30 (1): 184–191. doi:10.1353/cp.2018.0012. ISSN 1527-9464. S2CID 243066769.
  9. ^ "Norfolk mayor calls on the people to unite and challenge Canberra". RNZ. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Canberra dumps Norfolk Island Regional Council". RNZ. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Norfolk Island Regional Council Annual Report 2020-2021" (PDF). Norfolk Island Regional Council. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  12. ^ Johnson, Hayden (18 June 2022). "Act of war: Norfolk Islanders in mutiny against new Qld masters". Courier-News. Retrieved 27 February 2023.