Jane Lomax-Smith

Jane Diane Lomax-Smith, AM (born 19 June 1950, in the United Kingdom) is an Australian politician and histopathologist who has been the Lord Mayor of the City of Adelaide since 14 November 2022. She was previously in local government for nine years (1991 to 2000), as a councillor for three terms and Lord Mayor of Adelaide for two terms (1997 to 2000). She was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Adelaide representing the Labor Party from 2002 to 2010, and throughout this time was a Minister of Education and Tourism and a range of other portfolios. In 2010–2011, she was the Interim Director of the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus). Since 2011, she has been the chair of the Board of the South Australian Museum. Early life and career Lomax-Smith was born in Walthamstow in the East End of London, in the United Kingdom. She attended the Woodford County High School Grammar School, and received a grant to attend the London Hospital Medical College, in Whitechapel, where she obtained her medical degree (BSc MBBS) and BSc(Hons). After migrating to Australia, she was made FRCPA (Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia) in 1984 and received a Ph.D. from the University of Adelaide in 1985 on "IgA Nephropathy and Liver Disease". Before entering politics she was a clinical pathologist, medical researcher and teacher. In 2017 she was awarded an honorary DSc by the University of Adelaide. Political career Lomax-Smith first entered public office in 1991. She served as Lord Mayor of Adelaide in 1997–2000. At the 2002 state election she was elected a member of the South Australian House of Assembly for the seat of Adelaide, defeating the Liberal Party candidate Michael Harbison, who had been preselected after the retirement of the Liberal Party incumbent Michael Armitage. She retained the seat at the 2006 election with a 60 percent two-party vote but was defeated at the 2010 election by Liberal candidate Rachel Sanderson, with a two-party preferred swing of 14.5 percent, the second-largest swing at that election.