Edith Pringle

Edith Pringle (born Edith Dougherty) is a political activist and minor celebrity in Adelaide, South Australia. She is involved with a wide range of social justice issues including women's rights, and refugee and minority rights.

Personal life

Born in 1958 in Ireland, she migrated in her teens to South Africa. She married there and had a daughter, studied marketing management, and worked in many industries including the family business. She was an active grass-roots anti-apartheid campaigner.

After she and her first husband divorced, she married Robert Pringle and moved to Nottingham, England, where she became special constable in the local police. She raised a family, and in 1989 moved to Adelaide, South Australia.

In 1991, the Pringles separated, and contested custody of their children until 1999. As of 2004, she heads a single-parent home, having custody of all her children.

Pringle's voluntary work for the Adelaide community through 2004 has been recognised by a number of awards, including: Citizen of the Year (Tea Tree Gully 1994), Syd Enfield Consumer Activist Certificate of Recognition (1994) and State Finalist in the Telecom Executive Woman of the Year (1993). In 1994 she was listed in New Woman Magazine as one of Australia's 100 Most Spirited Women.

Political involvement

Her interest in community politics and study of politics at University led her to the Australian Labor Party where she held several positions, including: Sub-Branch President and Delegate to the State Council for the Makin FEC. In addition to serving on the Labor Women's Executive, Edith was employed as an Electoral Officer and in the Department of Premier and Cabinet as a Project Officer.

In 2002, she resigned from the Labor Party and ran, unsuccessfully, for the Legislative Council of South Australia in 2002 on platform against domestic violence. She received 1802 votes, or 0.19% of total votes cast, far less than the quota of 8.3% required to be elected.

Pringle subsequently joined the Australian Democrats. Within the party, she campaigned against workplace violence, especially after the Andrew Bartlett-Jeannie Ferris altercation in the Senate. She was a pre-selection candidate for their Senate ticket in the 2004 Federal Election but subsequently resigned after their preference deal with the conservative Christian values party Family First.

Edith Pringle remains politically active as an advocate for women's rights and other progressive causes.