Helen Creed is a social worker who became a prominent union leader. She has also held a variety of executive and board roles in the government and not-for-profit sectors.
In 1985, she joined the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union (which became United Voice, and later the United Workers Union). She rose to become state secretary of the union in WA, from 1990 to 2002, and was then elected national president (until 2006). She served concurrently for a period as vice president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
In 2006, Ms Creed unsuccessfully sought WA Labor pre-selection for the electorate of Victoria Park. She subsequently accepted several state government roles including executive director, Office of Women’s Policy, Fair Employment Advocate; and executive director, Children & Family Services in the Department of Communities. She also worked as a policy officer for WACOSS before becoming executive director of Community Legal Centres Association (WA) until December 2017.
She was a board member of Tourism WA and the Zoological Parks Authority in the mid 2000s.
Ms Creed is chair of Regional Early Education and Development Inc and the Victoria Park Youth Accommodation, as well as a board member for Child Australia and Children Integrated Management Services.
In 2018, she was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame.