From rural farm life to the Australian Senate: the path of Steph Hodgins-May
In short: Born in rural Victoria, Steph Hodgins-May transitioned from environmental advocacy and international law to the heart of Australian politics. Now the deputy leader of the Australian Greens, her career reflects a decade of persistent electoral campaigning and a deep commitment to climate policy, foreign aid, and resource taxation reform.
Born in 1985 in Ballarat, Steph Hodgins-May grew up on a farm in Blampied. Her background is rooted in both agriculture and public service; her father, Rod May, served as a local mayor, and she is the great-great-granddaughter of William Hill, a founding member of the Country Party who held ministerial office during the Bruce-Page era. After earning degrees in law and international relations from Deakin University, she worked in property law and within the Australian mission to the United Nations before joining Greenpeace as Head of Pacific.
Her political journey was marked by four unsuccessful bids for the House of Representatives between 2013 and 2022. Her 2016 campaign in the seat of Melbourne Ports was particularly notable for its intensity, as she challenged incumbent Michael Danby in a three-way race. During that period, she made headlines by declining an invitation to a community forum after a co-sponsor labeled the United Nations a sham organization. Despite these electoral setbacks, she built a profile as a vocal advocate for climate action and international development.
Hodgins-May finally entered the federal parliament in May 2024, filling a Senate vacancy for Victoria. Her legislative focus has included leading efforts to implement a 25 percent tax on gas exports, a move she championed alongside Senator David Pocock. By September 2026, her influence within her party solidified when she was elected deputy leader of the Australian Greens. Her personal life has been marked by significant tragedy, including the loss of her mother in the 2009 Samoan tsunami and her father in a 2017 traffic collision involving an impaired driver.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Steph Hodgins-May
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