Pru Goward

The Honourable Pru Goward AO
Goward attending an opera function in Sydney (2012)
Minister for Family and Community Services
In office 30 January 2017 – 2 April 2019
Premier	Gladys Berejiklian
Preceded by	Brad Hazzard
Succeeded by	Gareth Ward
In office 3 April 2011 – 23 April 2014
Premier	Barry O'Farrell
Preceded by	Linda Burney
Succeeded by	Gabrielle Upton
Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
In office 2 April 2015 – 2 April 2019
Premier	Mike Baird Gladys Berejiklian
Preceded by	Herself (as Minister for Women)
Succeeded by	Mark Speakman
Minister for Social Housing
In office 30 January 2017 – 2 April 2019
Premier	Gladys Berejiklian
Preceded by	Brad Hazzard
Succeeded by	Melinda Pavey
Minister for Women
In office 3 April 2011 – 30 January 2017
Premier	Barry O'Farrell Mike Baird
Preceded by	Linda Burney
Succeeded by	Tanya Davies
Minister for Mental Health Assistant Minister for Health
In office 2 April 2015 – 30 January 2017
Premier	Mike Baird
Preceded by	Jai Rowell
Succeeded by	Tanya Davies (as Minister for Mental Health)
Minister for Medical Research
In office 2 April 2015 – 30 January 2017
Premier	Mike Baird
Preceded by	Jillian Skinner
Succeeded by	Brad Hazzard
Minister for Planning
In office 23 April 2014 – 2 April 2015
Premier	Mike Baird
Preceded by	Brad Hazzard
Succeeded by	Rob Stokes
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Goulburn
In office 24 March 2007 – 1 March 2019
Preceded by	new district
Succeeded by	Wendy Tuckerman
Personal details
Born	Prudence Jane Goward (1952-09-02) 2 September 1952 (age 71) Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Political party	Liberal Party
Spouse(s)	Alastair Fischer (m. 1973; dis. 1983) David Barnett (1986-2022 (his death))
Children	3 (including Kate Fischer)
Alma mater	University of Adelaide (1974)

Prudence Jane Goward AO (born 2 September 1952^[1]) is an Australian former politician and Liberal member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 2007 to 2019, representing the seat of Goulburn.

She was the New South Wales Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister for Social Housing, from January 2017 to March 2019 in the Berejiklian government, and the Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, from 2015 until March 2019. Goward has also previously served as the Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Medical Research, and Assistant Minister for Health between April 2015 and January 2017, and the Minister for Women between 2011 and January 2017, in the second Baird government and the Minister for Planning during 2014 and 2015. With the first Berejiklian government she returned to Community Services portfolio which she previously held between 2011 and 2014, in the O'Farrell and first Baird governments.

Prior to entering politics, Goward served as the Australian Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Commissioner Responsible for Age Discrimination with the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. In 2019, Goward became an academic with Western Sydney University.^[2]