Background
Lomax-Smith was born in Walthamstow in the East End of London, in the United Kingdom.
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 and Bachelor of Science(Honours) After migrating to Australia, she received a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Adelaide in 1986, and before entering politics she was a clinical pathologist, medical researcher and teacher.
She was in Local Government for 9 years, as a councillor for three terms and Lord Mayor of Adelaide for two terms. 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. She was Interim Director of the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus), and is currently chair of the Board of the South Australian Museum.
Doctor Lomax-Smith first entered public office in 1991 and she was elected Lord Mayor of Adelaide in 1997.
Her term as Lord Mayor ended in 2000. She variously served as the South Australian State Minister for Education, Minister for Mental Health & Substance Abuse, Minister for Tourism, and Minister for the City of Adelaide between 2002 and 2010 in Premier Rann"s Labor Government.
In October 2010 the Federal Minister for Tertiary Education, Senator Chris Evans, announced a Higher Education Base Funding Review, to be chaired by Doctor Lomax-Smith. The review was released in December 2011.
On 28 November 2010, the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) announced that Doctor Lomax-Smith was to act in the role of Director until a permanent appointment was made, but that she would not be an applicant for the permanent role.
On 18 August 2011 Premier Mike Rann announced that Doctor Lomax-Smith had been appointed as the new chair of the South Australian Museum board.
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.
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.