Walmsley was born in Canberra.[2] At the time of her election to the House of Assembly in 1979, she was 32, a qualified biochemist, a graduate student in politics at the Australian National University, and married with two children.[3]
Walmsley was elected to the ACT House of Assembly in 1979, for the Division of Canberra.[8]Peter Vallee was Labor leader from 1977 to 1982. He resigned, in order to allow a woman to lead Labor into the 1982 election.[9] Walmsley then became the acting leader,[10] but, as it turned out, a woman was not elected leader. The new leader was Ken Doyle, but he resigned after a year, in 1983, and Maurene Horder was elected leader in his place.[11]
^"LETTERS to the Editor". The Canberra Times. Vol. 56, no. 16, 999. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 13 April 1982. p. 2. Retrieved 25 May 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Candidates declared elected". The Canberra Times. Vol. 53, no. 15, 969. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 13 June 1979. p. 9. Retrieved 25 May 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"ALP leader". The Canberra Times. Vol. 56, no. 17, 016. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 30 April 1982. p. 3. Retrieved 12 April 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"CORRECTION". The Canberra Times. Vol. 58, no. 17, 523. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 20 September 1983. p. 3. Retrieved 12 April 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
