I was born at Cleve on Eyre Peninsula, to parents Jack and Meryl Carman. I attended Lock school until grade seven and later furthered my education at Port Lincoln High School where I boarded at the Bush Church Aid Hostel. I later trained as a teacher in Adelaide.

As a bonded teacher, I taught at Tumby Bay where I met and later married Geoff Penfold. We moved to Adelaide for a short time and then went to Papua New Guinea where we spent six and a half years working as public servants. During this time our daughters Susan and Katrina were born.

I continued to study by correspondence through the University of Queensland where I studied politics.

41 years later we are still married and work in the professions for which we studied, Geoff in accounting, but more recently also involved in managing an abalone farm and me representing the Flinders electorate in State Parliament.

I relished the challenge of representing Flinders electorate into the 21st Century and I am looking forward to continuing my involvement in a different role.

• To listen to the needs of the community no matter what their political belief or financial status
• To consistently build employment, education, health and family relationships
• To work for the positive benefit of the people of the Flinders electorate in harmony with business, Local, State and Federal governments
• To help provide balanced management of the region and the environment