Natasha Jessica Stott Despoja (born 9 September 1969) is an Australian former politician and former leader of the Australian Democrats. She was a Democrats senator for South Australia from 1995 to 2008. Appointed to the Senate at the age of 25, she is youngest woman ever to become a member of the Parliament of Australia.
Stott Despoja was born in Adelaide, the daughter of Shirley Stott, an Australian-born journalist with English heritage, and Mar...
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Natasha Jessica Stott Despoja (born 9 September 1969) is an Australian former politician and former leader of the Australian Democrats. She was a Democrats senator for South Australia from 1995 to 2008. Appointed to the Senate at the age of 25, she is youngest woman ever to become a member of the Parliament of Australia.
Stott Despoja was born in Adelaide, the daughter of Shirley Stott, an Australian-born journalist with English heritage, and Mario Despoja, an immigrant from Croatia. She was educated at Stradbroke Primary and Pembroke School and, later, the University of Adelaide where she graduated B.A.. She was active in student politics, becoming president of the Students' Association of the University of Adelaide (SAUA) and serving as state women's officer for the National Union of Students in South Australia. She then worked as a political adviser to Democrat senators John Coulter (SA) and Cheryl Kernot (Qld).
On 29 November 1995, Stott Despoja was appointed to the casual vacancy...
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