Committed to both the primacy of the family and advancement of women, as exemplified in her own personal and public life, she affirmed the family to be the underpinning of a moral society while women of all backgrounds had a natural right to equality. Like Menzies, she espoused a Liberal creed of ordered liberty, individual initiative, enterprise and service to the community that drew on Australia’s early pioneering spirit.

In this excellent biography, Anne Henderson provides a rich and holistic portrait of this remarkable Australian woman. The narrative of her personal life is skilfully interwoven with her public achievements. In these pages, readers will encounter the free-spirited girl growing up in rural Tasmania, the supportive wife and devoted mother, the charming First Lady, the trailblazing female parliamentarian and the dignified, elder stateswoman of Australian politics. - The Hon Julie Bishop MP