Donna Adams has deep roots in the South West. Born in Margaret River and raised in Augusta, she comes from a family whose connection to the region stretches back to the early 1900s. Her great grandmother was one of the original group settlers who arrived from the UK and were given land to clear, and Donna grew up on that property alongside cousins, aunties and uncles.
“We grew up out in the bush with a big creek running through the property,” she says. “It was a pretty dream childhood.” With around ten cousins close in age, family life felt more like growing up with siblings, and that strong sense of family has stayed with her ever since.
Donna attended Augusta Primary School before travelling to Margaret River for high school, and later Busselton for Years 11 and 12. “Year 11 and 12 was an hour and a half each way every day,” she says. “It was a mission.” Boarding school was never an option, and she reflects that her strong family ties may have made that difficult anyway.
Growing up in a small community shaped how Donna sees her place in the world. “You grow up knowing you’re part of something bigger,” she says. “You’re aware of how your actions might influence other people.” That awareness continues to guide how she shows up in both her personal and professional life.
Family remains central to Donna’s world today. She is a mum to two teenage daughters, who she describes as “my two-favourite people in the world”. Watching them grow into young women has been grounding and inspiring. Like many regional parents, she recognises how important connection is for young people living outside metropolitan centres.
Outside of work, Donna prioritises movement, nature and creativity to stay balanced. She loves surfing, golfing, spending time outdoors, and dancing. Tap and jazz classes run throughout the year and build towards an end of year concert, which she describes as a powerful outlet. Time outside, she says, keeps her grounded.
Last year, Donna ticked off a long held personal goal by travelling solo to Bali for a surf camp.
“That was a life goal for me,” she says. “It was really challenging, but really great.” Not long after, she competed in a Yallingup surf competition, pushing herself well beyond her comfort zone. Growing up on the water and in the bush, being outdoors is something she describes as being “in my blood and bones”.
Today, Donna works as an Electorate Officer in the Office of the Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC, a Member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia. It is a role she describes as varied, demanding and deeply human.
“No one day is the same,” Donna says. “Walking through the door in the morning, you just don’t know what you’re going to walk into.” Working across a vast and diverse regional electorate, she supports constituents with an extraordinary range of issues, often when they feel they have nowhere else to turn.
“We help constituents with any form of problem,” she explains. “One day you might have someone upset about power poles on their property, and the next you’re helping someone who’s a victim of domestic violence and is homeless.” Supporting people at their most vulnerable is a core part of the role, alongside coordinating ministerial visits, community forums and the day-to-day operations of the electorate office.
Working closely with Jackie, Donna helps connect community concerns with advocacy, policy processes and legislative pathways within WA Parliament. “Trying to help people who are in a really tight or vulnerable spot is what we probably do best,” she says. “A lot of people come to us as a last resort.”
Donna did not set out with a clear plan to work in politics. After separating from her husband, she was completing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and reflecting on how to combine that with her background in finance and years of experience in commercial fishing. “I was quite apolitical at the time,” she says. “But I knew what my life values were, things like community, equality and social justice.” Learning more about Labor’s values brought clarity. “It just made sense to me.”
Her psychology training has become one of the most valuable tools she brings to her work. “You learn a lot about yourself,” she explains. “How your thinking and beliefs shape how you behave.” Challenging her own assumptions has helped her better understand others and respond with empathy rather than judgement.
One of her earliest experiences in the role remains vivid. “One of my first constituents was an older man who came in just bawling his eyes out,” she recalls. “His grandson had died by suicide two days earlier.” Drawing on her training, Donna was able to normalise his grief and guide the conversation towards support.
Moments that remind her why the role matters come often. Supporting grieving families, helping vulnerable community members, and welcoming school students into the office all stand out. One experience involved students raising concerns about animal welfare. “We organised for Jackie to sit down with them and explain how upcoming legislation would address their concerns,” Donna says. “Seeing that connection between a local concern and real change was really special.”
For women considering a similar path, Donna encourages them to keep an open mind. “Being apolitical shouldn’t be a barrier,” she says. “The Electorate Officer role is a great springboard.” She believes volunteering, community involvement and aligning with values driven work can open doors in unexpected ways. “Sometimes the right opportunity just lines up.”