Former MP Judy Gamin remembered as ‘amazing, dedicated’ representative after passing away

Tributes are being paid to legendary Burleigh MP Judy Gamin, with a former Premier describing her as an ‘amazing’ representative who made an ‘enormous’ contribution.

TRIBUTES are being paid to former Burleigh MP Judy Gamin, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 92.

Ms Gamin, a National Party member, held the Burleigh seat from 1992-2001, having previously held the old South Coast seat from 1988-89.

Former Queensland Premier and National Party leader Rob Borbidge said Ms Gamin was a “dear friend” who made an “enormous contribution” to the Gold Coast.

“I’ve known Judy ever since I moved to the Gold Coast in the late 1970s,” Mr Borbidge said. “She became a very close and dear friend and a political confidante.

“She was an amazing MP. She had great attention to detail, she was incredibly dedicated.

“She made an enormous contribution to her electorate and the Gold Coast and to the then National Party prior to merger with the Liberals.”

Former National Party Member for Burleigh Judy Gamin.. Picture: George Fetting.

Ms Gamin’s husband Paul, who died in 2019, was also an accomplished politician, serving as councillor for Burleigh from 1985 to 2000.

Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek said the pair were “Burleigh stalwarts” who were dedicated to serving the community.

“I’ve known Judy for twenty years,” Mr Langbroek said.

“She had an amazing story.

“She was really someone from the era when this was Country Party or National Party territory, as it transformed into what it is now.

“She was of the old Country Party and actually ran and beat Bob Quinn in one seat.

“... She was a very decent person. Very community focused.”

Former Queensland Premier Rob Borbidge. Picture: David Clark.

Burleigh MP Michael Hart said he and his predecessor in the seat, Christine Smith, had kept in regular contact with Ms Gamin.

“She was a lovely lady, and very politically knowledgeable,” Mr Hart said.

“Very experienced and very popular.

“Judy lost to Christine Smith, Christine lost to me and all three of us have kept in touch.

“I only spoke to Judy two weeks ago. She had just moved to Brisbane, into a nursing home. I had called her to see how she was going.”

Division 13 councillor Daphne McDonald said Ms Gamin was a “fine lady” and “excellent state representative of the people”.

“It had been my pleasure to work with Judy during her time as State Member,” Cr McDonald said.

“Judy was the old-style politician who gained respect from all sides of the political arena.”

Former Burleigh MP Judy Gamin.

Ms Gamin was born in Broken Hill, NSW, in July 1930 and educated in Adelaide.

In 1957 she married her husband Paul in Brisbane. The pair worked together in a series of businesses before moving to the Gold Coast and opening a curtain and materials shop on Nerang St in Southport.

They had five children, Elizabeth, Caroline, Peter, Thomas and John.

The family was visited by tragedy when Thomas and John were killed in the crash of Ansett-ANA flight 149 near Winton in western Queensland on September 22, 1966.

Ms Gamin stood as National Party candidate for the Federal seat of Moncrieff in 1984, losing to Kathy Sullivan from the Liberals.

When Russ Hinze left parliament in 1988, she won the subsequent by-election for the South Coast seat, seeing off the challenge of Liberal Bob Quinn.

She lost out to Mr Quinn in the December 1989 state election, but returned to parliament when she won the newly-created seat of Burleigh in 1992.

Ms Gamin held the seat until bowing out at the February 2001 state election.

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Originally published as Former MP Judy Gamin remembered as ‘amazing, dedicated’ representative after passing away