For the first time in Tasmania’s history, a woman of Indian heritage born in Fiji has completed her first year as Deputy Lord Mayor of Hobart.
Dr Zelinda Sherlock, who migrated to Tasmania with her family in the 1980s, was officially elected to the deputy role last year, becoming the first woman of non-European heritage to hold the title since the Hobart City Council was established more than 150 years ago.
“It is incredibly special that I come from humble beginnings, immigrating to Tasmania with my family from Fiji,” Dr Sherlock told Tasmania Times last year, reflecting on her journey and the significance of taking the oath of citizenship in Hobart’s Town Hall in 2000 — the same building where she now helps shape the city’s future.
Dr Sherlock, a passionate community advocate and educator, has used her role on the Council to advance social inclusion and equity. Over the past year, she has spearheaded initiatives like Hobart’s first Housing with Dignity Reference Group, created a Social Inclusion Index, and pushed for improved English language services for migrants and refugees.
Born in Flagstaff, Suva, Dr Sherlock was deeply inspired by her father, Michael Dutta, a founding member of the Fiji Labour Party and the first Fiji-born Indian to contest a Hobart City Council election.
Dutta is a law graduate from the University of Tasmania and a qualified barrister in both Australia and Fiji. With additional qualifications in education and theology, he taught legal studies, psychology, religion, and philosophy at Hobart College for two decades.
With a background in law, linguistics, and education — including nearly 14 years as an English lecturer in Japan — Dr Sherlock brings global experience and academic rigour to local government. She holds a Bachelor of Arts/Law from the University of Tasmania and postgraduate degrees from Deakin University, where she is completing her PhD.
Since first being elected to Hobart City Council in 2018, Dr Sherlock has won support across the political spectrum, with preference flows reflecting her ability to engage people from all walks of life.
As Deputy Lord Mayor, she continues to work on social cohesion, housing, climate action and equitable development.
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