Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Indi, Victoria, 2013 and 2016.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Agriculture and Industry from 4.12.13 to 9.5.16; Infrastructure, Transport and Cities from 15.9.16.
• Joint Statutory: Human Rights from 14.5.15 to 9.5.16.
• Joint Standing: National Broadband Network from 10.10.16.
• House of Representatives Select: Regional Development and Decentralisation from 13.6.17 to 28.6.18.
• Joint Select: Constitutional Recognition relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples from 26.3.18.

Personal

• Born 29.11.1953, Albury, NSW.

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BA (Monash), DipEd (Melb.), MAppSc (UWS).
• Teacher 1977-80.
• Legislative and research assistant to the Member for Indi, EC Cameron, MP 1980-83.
• Rural community consultant 1984-87.
• Rural Affairs Adviser, Dept of Agriculture (Vic.) 1987-90.
• Managing Director, Catherine McGowan Consulting (leadership, agriculture, community development) 1990-2013.
• Lecturer, University of Western Sydney 1992-2003.

Electorate

• Description: rural.
• Location: north-eastern Victoria; the main towns include main towns include Alexandra, Beechworth, Benalla, Bright, Corryong, Eildon, Kinglake, Mansfield, Marysville, Mount Beauty, Myrtleford, Rutherglen, Tallangatta, Wangaratta, Wodonga and Yea.
• Area: 28 567 sq km.
• Electors enrolled: 103 734 (at 2.7.16).
• Industries: tourism, forestry, wood chipping, viticulture, agriculture, timber processing and manufacturing.

Honours

• Awarded Centenary Medal 2003.
• Appointed Officer of the Order of Australia, January 2004.