Mary Porter

Mary Edith Porter (; born 8 August 1942) is a former Labor member of the ACT Assembly. She was first elected to the Assembly in October 2004. Immediately prior to that, she was CEO of Volunteering ACT from 1993 until October 2004 Born in Caterham, England of a Scottish background, Mary arrived in Australia when she was 12. In 1963 Mary graduated as a nurse from Wollongong Hospital and went on to work in New South Wales, Queensland and in the Aboriginal Community of Oenpelli (present-day Gunbalanya). In 1967 she again graduated from Wollongong Hospital, this time as a midwife. Mary returned to the Northern Territory and used her midwifery skills in many remote and isolated Aboriginal community's before accepting the role of sister in charge of the Dhupuma Residential College for Aboriginal students in Gove. In 1979 Mary moved to Canberra working with a group of other women to establish Tuggeranong Community Service, now known as Communities at Work, becoming a community worker when the organisation received funding. Mary also worked for the Federal Member for Canberra, Ros Kelly. Mary was also instrumental in helping to establish what is now Volunteering ACT and Volunteering Australia, becoming president of both organisations.