Sophie grew up working in the family milk bar from the age of 12. She graduated from the University of Melbourne with Bachelor degrees in Law and Commerce and a Masters degree in Law. Before entering Parliament Sophie was a barrister at chambers in Melbourne and Wangaratta.
Sophie is a long standing advocate of Australia’s way of life and constitutional arrangements. She was a leading spokesperson against the push for an Australian republic as an elected delegate to the Australian Constitutional Convention in February 1998.
Sophie has a keen interest in positive employment schemes and prior to her election Sophie served on the national Selection Panel for Work for the Dole Projects.
After the 2003 bushfires that burnt more than one million hectares of the Indi electorate, Sophie took a leading role in establishing the House of Representatives Select Committee on the Recent Australian Bushfires and served as a member of the Committee. Since then, Sophie has been a strong voice for better land management of public reserves and our national parks, more effective fire prevention and stronger fire suppression strategies.
In 2005, Sophie instituted a backbench tax and welfare reform group which effectively advocated lower taxes, which the Howard Government strongly delivered.
She is a fearless and effective advocate for north-east Victoria having delivered over one billion dollars in local projects for Indi since her election. She maintains a high profile across all of the Indi electorate - a large and diverse electorate of some 28,000 square kilometres. Sophie holds membership of a number of local community groups such as patron of the Bandiana Army Museum, patron of the Beechworth and District Pistol Club Inc., and a sponsor of the Albury/Wodonga National Servicemen’s Association newsletter.
Sophie was married at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Wangaratta in June 2006. She lives with her husband Greg on their rural property at Wangaratta East.