Marie Tehan

Marie Therese Tehan (née O'Brien; 19 June 1940 – 31 October 2004) was an Australian politician and lawyer.

The Honourable Marie Tehan
Minister for Conservation and Land Management
In office 23 March 1996 – 21 October 1999
Premier	Jeff Kennett
Preceded by	Mark Birrell
Succeeded by	Sherryl Garbutt
Minister for Health
In office 6 October 1992 – 23 March 1996
Premier	Jeff Kennett
Preceded by	Maureen Lyster
Succeeded by	Rob Knowles
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Seymour
In office 3 October 1992 – 17 September 1999
Preceded by	New division
Succeeded by	Ben Hardman
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council
In office 21 March 1987 – 2 October 1992
Personal details
Born	Marie Therese O'Brien (1940-06-19)19 June 1940 Melbourne, Victoria
Died	31 October 2004(2004-10-31) (aged 64) Nagambie, Victoria
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Spouse	James Tehan ​ (m. 1963)​
Children	6, including Dan Tehan
Alma mater	University of Melbourne (LLB)
Occupation	Lawyer and politician

Educated at Sacré Cœur School, Glen Iris, Melbourne and at the University of Melbourne, Marie O'Brien qualified as a lawyer. She married James "Jim" Tehan in 1963 and settled in regional Victoria. They had six children—including Dan Tehan, the federal member for Wannon since 2010. She established her own legal practice in Mansfield in 1970.^[1]

Tehan was elected to the Victorian Parliament in 1987 and retired in 1999. Representing the Liberal Party, Tehan served in both houses of the Victorian Parliament. She was the member for Central Highlands Province in the Legislative Council from 1987 to 1992 and for Seymour in the Legislative Assembly from 1992 to 1999. As a minister in the Kennett Liberal government, she held the portfolios of Minister for Health from 1992 to 1996 and Minister for Conservation and Land Management from 1996 to 1999.^[2]

Tehan died on 31 October 2004, at Nagambie, Victoria, aged 64, due to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).^[3][4]