Leneen Forde

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = Her Excellency The Honourable

| name = Leneen Forde

| honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AC|DStJ}}

| image = Leneen Forde, Governor of Queensland, with Premier Wayne Goss and cabinet ministers of the 3rd Goss Ministry, 52nd Parliament, Governor's Residence Fernberg, Brisbane, 31 July 1995 (cropped).jpg

| office = 22nd Governor of Queensland

| term_start = 29 July 1992

| term_end = 29 July 1997

| lieutenant =

| monarch = Elizabeth II

| premier = Wayne Goss
Rob Borbidge

| predecessor = Sir Walter Campbell

| successor = Peter Arnison

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1935|05|12|df=y}}

| birth_place = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada{{cite web |series=Who's Who in Australia |title=Forde, Leneen AC |work=Herald and Weekly Times|year=2002 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FBsxAQAAIAAJ}}

| birth_name = Mary Marguerite Leneen Kavanagh

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse = {{plainlist|

{{marriage|Gerald Forde|1955|1966|end=d.}}
{{marriage|Angus McDonald|1983|1993|reason=d.}}

}}

| relations = Frank Forde (father-in-law)

| residence =

| alma_mater = University of Queensland

| occupation = Solicitor

}}

Mary Marguerite Leneen Forde, {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AC}} DStJ (born 12 May 1935) is a retired solicitor and former Chancellor of Griffith University, who served as the 22nd Governor of Queensland from 1992 until 1997.{{cite web |url=http://www.sclqld.org.au/schp/exhibitions/witl/biographies/forde.htm |title=Biography: Leneen Forde |work=Women in Law in Queensland |publisher=Supreme Court of Queensland Library |year=2003 |accessdate=1 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114063102/http://www.sclqld.org.au/schp/exhibitions/witl/biographies/forde.htm |archive-date=14 January 2013 |url-status=live }} Forde chaired the Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions during 1998 and 1999 that found systemic child abuse in government or non-government institutions between 1911 and 1999.

Early life

Forde was born Mary Marguerite Leneen Kavanagh in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She worked as a medical laboratory technician, and studied part-time for a Bachelor of Arts before moving to Australia in 1954. In 1955, she married (Francis) Gerald Forde, the son of Frank Forde, a former Prime Minister of Australia and High Commissioner to Canada.{{cite web |title=Francis Michael Forde, PC |author=Nankervis, Anthony |date=2 September 2009 |url=http://apmc.oph.gov.au/lib/docs/15-Forde-Web.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916104822/http://apmc.oph.gov.au/lib/docs/15-Forde-Web.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 September 2009|publisher=Museum of Australian Democracy }} Together, the Fordes had five children. She worked in the Haematology Department of Royal Brisbane Hospital for two years prior to full-time legal study following her husband's death in 1966.

Career

Forde graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland in 1970, and from 1971 was employed as a solicitor. From 1974 to 1992, she was a partner of Cannan & Peterson, in charge of probate and estates.{{Cite web|url=https://eprints.qut.edu.au/16395/1/Susan_Currie_Thesis.pdf|title=Writing Women into the Law in Queensland|last=Currie|first=Susan|date=December 2006|website=Queensland University of Technology eprints|access-date=24 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124195632/https://eprints.qut.edu.au/16395/1/Susan_Currie_Thesis.pdf|archive-date=24 January 2018|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://fordefoundation.org.au/about/our-patron-leneen-forde|title=Leneen Forde AC|website=The Forde Foundation|access-date=24 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125015535/http://fordefoundation.org.au/about/our-patron-leneen-forde|archive-date=25 January 2018|url-status=live}} In 1992, after her appointment as governor, she was the subject of a $500,000 civil lawsuit from the Fitzgerald family, heirs of the Castlemaine Perkins beer empire, who alleged she had engaged in professional misconduct to their detriment.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/126952023|title=Qld Governor silent in court|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=28 October 1992|access-date=19 May 2023|archive-date=19 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519131735/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/126952023|url-status=live}} The Supreme Court of Queensland found that she was not liable for damages.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/127224558|title=Queensland Governor cleared of allegations, but not judge's criticism|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=7 August 1993|access-date=19 May 2023|archive-date=19 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519131732/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/127224558|url-status=live}}

