Robin Eleanor Adams is a

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island ( , ; ) is an States and territories of Australia, external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head, New South Wales, Evans Head and a ...

er politician. Adams was elected to the

Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly The Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly was the prime legislative body of Norfolk Island from 1979 to 2015. Formed after the Norfolk Island Act 1979 was passed in the Australian Parliament, its first members were elected on 10 August 1979. The ...

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 The Norfolk Island Regional Council is the local government body of Norfolk Island, an island territory of Australia in the south Pacific Ocean. It is subject to the state-level legislation of Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbrevia ...

and was elected as mayor of the island, a position she held until the entire council was dismissed in 2021.

Early life and education

Robin Eleanor Adams was born and raised in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, to a Norfolk Islander family of

Pitcairn The Pitcairn Islands ( ; Pitkern: '), officially Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, are a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the sole British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean. The four islan ...

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

Career

Adams entered the public service on Norfolk Island. Beginning in 1981, she worked as deputy clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Norfolk Island. Then, in 1984, she became the assembly's clerk, a position she held until 2010. In March 2010, Adams was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Norfolk Island. One week later, she was chosen as speaker of the assembly, becoming its first female speaker. 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. After the change in governing structure, Adams joined the

and was subsequently elected mayor on 6 July 2016. 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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Robin Living people Politicians from Sydney Members of the Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly Heads of government of Norfolk Island Women mayors Women legislative speakers 21st-century politicians 21st-century women politicians Year of birth missing (living people)