Yvonne Coburn - Liberal Party of Australia (2008 – 2011)

“I think it is really important for young women to think seriously about having a voice and being in a situation where they can influence the outcomes of decisions which affect the community. Local Government is an effective way of doing that.”

Yvonne’s parents immigrated from Eastern Europe after World War 2 and lived in the Waverley Council area from that time onwards. She was educated at Rose Bay Primary and Dover Heights Girls High School. She completed a B Com / LL.B and LLM (International Law) at UNSW.

Yvonne had a career as a lawyer and as a Management Consultant, and recalls a careers speech during her high school from a lawyer who was visibly confused about talking to an all-female cohort about career options in law.

This motivated her to consider law as a career. She notably wrote the weekly column Legal Affairs during the 1990’s for the Weekend Australian for a number of years. She paid particular attention to issues affecting women in the law and in leadership positions.

Yvonne was drawn to working in local government by a desire to utilise her legal training and advocacy skills for the benefit of her local community. She served on Council for a period of nearly three years.

As a young mother, Yvonne was particularly interested in community safety around schools and park improvements. As such some of her proudest achievements during her time in Council include the implementation of bike paths at Dudley Page Reserve, installation of a pedestrian crossing at Moriah War Memorial College, and contributing to the project for the construction of a walking pathway from Bronte to Coogee.

Listen to this interview on Amplify