Forde was international president of women's service organisation Zonta International from 1990 to 1992.{{cite news|url=https://www.zonta.org/Web/About/Leadership_and_Structure/Past_International_Presidents.aspx|title=Past International Presidents|publisher=Zonta International|access-date=19 May 2023|archive-date=19 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519125942/https://www.zonta.org/Web/About/Leadership_and_Structure/Past_International_Presidents.aspx|url-status=live}} In March 1992 she was announced as the inaugural head of the Queensland Women's Consultative Council.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/122406772|title=Forde heads new women's council|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=30 March 1992|access-date=19 May 2023|archive-date=19 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519125939/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/122406772|url-status=live}}

Governor of Queensland

In 1992, Forde was only the second woman to be appointed to the position of governor of an Australian state (after Dame Roma Mitchell who became Governor of South Australia in 1991) and the first to take on the role in Queensland.{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/austory/series2/9724.htm |work=Australian Story |title=Her Excellency |format=transcript |date=26 July 1997 |publisher=ABC TV |location=Australia |accessdate=1 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110202714/http://www.abc.net.au/austory/series2/9724.htm |archive-date=10 November 2012 |url-status=live }}

Forde had remarried a retired detective superintendent from New South Wales Police, Angus McDonald, in 1983. McDonald served as vice-regal consort and was the first male spouse of a governor in Australia. Forde retired as governor in 1997.

Forde Inquiry

In 1998, Forde was appointed to chair the Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions. Forde handed the report to the Queensland Government in May 1999. The Inquiry covered 159 institutions from 1911 to 1999 and found abuse had occurred and made 42 recommendations relating to contemporary child protection practices, youth justice and redress of past abuse. The Inquiry resulted in reconciliation initiatives including apologies, commemorative memorials and events, establishment and delivery of the Queensland Government Redress Scheme, establishment of the Forde Foundation Trust Fund, and establishment of community-based support services.{{cite web |url=http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/communityservices/community-support/forgotten-australians/forde-inquiry-and-redress-of-past-abuse |title=Forde Inquiry and Redress of past abuse |work=Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services |publisher=Queensland Government |date=24 August 2012 |accessdate=1 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118043925/http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/communityservices/community-support/forgotten-australians/forde-inquiry-and-redress-of-past-abuse |archivedate=18 November 2012}}{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2003/20030818_homies/int_forde.htm |title=Interview with Leneen Forde |format=transcript |work=Four Corners |publisher=ABC TV |location=Australia |date=18 August 2003 |accessdate=1 December 2012 |author=McDermott, Quentin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110202719/http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2003/20030818_homies/int_forde.htm |archive-date=10 November 2012 |url-status=dead }}

Honours

On 26 January 1993, Forde was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in recognition of her service to the law, to improving the status of women and to economic and business development.{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/873785 |title=FORDE, Mary Marguerite Leneen |date=26 January 1993 |work=It's an Honour |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |accessdate=1 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129181350/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/873785 |archive-date=29 January 2019 |url-status=live }} Forde is a Dame of Grace in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. She was International President of Zonta from 1990 until 1992, and 1991 Queenslander of the Year.{{cite press release |author=Beattie, Peter |url=http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=52170 |title=Queensland Greats Awards Honour Living Legends |date=1 June 2007 |authorlink=Peter Beattie |accessdate=1 December 2012 |publisher=Queensland Government |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226175113/http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=52170 |archive-date=26 February 2012 |url-status=live }}

References

External links

{{Australian Women and Leadership|WLE0315b|Forde, Mary Marguerite Leneen (Leneen)}}
{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2003/20030818_homies/int_forde.htm |title=Interview with Leneen Forde |format=transcript |work=Four Corners |publisher=ABC TV |location=Australia |date=18 August 2003 |accessdate=1 December 2012 |author=McDermott, Quentin }}

{{Succession box

| before = Sir Walter Campbell

| title = Governor of Queensland

| years = 1992–1997

| after = Peter Arnison

}}

Category:1935 births

Category:Canadian emigrants to Australia

Category:Canadian people of Irish descent

Category:Companions of the Order of Australia

Category:Dames of Grace of the Order of St John

Category:Governors of Queensland